Tarik explains why CSGO is to blame for pro players moving to Valorant

Shay Robson
Tarik Valorant

As more CS:GO pros flee to Valorant, Tarik ‘tarik’ Celik has explained that “you can’t blame them” for leaving, due to lack of opportunities in the North American region specifically.

In 2020, Riot Games entered the FPS genre with the release of their 5v5 tactical shooter, Valorant. Despite CS:GO having an incredibly passionate and loyal community, the release saw some of the best players take a leap of faith and start fresh.

Over a year has passed since the official release, and given how similar the two FPS titles are, it’s no surprise to anybody that the most success we’ve seen has been from former CS:GO pros.

With more professional players considering the switch, former Evil Geniuses player ‘tarik’ gave his thoughts on players making the switch.

Tarik competing for Evil Geniuses.
Tarik stepped down from the Evil Geniuses CSGO roster in April 2021.

On August 17, the pro-turned-content creator was streaming CS:GO as he usually does, when a viewer donated for asking for his thoughts on seeing more pros consider making the switch to Valorant.

“It’s definitely unfortunate, but you can’t blame them because there’s no opportunity for those in NA. It sucks but that’s just the situation right now. There’s just not enough team salary in NA and also people are starting to get bored with CS I guess. It’s something new and exciting, but I agree it’s unfortunate.”

The most recent CS pro to reveal his plans to make the switch is superstar Jake ‘Stewie2K’ Yip, who confirmed on stream that he “will eventually” head over to Valorant. Previously considered to be one of the best Counter-Strike players in the world, making the switch to Valorant would shock the community of both games.

As for Tarik, left the Evil Geniuses roster in April, and has since explained that there isn’t much choice when it comes to North American CS. The former pro has still yet to rule out the possibility of him making the switch himself Valorant himself. With him reaching top rank and with him streaming more Valorant in recent months, he could be considering the switch.

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About The Author

Based in Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK, Shay Robson is a Journalist for Dexerto. Typically, you'll see Shay tackling the entertainment news, writing about your favorite Twitch streamers and influencers. But, as a passionate esports fan, you'll also catch him covering League of Legends and Valorant when he gets the chance. Contact: shay.robson@dexerto.com