The team shooter Valorant is extremely popular among top streamers like shroud and Summit1g. Therefore, shortly after the beta launch, there was a match of top streamers against the developers. It did not go well for the streamers. But why?
Which streamers were involved? One day after the beta launch on April 8, 2020, 5 top streamers agreed to a match against the developers of Valorant. The streamers were:
- Micheal “shroud” Grzesiek
- Tyler “Skadoodle” Latham
- Jaryd “summit1g” Lazar
- Coby “Dizzy” Meadows
- Erik “Fl0m” Flom
Why was this lineup so promising? All 5 streamers were or still are professional players in Counter Strike and are still considered very good shooter players. Shroud, in particular, is regarded because of his accuracy as a “human aimbot” and Dizzy dominated ridiculously in Apex Legends back then. It was generally assumed in the community that they would easily outplay the poor developers.
How did the match between streamers and developers turn out? But the opposite was the case: The developers dominated the two matches played in an extreme way, giving the streamers little chance. Each of the 3 matches played ended brutally for the streamers:
- Bind: 13:3
- Haven: 13:5
- Split: 13:2
That’s why the streamers had no chance
This is how the developers played: While the challengers were all very good players in Counter Strike, the developer team also had a top player in the former pro and now map designer Volcano. Additionally, there was Nick Wu, who earned his spurs as a pro in the MOBA League of Legends.
Nevertheless, the experience that the developers had in their game was probably worth much more than the pure skill of the streamers like shroud, Summit1g or Dizzy.
The following conclusions can be drawn from the match:
- Map knowledge is important in Valorant to act tactically wisely. Through teleporters and shortcuts, an experienced player can fall behind their opponents or set up ambushes. Together with various reconnaissance skills of the agents, this creates a significant advantage.
- The knowledge of the abilities of the agents in conjunction with the map is a huge advantage. For example, Volcano could dominate with the new character Raze thanks to cleverly placed explosives and the ultimate rocket. Summit was so annoyed by this that he even demanded the removal of Raze.
- Furthermore, it’s not clear to everyone that certain heroes, like Jett, can reach places thanks to their skills that others cannot access. This can quickly lead to death for unsuspecting opponents if they are shot at from an unknown angle.
- Since the skills of many heroes, such as ice walls or thick rockets, turn tight spots into death traps, they have the potential to decide a game if used tactically well.
The pros had only played Valorant for a few days and therefore did not know all the tricks and tips yet. Therefore, shroud also said at the end of the round, “We are all back in the classroom again.”.
To quickly become good players in Valorant, practice and routine are essential. However, it’s also helpful if you know a few tricks that make the game easier. Be sure to read our small guide with 11 tips and tricks that you should know from the start in Valorant. This way you might be able to secure an early win or two.
