The Rise of VALORANT Esports: A Promising Start
VALORANT’s closed beta has been out for only a month, but its esports scene is already showing signs of greatness. According to Esports Charts, Western VALORANT tournaments accumulated a staggering 7.08 million hours watched in April.
The success of VALORANT esports is not surprising, considering the closed beta release at the beginning of April. Riot Games’ new tactical shooter dominated the streaming world, becoming the most-watched game on Twitch with 344 million hours watched for the month.
North America Takes the Lead
Among regions, North America claimed the lion’s share of viewership. Of the 7.08 million hours watched, North America accounted for 4.51 million. Much of this popularity can be attributed to popular NA-based streamers like Shroud, timthetatman, DrDisrespect, and Summit1g, who all joined the VALORANT hype and brought their loyal viewer bases with them.
100 Thieves Invitational: A Touchdown for VALORANT
The most popular VALORANT esports event of the month was the 100 Thieves Invitational. This event saw the participation of multiple big-name streamers and pro players battling it out for glory. The tournament reached a peak viewership of approximately 443,000 fans and maintained an average concurrent viewership of over 400,000.
Pro Players Making the Switch
The promising future of VALORANT esports has attracted the attention of many top-tier esports teams. Organizations like T1, Gen.G, Cloud9, and Sentinels have already formed rosters, acquiring renowned talent from various esports disciplines.
Moreover, several pro players have already shown their belief in the burgeoning VALORANT esports scene by retiring from their respective games to pursue professional careers in VALORANT. Recently, Jay “sinatraa” Won, the 2019 MVP of Overwatch League, made the switch to VALORANT, citing a loss of passion for his previous game.
With such impressive statistics and the enthusiasm surrounding VALORANT esports, it’s clear that the game has a bright future in the competitive gaming industry.
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