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Riot Games’ 5v5 tactical shooter Valorant, has arguably been one of the biggest Esports games in India. Ever since its release in June 2020, it has gradually become ingrained into the Indian Esports market, with many former Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS: GO) professionals switching over to this new title. Presently, Valorant has achieved monumental success within the country, with millions of players logging in to the game every day.
India has also gained global recognition for its talents in Valorant, with Riot Games officially partnering up with Esports organizations and conducting tournaments to encourage aspiring players to enter the Esports scene. So, how much has Valorant influenced Indian gaming and Esports? Let’s find out!
Valorant’s Impact on Indian Gaming and Esports
One of the biggest reasons behind Valorant’s popularity amongst Indian Gamers is the COVID-19 lockdown, which forced the entire population to stay put within their homes. Unlike other popular online games like League of Legends or Counter-Strike, Valorant’s concept and gameplay mechanics were relatively easier to grasp, especially for gamers who were familiar with FPS games.
Besides its captivating gameplay, the game was also capable of running on most low-end PCs and laptops, which meant several players could get it running on their systems. This, coupled with the fact that it offers an official Indian server meant that Valorant was easily one of the most accessible online games in the country.
Valorant Is Inarguably One of the Biggest Esports Titles in India
We cannot talk about Valorant without mentioning the appeal of Counter-Strike among the Indian audience. Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS: GO) was a dominant force in the Indian Esports industry for decades, with no real competition within the genre of tactical shooters.
Although Counter-Strike 2 is still relatively popular among Indian gamers, it is undeniable that Riot Games’ shooter has taken a considerable market share from the game.
By 2021, It was evident that Valorant had become one of the most popular PC games among Indians, with an ever-growing community of millions of players. Once the lockdown eased up, numerous local tournaments were hosted for the game, which was soon followed by big-name Esports organizations like Global Esports, Revenant Esports, Velocity Gaming, and more, announcing their official rosters for Valorant.
Valorant’s success in India was cemented in the history books, with Global Esports representing the country on a global scale, being a part of the Valorant Champions Tour in 2022. Numerous tournaments have since then been conducted within the sub-continent, with Riot Games partnering up with organizations like The Esports Club (TEC) to host Convergence 2023, their first international tournament in India. Today, Valorant stands at the forefront of India’s ever-growing Esports scene, sharing the spotlight with BGMI, and it shows no signs of slowing down.
