nitr0 reportedly weighs switch to Valorant after leaving Liquid

M Alzamora Published 11/08/2020

Reports indicate that esports organizations competing in Valorant are reaching out to the man who captained Team Liquid to the world’s top ranking in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive.

After Nicholas “nitr0” Cannella’s surprise exit from Team Liquid’s CSGO roster, it seems as though Valorant teams are eager to get the CSGO veteran to switch games. Reports from ESPN state that several high-profile organizations have reached out to nitr0 to inquire if he would be interested in leading a team in the growing esport.

No specific teams or organizations were mentioned in the report, nor was it confirmed that nitr0 was actively considering any of these offers to play Valorant. That said, Valorant has become a haven for ex-CSGO players, most of whom were just outside the game’s top level. Team Liquid itself has announced the signing of its own Valorant roster that included famous CSGO pro Adil “ScreaM” Benrlitom as one of its star members. With that roster full, it’s unlikely that nitr0 would be remaining within the Liquid ranks if he did swap games.

New Team.
New Game.
New Home.
Same Liquid.#RideOrDie pic.twitter.com/hhwab6wt8p
— Team Liquid VALORANT (@LiquidValorant) August 7, 2020

nitr0 would be most accomplished CSGO player to switch to Valorant

If nitr0 does make the move to Valorant, he would be only the latest CSGO pro to switch sides to Riot Games’ new first-person shooter. Contrary to comments by former Overwatch pro player Félix “xQc” Lengyel, CSGO players are not only doing well in the early days of Valorant’s competitive scene, they’re thriving. Players who cut their teeth in CSGO haven’t turned out to be quite as “washed up” as xQc thought they would be in an opinion he shared in a tweet in early March.

HOT TAKE: ALL THE WASHED UP CSGO “PROS” WILL TRY TO GO PRO IN VALORANT LIKE THEY DID IN OVERWATCH THEN COMPLAIN ABOUT REZ, SHIELDS AND THAT THE GAME REVOLVES AROUND MORE THAN SIMPLY SHOOTING A GUN AND ULTIMATELY QUIT.
— xQc (@xQc) March 3, 2020

Apparently, Riot’s shooter is so similar to CSGO that its players are having little trouble making the move to Valorant, a game where the gameplay and recoil patterns of weapons are very close to those of CSGO.

Just how close are Valorant’s spray patterns to CSGO? Check out WIN.gg’s coverage of the similarities by clicking on the photo below.

If nitr0 does indeed make the move to Valorant, he would be the most accomplished player to make the switch, with the biggest names prior likely being ScreaM and Spencer “Hiko” Martin. nitr0 spent more than five years competing for Team Liquid’s CSGO team before he was benched at the end of the game’s player break at the beginning of August.

M Alzamora

About M Alzamora

There are few things that writer M Alzamora loves more in life than Pokemon. And there are even fewer things that she loves more than her favorite Pokemon, Eevee. But M’s appreciation for gaming isn’t just limited to Nintendo’s famous pocket monsters. She’s interested in every type of game across every genre of gaming, and she has the credentials to prove it. M’s work has also been seen on Working Classicists and gaming sites.

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