As a professional player, I choose Valorant over CS: GO — Simar 'psy' Sethi, Noble Esports

Q. Many international CS: GO pros like Hiko, Scream, and yourself are shifting to Valorant. Do you think many other pros will move to Valorant shortly?

Psy: Most tier 2 and 3 esports teams have already shifted to Valorant, as it’s a new game. It is similar to CS: GO, but with a unique element. And it’s an FPS-MOBA mixed game, so everyone likes it!

I feel that for pros who didn’t make a mark in the esports industry, domestically and internationally, it’s a new opportunity. Players can make up their mind that even if they didn’t make a big career out of a game, maybe Valorant could be the next big thing for them to finally shine on a big stage. So yes, I believe that in the future, many professional players will make the shift to Valorant.

Q. CS: GO was dominating the first-person shooter scene for a long time, and now, Valorant has emerged as a worthy opponent. Do you think that regular communication from the developers is helping players gain trust in this title?

Psy: Yes. One of the big problems is that Valve doesn't listen to the community as much as Riot Games does. Previously, whenever big CS: GO tournaments used to take place in the Indian, or SEA (Southeast Asian), servers, then the total viewership was lesser compared to Valorant.

In India, someone playing Valorant has an audience of approximately 500-1000, but when you look at CS: GO, it decreases to 200-300 people. There is also the perspective of the audience, who usually think that big CS: GO tournaments come from the SEA region, not India.

As a result, Indian players had faced a considerable disadvantage when the overall ping came into consideration. When our team used to play scrims against foreign sides, we played at 70 ping, and that's the second-lowest ping for the region. On the flip side, the opponents used to play the same matches at five ping.

Even when Indians esports teams qualified to play internationally, with just one-two chances, people believed that we would go to these tournaments and trounce others. However, it is not that easy. Playing online, with high ping, is a considerable obstacle that a player has to overcome.

Rijit: True, it puts them at a natural disadvantage.

Psy: Yes. But in the case of Valorant, the developers have given the South Asian region priority, which includes countries like Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Nepal, and they recently announced that Indian servers were going to arrive. This is a massive moment for our country and its neighbours, as they can now compete fairly with their opponents. Thus, Valorant is already setting the stage for our young talents to showcase their potential globally, when compared to CS: GO.

Q. Valorant is steadily rising in popularity. The CS: GO scene, on the other hand, is declining rapidly in terms of players and active esports tournaments. Which one would you choose between Valorant and CS: GO, as a pro and an esports enthusiast (viewer)?

Psy: As a pro, I would choose Valorant anytime because if you call yourself a professional player, then you should be able to adapt in-game and out-game. If your opponents are trying something new in-game, then you should be able to adjust accordingly and still win the match.

In case of out-game, the life of a pro is very unpredictable. If he's playing good today, then he'll earn well, and if he doesn't, then nobody will pick him (worst-case scenario).

Therefore, if in out-games, pro CS: GO players are making the shift to Valorant, then you will have to take up the challenge and adapt without hesitation. As a viewer, I would also choose Valorant as I pursue that game professionally now.

Rijit: Continuing about the viewers point of view, some fans who had a similar switch from CS: GO to Valorant are criticizing the game's unique art-style. What's your take on that?

Psy: Yes. I see the point. Valorant has a new art style which people might dislike compared to the existing CS: GO graphics. The gunplay feels a bit better in CS: GO. However, Valorant is getting more viewer-friendly by the day, as CS: GO viewers are exhausted from watching the same things repeatedly. Valve is not changing anything in the game. It is not bringing any new maps or anything fresh for that matter. The game has completely stagnated.

If we look at Valorant, it is very colourful and looks pretty good. Which makes us question CS: GO's developers, who have not made any major changes. It also makes viewers wonder about shifting to games like Valorant, as even if they don't like it, they can come back to CS: GO anytime.