Who is Juliano? The best female pro in Valorant and CSGO

Fariha Bhatti Published 01/12/2022

VCT Game Changers was a defining moment of 2022 for women in gaming worldwide. About 230K people watched the final when Julia “juliano“ Kiran spearheaded G2 Gozen to the win.

The FPS gaming genre always had a surplus of women aiming to compete at a higher level, but a lack of support and tournaments held them back. Still, some pro players were stubborn to take every shot at competing, and Juliano was one of the pioneers. The winner of Valorant’s first female-centered global circuit, Game Changers saw G2 Gozen lift the golden trophy in front of record-breaking viewers, setting a historical record.

Now, fans wonder who’s the IGL behind Gozen, the winner of VCT Game Changers 2022.

How old is Juliano?

Juliano was born in Sweden in 1993.

The 27-year-old is the skipper of G2 Gozen, the female Valorant roster based in Berlin, Germany. It was put together by Carlos Ocelot and is currently Valorant’s top female lineup globally. She’s also part of the first female trio to earn the biggest titles and prize money in both CSGO and Valorant.

When did Juliano start competing in CSGO?

Juliano was a household name in female Counter-Strike. The pro player touched the game when it was still nascent esports-wise. Her first pro game dates back to 2010, which means she has been competing before CSGO was years from release. Juliano has a storied history in CSGO, which spans over a decade.

What did Juliano win in CSGO?

Juliano has won plenty of titles during her 10-year-long stint in Valve’s labor of love. Under Juliano’s leadership, teams won the Intel Challenge Katowice in 2015, 2016, and 2017. But her win at DreamHack Showdown Valencia 2019 stands out.

With Beşiktaş Esports, the pro player bagged prize money of $50,000, which is huge in CSGO’s female scene. The team defeated CLG Red at the DreamHack Valencia Showdown, earning a spot at the DreamHack Open Rotterdam tournament.

The 27-year-old was competing in minor CSGO leagues since a young age, eventually becoming a part of XSET’s star-studded female roster in 2020. She has played for many teams, including Bad Monkey Gaming, Team Secret, Dynasty Gaming, Beşiktaş Esports, Team Originem, and XSET.

Why did Juliano leave CSGO?

Juliano quit CSGO in 2021 to compete in Valorant. The exact reason was unknown, but it wasn’t hard to guess. Riot’s VCT Game Changers provided better opportunities for female players to compete and for a much higher prize pool. Conversely, female players in CSGO were still on the sidelines.

In Valorant, Juliano initially joined XSET but failed to cop any notable titles or put up a decent showing. However, the pro player quickly found her footing as The Originals, ultimately getting picked up by G2 Gozen in 2021. Since then, the 27-year-old has propelled the team to the number one spot in Valorant’s female esports, winning the top honor.

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.

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