Pro Player Dumps ‘CS:GO’ To Join ‘Valorant’ Amid Massive Hype

“Valorant” is yet to be released, but it has already lured some serious talents from the competitive gaming scene.

Now, another pro has been added to their ranks after Ryan Abadir – also known as Freakazoid – announced that he is leaving “Counter-Strike: Global Offensive” to play the upcoming tactical shooter game.

On Twitter, Freakazoid revealed his saddening but enlightening decision, saying that he is quitting “CS:GO” as he goes in with the new.

“Sometimes life says out with the old and gotta go with the new. I’m quitting cs and going to be playing Valorant. I can’t wait to be apart of the team that competes at worlds or whatever it’s called for it and fucking shit up against teams worldwide. LETS GO,” Freakazoid wrote.

For the uninitiated, Abadir is a veteran in the competitive gaming scene, having played for multiple teams such as Cloud9, Echo Fox, and eUnited.

However, Freakazoid isn’t the first, and he probably won’t be the last to jump to “Valorant” as the game continues to rise in popularity. Just recently, "Overwatch" pro Corey opted to move to Riot Games’ upcoming shooter title.

Before him, popular “League of Legends” player Sinatra and “CS:GO” expert Tenzera also shifted to “Valorant.”

It is worth noting, however, that Riot Games has no clear plan yet about the esports future of the game. “Valorant” is still in a closed beta test, so they are still far from realistically building something from the competitive side of things.

Nonetheless, with the arrival of professional players, the game could end up having one, if not the most competitive field to begin its esports competition whenever it happens in the future.

While some people might find it weird that these pro gamers are moving too early despite the uncertainty of the game’s esports future, The Verge noted that there is actually an advantage for them to join as soon as possible.

Financially, it won’t be a huge burden for teams, like building or starting a franchise won’t require a lot of money in the beginning. Instead of joining when the league is already big and requires millions of dollars to start a franchise, being a first mover is advantageous.

In the development and training side, players who join early can familiarize themselves to the game better, which puts them at a massive advantage compared to those who come after them.

It remains to be seen what the future holds for “Valorant,” but it is certainly looking bright for Riot Games.

The game is set to be released on PC this 2020.