Move over, Fortnite: how Valorant became the next big competitive game
Riot Games' new shooter is already being hailed as a threat to Fortnite, Counter-Strike and Overwatch - and barely anyone has played it yet
On a Tuesday in early April, viewers around the globe watched streamers on Twitch play one particular game for a combined 34m hours, smashing established live-streaming viewership records. The game in question, Valorant by Riot Games, has been averaging hundreds of thousands of daily spectators ever since, quickly displacing Twitch stalwarts such as League of Legends and Fortnite.
Valorant is a ready-baked esport: a competitive shooter designed to be watched as well as played. After a few weeks with Valorant, I've found it to be a careful mix of Counter-Strike: Global Offensive's meticulous but rewarding gunplay and Overwatch's characters and soft-edged charm.
Continue reading...