Valorant is cool: It has lore and characters and personality. That's part of the reason why G2 Esports’ Carlos ‘Ocelote’ Rodriguez Santiago thinks that Valorant will pull a League of Legends and dominate the tactical shooter genre. He believes CS:GO's lack of charm will be the game's downfall.
In an interview with ESPN Esports, the Founder of G2 ESports claimed that it is human nature to be drawn to intriguing characters. With Valorant having a certain charm that is also found in games like WoW or LoL it appeals to said human nature. CS:GO has none of that and only has good mechanics... at least that's what Ocelote expressed in the interview:
Valorant will end up destroying, in terms of numbers of people playing the game, Counter-Strike, because in Counter-Strike, the only thing you have going for you is the mechanics and I love the game to death, I really do. A video game is not just a video game, it’s what happens around the video games. In Valorant, you have different characters and each character has lore and background. We, humans, are very empathetic by nature...
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CS:GO is not exactly a beginner-friendly game and its outdated graphics don't make it any better. Valorant, on the other hand, has a clear style and, while still hard to play, it attracts a wider audience. Ocelote entertained the premise that, if he had to bet his money on which game would be at the top, he would bet on Valorant over CS:GO. Ocelote also seemed very confident in his interview with ESPN.
Ocelote's confidence and goodwill towards Valorant may also be aided by the fact that the G2 Valorant team has won the last 7 tournaments and seems to be dominating the European scene. Valorant growing in popularity means bigger prizes and coverage for the esports organization - a bonafide win-win. Ocelote'spoint about the production value from Riot Games is accurate as they know how to put on a good show.
As an esports web publication that follows numerous esports, we tend to agree with Ocelote: Valorant has much more content and ways to interact with fans. CS:GO news are much less frequent, unless, it seems, a pro player is leaving for Valorant or it's coverage on the game's skins. Character-driven games like WoW or LoL maintain a cult following due to their personality and their popularity leads to endless content. Clearly, this ship has sailed for CS:GO but for Valorant... well... sky's the limit.
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