Birthday celebration! Riot Games had released Valorant five years ago today, and its shadow falls over the whole gaming landscape across the counters. The tactical shooter came out in 2020 and mixed crisp gunplay borrowed from CS:GO with UI abilities similar to Overwatch. Can you believe it? The game still continues. At least stats say so.
Value in just-being over the Dexerto anniversary tweet, Valorant is estimated to have approximately 700,000 to six million players daily, with monthly active users ranging between 18 million and 25 million. Amazing for a game that will be called “mid” or “dogshit.” Well, five years gone by and the debates have not died off, there continues to be some clutch plays, rage quit, and yet another round of bizarre balancing decisions.
Unpleasant reactions fill the Valorant community today on its anniversary. @Thecityismine_x panicked with a streak of craziness: “Wow, five whole years of Valorant! Time flies when you’re hitting headshots and clutching rounds!” Meanwhile, @LukeyWolf_’s input was less enthused: “No-one cares about 5 years of mid.” That big push from the other side just seemed to stir the waters.
The eternal rivalry with Counter-Strike began later on. Comments that said “yea but counterstrike better” or “its not even a debate counter strike sh1ts on valorant” popped more than once, proving that some gamers will never let go of the war between CS and Valo. But let’s keep it real—Valorant has really made a space more for being easier, flashier, and a load of Jett mains who probably couldn’t even stand or talk by the time the game was born (shoutout to @JBLQuantum for that roast!).
Well, a few aren’t happy with Valorant’s evolution and direction. @HurricanePL2 called out Riot for “designing the game around pro players who cry about every little thing,” especially citing Chamber’s nerfs as that breaking point. And @Facerek07 just dropped the mic and roasted the absence of a replay system coupled with the neglect of Tier 2 esports.
Yet, hard-hitting nostalgia for a different some. @xpert_growth reminisces loudly: “Still remember the hype on release day. Five years of clutch plays and raze satchels later, here we are.” @from_xero gave a nod to Valorant’s golden age: “Amazing during covid.” Yes, when the world was locked inside, Valorant became the game to grind (or scream into the void over).
Console players are still holding out for their clichéd moment. @justlucash argued that “it was never on console so it never reached its full potential,” while @Unkn0wn0s came out blunt: “Game is dog ass on console.” Harsh, but maybe Riot’s working on it. Or maybe not.
For love or hate, rare has been Valorant surviving for over five years, with no slowdown in its pace. Being a day-one Omen main, or just uninstalling after two rounds (shoutout to @EveryPostHits for this relatable struggle) one has to agree enough to show that Riot’s shooter managed to leave an imprint. If only they would add that replay system…
