Should CS:GO Watch Out For Competition With Valorant?

| Tags: , | Author
Should CS:GO Watch Out For Competition With Valorant?

Almost everybody has heard about Riot Game's new shooter Valorant.


The studio announced a number of new projects in autumn 2019. One of those was FPS, a shooter game named “Project А”. Many media individuals and professional esportsmen got invited to alpha-test the new release. This made a good initial impression and hype around the game was increasing. That was the moment when the opinion that Valorant may become a real opponent to CS:GO appeared. Is it valid and may Riot compete with Valve in other genres?

Tactics Component

Considering the tactics, we have to take a look at the maps. Undoubtedly, CS:GO has a huge advantage in the amount. But even if we make allowance for Valorant because of the time limits, the game will have to improve this aspect. They are much easier than those offered by Valve. If CS has a vast variety and verticality, the shooter by Riot Games lacks more difficult elements. New maps have to get more serious updates, but there is a lot of room for improvement for those that already exist there.

We should also mark rounds. At the start, Valorant players appear at the middle of the map where they meet with the enemy immediately. In CS:GO, every team has its own spawn positions where they start their way on the map. As you can see, Valve’s creation leaves more space for maneuver and tactics. As for the game by Riot Game. the accent is made on the early shoot-up. There is less time for rounds there as well as their number. It proves that the developers strive to make matches faster. Maybe some people find active and speedy matches advantageous, but the tactics in CS:GO looks more interesting.

Shoot-up and Skills

Valorant has characters with definite skills and abilities. There is nothing like that in CS:GO where everything is simplified. As for this aspect, Riot Games must try to take color from Overwatch incorporating its mechanics. However, as it always happens, there is a lack of proper balance of the characters’ abilities. Let the biggest success lie in the shooting skills, this aspect has to be changed for better.

In any case, the presence of abilities and ultimates will not attract CS:GO gamers, but maybe it will be repellent for them. They prefer shooting itself. And shoot-ups in Valorant are currently underperforming. The shooting is not so interesting there and there is no pleasant aftertaste of headshots from a difficult position. The only advantage that lets the game compete with CS:GO is a system of fighting with cheats. Riot Games have always treated their with love and their network code handles dishonest gamers perfectly well. On the other hand, we do not know how successfully the developers will be fighting with cheats in the future since all massive games struggle with them.

Conclusion

Valorant must be one of the most ambitious and bravest projects by Riot Games in recent years. They have a successful MOBA game, now they have challenged other leading companies in different disciplines. It is difficult to say whether the game will do serious damage for CS:GO. Many people tried to use a similar formula to achieve or even surpass Counter-Strike’s success. There was always the same outcome – all of them imminently failed.

It is great that Valorant does not try to copy Valve’s game fully. In other genres, studios often pry into each other’s ideas and integrate them into their projects. For example, Dota 2 is filled with mechanics and other goodies from LoL and HOTS. Riot Games have decided to develop a unique product that takes the best features from the leading games. Even if Valorant does not kill CS:GO, it will definitely fill a niche at the market and form its own fan base. The game has a potential and there is no point in doubts about its further improvements when we remember who are the people responsible for its existence.

Avatar of Alex Mcalpine
Alex Mcalpine
Alex graduated from UWO with a degree in journalism. He is a Battle Royale and FPS guru. He often reads 'Winner Winner Chicken Dinner' as he is ranked in the top 100 on the PUBG leaderboards. Alex is also an Overwatch and CoD expert. You can learn more about Alex via our About page.