Is Valorant helping attract more viewers to FPS games?

Valorant has become one of the most entertaining FPS titles worldwide within a year and a half of its release. The game’s unique playstyle, low-spec system requirements, and attractive features have increased gamers’ interest in Riot Games’ shooter.

With the game’s growth, the publisher also put efforts to uplift the Valorant esports scene globally. After two major international LAN events in Reykjavik and Berlin, Valorant fans are waiting for the Champions 2021, the biggest and last event of this year.

The event is scheduled to start on December 1, where 16 top teams from around the globe will compete to be the best Valorant team of the year.

Since its launch, this title has generally been attracting more viewers on an international level than other FPS esports titles like CS: GO, Rainbow Six Siege, Overwatch, etc. However, in the recently concluded PGL CS: GO Major Stockholm 2021, the viewership number increased significantly from previous years.

According to some, the new FPS players who have begun playing shooter games, starting with Valorant, are behind the increasing audience.

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New Valorant fans are showing interest in other FPS games and related esports scene

Since its release in June 2020, Valorant has attracted a lot of new players. Many former CS: GO and other professional FPS esports personalities decided to switch to Riot’s IP to get a fresh start and explore new opportunities. This has helped Valorant esports to grow significantly at the professional level.

Riot introduced the Valorant Champions Tour to make the game more competitive. After months of tournaments, including two major international events in Reykjavik and Berlin, the top 16 Valorant teams across the world secured their slots in the Valorant Champions 2021 this December. These sides will go head-to-head to be crowned as the best Valorant team of 2021.

As Valorant esports is growing rapidly, many fans thought other FPS games, especially CS: GO, might be losing their viewers. According to them, as many renowned players and viewers have shifted to Riot’s shooter, it might affect the CS: GO scene.

However, the recently concluded PGL CS: GO Major Stockholm 2021 showed other signs. The viewership numbers have increased significantly since the previous years.

Analyzing the trends, people are assuming, Valorant players who had their first taste of FPS games through Riot’s shooter are the reason behind the significant number of viewers’ increases in the game. The number of peak viewers exceeded 2.74M, which is more than double the previous record.

Lots of newcomers have shown interest in CS: GO and enjoyed the PGL Major. Many actively discussed the game on Reddit, Twitter, and other social media platforms.

CS: GO is one of the oldest FPS titles in the market. Many consider this game as one that provides an excellent foundational knowledge for the genre.

Gamers who started playing FPS games through Valorant are also interested in CS: GO and trying to gain more knowledge about FPS games.

It is a very good sign for PC esports, especially FPS games. Valorant has just turned out to be the gateway for many to join the tactical shooter scene. It will be interesting to see how Riot plans to attract more and more people in the upcoming days.

Note: This article reflects the author’s views.