win.gg
Win.gg Counter-Strike shroud is worried about CSGO as more players switch to Valorant

shroud is worried about CSGO as more players switch to Valorant

Fariha Bhatti
Fariha Bhatti Published 22/03/2021

Former Counter-Strike: Global Offensive pro Michael “shroud” Grzesiek has once again weighed in on the CSGO versus Valorant debate, and this time he seems concerned about his former “main game”. 

When Riot’s tactical shooter was released in 2020, players were quick to compare it to CSGO, one of the most venerated tactical shooters ever made. FPS fans have pitted Valorant against CSGO, but both games have succeeded with their own player bases. shroud was one of the first famous names to claim that Valorant will overtake Valve’s shooter in popularity. The former competitive player still holds that same stance today, but Valorant’s growth has him eve more worried about the game he spent so many years playing. 

In a recent stream, shroud acknowledged the impact of Valorant’s rapid success. The Twitch streamer thinks that Valorant’s growth puts CSGO’s future in jeopardy. 

“I worry for CS, if they don’t do something new and nice. I won’t be surprised if [Valve] lets it die, but I doubt it. CSGO is their baby,” shroud said.

The conversation started when shroud came across Keith “NAF” Markovic’s Valorant teaser that various other CSGO pros have been using to troll fans. The rifler posted a Reyna GIF on Twitter, similar to what Kenny “kennyS” Schrub and Tarik “tarik” Celik had earlier teased on their own handles. The tweet caught shroud’s attention, who said they may be trolling right now, but the Valorant switch is imminent for many CSGO pro players. 

shroud isn’t entirely in the wrong. kennyS and NBK have stated that a Valorant switch isn’t yet in the cards as of now, but they didn’t rule out the possibility for the future. NBK even mentioned that he might consider Riot’s shooter later down the line. While these players aren’t instantly jumping on the Valorant bandwagon, it’s likely that another CSGO player exodus will soon follow if Valve continues to neglect the title compared to Riot’s constant updates to Valorant.

Is CSGO dying in 2021? 

In 2020, CSGO hit the 1 million mark, proving that new FPS games have failed to sway its dedicated player base. In 2021, the game continues to show new players logging into their steam accounts to enjoy a classic tactical experience, with another increase of players registered in February showing a successful future ahead of CSGO. Contrary to the rumours, Valve’s shooter is doing just fine.

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
XSE Pro League 2026 in China: Teams, format and prize pool Counter-Strike
XSE Pro League 2026 in China: Teams, format and prize pool Owen Harsono Counter-Strike is back after the IEM Cologne Major, as the XSE Pro League 2026 is the first notable event since then. 16 teams book flights to China to compete in the million-dollar event. Here’s everything you need to know about the XSE Pro League 2026 event. Top-tier Counter-Strike returns to the passionate grounds of China, as the event will take place in the city of Guangzhou. Teams will play in ...
Will Valve add Cache in the CS2 Premier Season 5 Active Duty map pool? Esports Betting
Will Valve add Cache in the CS2 Premier Season 5 Active Duty map pool? Wasif Ahmed Following the highly anticipated return of Cache to Counter-Strike 2 earlier this season, the competitive community has almost started believing that the legendary industrial map would soon make its way into the Active Duty map pool for Premier Season 5. This expectation followed a pattern set by Train, which Valve brought back late last year before quickly pushing it into the main professional tournament rotation. However, in a recent Twitter ...
IEM Cologne Grand Final: Team Falcons vs FURIA best betting predictions Counter-Strike
IEM Cologne Grand Final: Team Falcons vs FURIA best betting predictions Owen Harsono Coming into the IEM Cologne Major, nobody would have expected a grand final series between Team Falcons and FURIA, but here we are. Will NiKo finally win his first Major, or will FalleN win another one before retiring at the end of the year? Here are our IEM Cologne Major Grand Final predictions. Tournament: IEM Cologne Major 2026 Stage: Grand Final Game: Counter-Strike 2 Format: Best-of-five Betting tip: Team Falcons ...
Team Spirit vs Team Falcons IEM Cologne Major: betting predictions and picks Counter-Strike
Team Spirit vs Team Falcons IEM Cologne Major: betting predictions and picks Owen Harsono We’re in for a treat, as Team Spirit will take on Team Falcons for a spot in the IEM Cologne Major grand final. Will NiKo finally get another shot at winning a Major, or will donk and company prevent him from accomplishing his lifelong goal? Here are our IEM Cologne Major Team Spirit vs Team Falcons predictions. Tournament: IEM Cologne Major 2026 Stage: Semi-Final Game: Counter-Strike 2 Format: Best-of-three Betting ...
Vitality vs Falcons betting predictions and best picks: IEM Cologne Major 2026 Counter-Strike
Vitality vs Falcons betting predictions and best picks: IEM Cologne Major 2026 Owen Harsono We’re treated to a possible grand final matchup here in the quarterfinal of the IEM Cologne Major, with Team Vitality taking on Team Falcons in an elimination match. These are two of the highest-profile teams in the game right now, but only one of them can continue their chase for the trophy. Here are our IEM Cologne Major Team Vitality vs Team Falcons predictions. Tournament: IEM Cologne Major 2026 Stage: ...
IEM Cologne Major 2026 playoffs preview: matchups & predictions Counter-Strike
IEM Cologne Major 2026 playoffs preview: matchups & predictions Owen Harsono The top eight teams at the IEM Cologne 2026 Major are set. Most of the favorites easily secured their spots, but we also have promising underdogs sneaking into the bracket. To keep you up to speed, here’s everything you need to know about the IEM Cologne Major playoffs. We started with 32 teams and are now only down to eight. After a grueling Stage 3, teams have been seeded into ...
IEM Cologne Major 2026 CS2 Playoffs Pick’Em Predictions Counter-Strike
IEM Cologne Major 2026 CS2 Playoffs 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 ...