Only Valorant has come close to competing with CS: GO, says Mohit Israney, MD and Co-Founder of Global Esports

Q. What are your thoughts on the current state of CS: GO? Do you think that it’s eventually going to die at the hands of Valorant?

Mohit Israney: Counter-Strike has been around for the last 20 years, and CS: GO for about eight years. It is considered one of the oldest-running esport titles and has a legacy that is almost as old as the esports industry itself, if not older.

It provided an entry point and became a popular title that most gamers started with. Many other FPS titles have come and tried to compete with Counter-Strike, with some achieving success to a certain extent in some regions, but none have been as hard-hitting as the recent Valorant wave from Riot.

The timing of the game’s release, during a pandemic where everyone was locked indoors, was perfect. The title is fast-paced and doesn’t have a very steep learning curve. It has built upon the basics of CS and added enough elements from other games to keep it engaging and fun for players and the audience, making it a great spectator sport.

Counter-Strike evolved into an esport while Valorant was built with the intent to be a competitive sport. Riot has a pedigree for hosting some of the best esports tournaments and leagues, with its other title, League of Legends, becoming the most viewed sport on many occasions.

Shortly after Valorant’s release, PUBG Mobile was banned in India, driving numerous content creators towards other titles. With Valorant being the newest and most talked-about game internationally, it was quickly picked up. This gave the game the right amount of exposure early on and allowed more people to jump on the Valorant train.

Major tournament organizers seized the opportunity and hosted streamer invitationals and tournaments with massive prize pools that gave the game extra push.

Valorant has gained popularity more than other titles, and soon, Riot saw the opportunity to release the Mumbai server, which has now changed the competitive landscape. The fact that it does not require high-end graphics to run will open up the playing field for so many players who wish to make a professional career.

Q. Is there anything you would like to say to our upcoming entrepreneurs who wish to have a career in professional esports?

Mohit Israney: We were those mischievous kids in school who just wanted to play video games. Decades later, here we are doing just that at Global Esports, turning our dreams into reality every single day, and we’re very fortunate to have the opportunity to do so.

So no matter what the world says, follow your heart and find new ways to do what you love.

Remember that the journey will be challenging, and you will fail many times, but the point is to get back up and fight, just like you would in a video game.