win.gg
Win.gg Counter-Strike s1mple’s OP criticism triggers a debate between CSGO and Valorant pros

s1mple's OP criticism triggers a debate between CSGO and Valorant pros

Fariha Bhatti
Fariha Bhatti Published 25/03/2021
Google Preferred Source

Oleksandr “s1mple” Kostyliev’s stream has once again reignited the infamous Valorant versus Counter-Strike: Global Offensive debate with Operator at its center. 

Riot’s tactical shooter has heavily rocked CSGO esports, roping in some of the biggest stars like Tyson “TenZ” Ngo, Ethan “Ethan” Arnold, Spencer “Hiko” Martin, and many more. Valorant’s undeniable similarities with CSGO were a huge selling point that attracted many players. The game patched up the classic FPS experience with fiercely styled agents and bright maps. However, weapons are more or less the same. A new debate amongst pros is proving that the impact of these weapons depends highly on gameplay. 

Valorant’s Operator, also known as “OP,” has remained in the crosshairs of the critics since the beta version. s1mple’s recent stream has once again dragged the Sniper into the spotlight.

Valorant and CSGO pros discuss OP weapon

s1mple slammed the Valorant’s sniper OP and called it a “shit weapon” during his Twitch livestream. Kenny “kennyS” Schrub also backed up s1mple’s remarks and said that the weapon could use a buff. Their comments triggered a whole new discussion among CSGO and Valorant professional players. 

TenZ, who previously commented that Operator is tough to contest, said it isn’t overpowered but it punishes aggressive peekers.

Seeing some talks about the operator again on my feed, never thought it was overpowered but people just don’t use their abilities to smoke off or push off common Op angles. Gun is legit made to punish people ego peeking and taking unnecessary duels

— TenZ / Tyson (SEN) (@TenZOfficial) March 25, 2021

Team Liquid’s Lucas “Mendo” Håkansson responded and said that Operator’s efficacy depends highly on game mode and team communication. 

But in ranked, it’s extremely easy to use, extremely oppressive, and it can even get to the point where an entire ranked team’s composition just does not have the remote possibility of countering the oppressiveness of the weapon

let’s give all characters a smoke and 2 flashes?

— Liquid Mendo (@Mendo) March 25, 2021

The professional player and streamer explained that most teams have no source to block out the Operator in solo ranked queues, turning the game into a “weapon versus team” format. Whoever has the Operator wins the game by default because you can’t simply flash them out like in CSGO. Whereas, in team games, players can request smokes and flashes and easily contest the Operator. The streamer recommended that scaling the weapon with skills could resolve this issue. 

On the topic of buff, G2 esports’ streamer Jakub “Lothar” Szygulski probed kennyS about areas where Sniper is lacking. The legendary AWPer recommended the same solution as Mendo and said that the movement could use some improvement. The Operator’s scope movement and equip timing was heavily nerfed in patch 1.09. The sluggish movement clashes with kennyS’ signature quick-scope AWP style. 

The Sniper comes for a hefty price of 5000 Creds and can be the ultimate hero weapon for defenders. While Operator may not be much different from CSGO’s AWP, it’s the distinct aspects of both games that impact its efficacy. In CSGO, all players carry similar utility that allows them to contest the enemy’s guns. Agents in Valorant come short against powerful weapons if they don’t play as a team, which explains slower and balanced Sniper in the game. 

It’s unlikely that this Twitter argument would get the developers’ attention as most Valorant players find the Operator perfectly balanced in the Valorant mechanics. However, the discussion does prove that CSGO and Valorant may not be so similar, after all. 

Fariha Bhatti Fariha Bhatti
About Fariha Bhatti

Fariha Bhatti is a long-time gaming writer who loves competitive FPS games and slots with particularly fun themes. She got her start playing classic games developed by SNK, from legendary fighting game series The King of Fighters to challenging platform franchise Metal Slug. She now spends most of her time playing Valorant and Counter-Strike 2 while working her way through new slot releases to find her next favorite. Fariha has been published at PCGamesN, TalkEsport and ONE Esports.

View full profile
Read Also
IEM Cologne Major 2026 CS2 Stage 3 Pick’Em Predictions Counter-Strike
IEM Cologne Major 2026 CS2 Stage 3 Pick’Em Predictions Owen Harsono It’s that time of the year again, as the next Counter-Strike 2 Major is right around the corner. The IEM Cologne 2026 Major is set to start on June 2, meaning you still have some time to lock in your Pick’Em predictions. The Pick’Em Challenge is one of the most exciting parts of the CS2 Majors, as it allows you to test your knowledge and predict which teams make it ...
Team Spirit concede just 10 rounds in Stage 2 of the IEM Cologne Major Counter-Strike
Team Spirit concede just 10 rounds in Stage 2 of the IEM Cologne Major Owen Harsono It was pretty weird seeing Team Spirit having to start the IEM Cologne Major from Stage 2, but they quickly proved why that was a mistake. With donk shooting on all fronts, the Eastern Europeans speed ran the competition to book their spot in Stage 3. With how they’ve been playing, it’s hard not to wonder whether they can actually win the entire thing. These boys can sometimes be known ...
BIG pull off 0-12 comeback to stay alive – IEM Cologne Major Stage 1 recap Counter-Strike
BIG pull off 0-12 comeback to stay alive – IEM Cologne Major Stage 1 recap Owen Harsono We’ve just witnessed arguably the worst choke in Counter-Strike Major history, and we’re only on the first stage of the IEM Cologne Major. If you didn’t tune into the Stage 1 matches, here’s what you need to know heading into Stage 2. Many fans tend to underestimate Stage 1 teams for fair reasons, but some survivors in this tournament look extremely promising. Two Eastern European teams, BetBoom Team and B8, ...
Who will win the IEM Cologne Major 2026? Counter-Strike
Who will win the IEM Cologne Major 2026? Owen Harsono If you’re looking to play it safe and back one team at the Counter-Strike 2 IEM Cologne 2026 Major, traders prediction markets platforms have a clear frontrunner – it’s Team Vitality. But if it’s not meant to be, there are a few other candidates that could lift the trophy. Here’s what traders on Polymarket and Kalshi think. If you haven’t been watching CS2 this year and are only jumping on ...
The 10 best CS2 players who have never won a Major Counter-Strike
The 10 best CS2 players who have never won a Major Owen Harsono In Counter-Strike, winning a Major immediately puts you into legend status. It’s an achievement that proves you won the game’s biggest trophy. However, there have been some really good players that could never get their hands on the biggest trophy that Counter-Strike esports has to offer. Here is WIN.gg's list of best CS2 players who have never won a Major. ScreaM is one of Counter-Strike's most famous players for one ...
IEM Cologne Major 2026: All the teams, favorites, and outright betting odds Counter-Strike
IEM Cologne Major 2026: All the teams, favorites, and outright betting odds Owen Harsono Mark your calendars, as the IEM Cologne Major kicks off on June 2, 2026. We’re going to see the best teams in the world compete, but which ones are actually favored to take the title? This will be the first time in 10 years that IEM Cologne will return as a Counter-Strike Major, so the stakes this year are much higher than they’ve been in a decade. In this guide, ...
All IEM Cologne winners and rosters in Counter-Strike history Esports Betting
All IEM Cologne winners and rosters in Counter-Strike history Owen Harsono IEM Cologne is one of Counter-Strike’s biggest events, happening every single year. Some seasons, the event is labeled as one of Valve’s two Counter-Strike Majors of the year, but if not, still stands as one of the big events every player chases to win. With the IEM Cologne 2026 Major right around the corner, let’s take a trip down memory lane and check out every single winner of the tournament, ...