Win.gg
News
Shroud predicts that Valorant will become the top FPS esport Shroud predicts that Valorant will become the top FPS esport
“Valorant’s just gonna hit, and it’s gonna hit hard.”
Former Counter-Strike: Global Offensive pro turned Valorant streamer Michael “shroud” Grzesiek believes that Riot’s tactical shooter will become the bigger esport, especially once live tournaments return and teams from North America and Europe can compete together.
“It has the perfect recipe right now,” shroud said. “If Valorant nails the timing of coming to LAN and tournaments are popping off, it’s going to blow the fuck up. Even more than it already has.”
A fan followed up by asking if Valorant will take the top spot in FPS esports.
“Oh, yeah. Easily,” shroud responded.
Will Valorant become a bigger esport than CSGO?
Ever since the closed beta earlier this year, shroud has been saying that
Valorant will become more popular
than CSGO.
“Do I think Valorant will overtake CS? Probably. I just think it’s a much easier game to get into. It’s much more pleasing to the eye, a little more casual. Counter-Strike is a bit more hardcore,” shroud said at the time.
But even when it comes to hardcore and competitive play, shroud believes Valorant will have the upperhand. On his earlier stream, shroud noted that CSGO’s numbers “are dipping.” shroud added that CSGO “strives on LAN,” which could be why CSGO esports viewership has been down in this online era, but most gamers noticed a drop in CSGO players when Valorant’s closed beta arrived.
In June, there was a
dip in interest in CSGO
thanks to Valorant’s debut. It was estimated that Valorant stole around 500,000 players from CSGO. This included a lot of well-known CSGO veterans and pros, making the competitive side also a bit more appealing than Counter-Strike’s.
With the introduction of Valorant’s Ignition Series and the frequent high-stakes tournaments, esports fans have been able to watch top FPS pros compete in the popular new shooter. When LAN events return and teams from all over the world can clash on stage, shroud predicts Valorant will only become bigger. So big, in fact, that it will outshine CSGO at that point.
Olivia Richman
About Olivia Richman
Olivia has worked in media ever since graduating from college, with her coverage ranging from traditional newspaper reporting to digital coverage of all things gaming, online betting, and nerd culture. She has traveled around the world pursuing that coverage, from the far coasts of the United States to the busy downtown core of Tokyo, Japan. Olivia’s favorite games include Overwatch and Super Smash Smash Bros, and she has been published at Esports Illustrated, Inven Global, EsportsInsider, Upcomer, and elsewhere.
View full profile
Read Also
Twitch
iShowSpeed Answers Fan Questions: Opens Up About Mental Health and One Piece
Khizar Mundia
Darren “iShowSpeed” Watkins Jr. recently did an extensive Q&A where he answered several fan questions, talking about things such as mental health and loneliness despite being massively popular, while he also debunked being a One Piece “larper”. iShowSpeed is arguably the biggest IRL streamer in the world right now, with 2026 being a major year for the creator. Whether it was livestreaming the 2026 FIFA World Cup or being listed ...
Dota 2
Unstoppable Yandex crush NAVI in one-sided PGL Wallachia finals
Michael Hassall
Team Yandex has swept the grand finals of the PGL Wallachia Season 9 Dota 2 tournament, defeating Natus Vincere (NAVI) in a 3-0 drubbing this past weekend (Sep. 27). As predicted, the revitalized Yandex, hot off the signing of former Team Falcons star Ammar "ATF" Al-Assaf, crushed their youthful opponents in a three-game sweep in the best-of-five finals. Here’s how it happened: After upsetting the star-studded LGD Gaming roster (albeit ...
Twitch
Kai Cenat Reportedly Becomes First Streamer To Broadcast From Inside a Volcano
Khizar Mundia
Twitch star Kai Cenat caused a major stir online when he announced his Exploring the Unexplored IRL series — and he has now gone live from the first country, Iceland, streaming from inside a volcano. IRL streaming is one of the best ways to gain exposure and become a bigger creator. Two of the biggest current examples are Darren “iShowSpeed” Watkins Jr. and Rangesh “N3on” Mutama. Speed has been a ...
Dota 2
Team Yandex to win it all? PGL Wallachia Season 9 Finals preview and predictions
Michael Hassall
The first big event after TI15, PGL Wallachia Season 9, wraps up this Sunday, Sep. 27, and it’s set to be a hell of a show. After a solid week of action, with some surprise eliminations along the way, we’re down to just three teams from the original 16. Team Yandex, LGD Gaming, and Natus Vincere (NAVI) remain, having battled through some big upsets to get there. Yandex are hot ...
Valorant
Complexity Gaming shuts down after 23 years – Here’s what we know
Khizar Mundia
Esports organization Complexity Gaming is ending its 23-year run, as its founder announces its shutdown. Complexity is an organization that has been around since the early days of esports. The organization had rosters in multiple games, including Counter-Strike and Valorant. Despite this, Complexity’s CS roster was the most famous, as it won several major events. This is why it was a surprise for fans to hear that Complexity is shutting ...
Kick
Who Is N3on? Here’s Everything About the Self-Proclaimed First AI Streamer
Khizar Mundia
Rangesh “N3on” Mutama was initially known for being a controversial streamer, but he has since come a long way, even being considered by many as a contender for Streamer of the Year 2026. Here’s everything about N3on, ranging from who he is to how he became such a well-known face on social media. N3on achieved viral status multiple times with multiple over-the-top acts. He is also known to be a ...
News
Kalshi seeks CFTC approval for use of borrowed funds on its platform
Michael Hassall
Prediction market Kalshi has this week (Tuesday, Sep. 22) sought approval from regulators to allow its users to offer margin trading and leverage (that is borrowing and loans) on contracts and predictions. The practice of using borrowed funds to support trades is common in conventional stock trading but has not yet made its way into the prediction market space. Currently, it’s only possible too make trades and purchase contracts on ...
