CS:GO vs Valorant: Breaking Down the 2021 Esports Circuit

2021 was a great year for competitive tactical First Person Shooter (FPS) titles like CS:GO and Valorant as they transitioned from an online phase to organizing more in-person LAN tournaments. We finally witnessed the first CS:GO Major after more than two years with the PGL Major Stockholm 2021, breaking all viewership records in the history of the game. We also observed the completion of the Valorant Champions Tour 2021 (VCT) - the first official tournament circuit by Riot Games which was won by the European esports organization Acend.

The esports circuits for both the titles were executed really well, but there were certain things that Riot Games implemented better with Valorant that gave it the slight edge over the Valve shooter. From rolling out its inaugural esports circuit, engaging with the community, and releasing content for the game to celebrating its anniversary and setting milestones, Valorant in its debut year, as a PC FPS esports title, has found substantial success.

AFK Gaming has crunched the numbers and analyzed why Riot has succeeded with Valorant esports, surpassing CS:GO’s viewership in such a short duration, and what the future of FPS esports is going to look like.