Valorant has roped in dozens of Counter-Strike: Global Offensive players but Tarik “tarik” Celik doesn’t think professional players should be blamed for making the switch.
It’s no secret that CSGO is currently going through its biggest slump in history. Most of the player decline could be attributed to the pro scene exodus triggered by the release of competitor Valorant. While older CS fans aren’t happy about pros transitioning to Valorant, tarik doesn’t think they have many other options.
In a recent CSGO stream, the former pro player explained that CSGO is responsible for players leaving esports. Their switch has little to do with Valorant and more with CSGO’s dying scene in North America. The lack of opportunities for NA pros has left them with no options but to pursue a career in Valorant’s much-decorated esports.
“There’s just not enough team salary in NA and also people are starting to get bored with CS I guess. It’s something new and exciting. But I agree it’s unfortunate,” Tarik said.
The 25-year-old content creator recently stepped back from competing to pursue full-time streaming. His decision came after a lackluster performance in a CSGO game that prompted him to consider a Valorant switch in the future if the streaming does not work out for him. However, tarik still sticks to streaming CSGO despite Valorant’s popularity.
While tarik recognizes Valve and its poor handling of CSGO as the driving force behind crumbling esports, he’s upset about players moving to a different title.
“It’s definitely unfortunate, but you can’t blame them because there’s no opportunity for those in NA. It sucks but that’s just the situation right now,” he said.
He’s not entirely wrong. Currently, tons of org-less teams are waiting to get signed across different regions, not just North America. From gelled-up rosters like DBL-Poney, fan-favorites like Bad News Bears are still waiting to be brought in. Apart from free teams, dozens of North American pros are competing at the lower tier due to a lack of team opportunities.
Conversely, Valorant’s North American scene is thriving in full force, with the potential to grow even more in the coming years. While loyal fans will continue to play whatever game they fancy, stats prove that Valorant’s success directly impacts CSGO’s popularity. It’ll be interesting to see whether this CSGO slump is temporary like many others before, or Valorant has replaced Valve’s shooter as the best FPS shooter.
