Riot’s newest title,Valorant, has made multiple headlines in its short life thus far. From a mass exodus of the professional scene ofCounter-Strike: Global Offensivemoving intoValorantto a unique means of drip-feeding maps with ample cosmetic purchases available, Riot Games' newest foray into competitive play has been interesting to track. Shroud, the formerCounter-Strike: Global Offensiveprofessional-turned-Twitch streaming superstar, has a proverbial bone to pick with the first-person shooter.
Much asLeague of Legendstends to be posited as a more casual version ofDOTA, Riot Games’Valorantis typically considered to be the more casual version ofCounter-Strike. This doesn’t mean that it’s bad; more so that it is easier to pick up and understand the mechanics behind the system. The friendlier components of gameplay, however, such as a lack of spray patterns and utility usage, can also frustrate older professionals that were conditioned by Valve’s brutal competitive FPS.
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This came to a head as Shroud stepped into the world ofValorantin a recent video, and was stymied with aiming in the title. Consistently aiming low throughout the video, the former pro player struggled to figure out a natural aiming point onto enemies while noting how much higher players need to aim. “Dude, in this game you’ve gotta aim so high,” he said between rounds, “it’s uncomfortable.” Comparing theaiminginValoranttoCounter-Strikehas long been a frustration of olderCS-heads, ranging from Summit1g (who found it too easy to frag) to Erik Flom. Yet its inclusion in the title seems intentional, as a means of leveling the playing field.
WithinCounter-Strike, spray patterns are well defined. Each weapon has a unique spray pattern that, when understood, can result in weapon sprays towards an enemy with all rounds of a magazine impacting the target. This spray tends to climb upwards, drastically at first, before settling on a decidedly horizontal motion. The understanding of sprays tends to play a decided role between the low and high ranks of the scene, asspray control inCounter-Strikeallows for extended gunfights which maximize kill opportunity during a play. InValorant, weapon spray consists of what Flom calls “bloom,” where you have general parameters for a spray but the pattern of rounds within that parameter is more erratic.
Coupled with a low time to kill, the understanding of the bloom of weaponry withinValorantcomes difficult to many olderCS-heads that challenge traditional convention. In execution, however, it allows the metaphorical lowering of the bar that earnsValorantits debatable “casual” moniker. Shroud has encouraged manyCounter-Strike: Global Offensiveplayers to aim for theValorantcompetitive scene, thanks to higher wages and youth of the title, and he continues to play the game with only the occasional epithet.
