For over four years, there’s been a fierce competition between VALORANT and Counter-Strike for audience attention. In 2023, Riot’s shooter game almost matched the legendary Valve franchise, but it looks like CS2 will keep surpassing VALORANT in popularity.
As a dedicated enthusiast, I can see that there’s ample space for strategic shooter games to prosper and shine, yet the question remains, which one will hold onto that coveted number one position?
VALORANT Made It Close, but CS2 Looks Poised to Grow Their Lead
Based on Esports Charts’ statistics, VALORANT almost equaled the watch time of Counter-Strike in 2023. Since its launch in 2020, VALORANT has seen a yearly increase in viewership, and due to a decrease in watch time for Counter-Strike in 2023, Riot’s shooter came very close to overtaking it.
It appears that the decrease in CS:GO viewership wasn’t caused by a decline in interest, but rather some specific changes. The drop followed the transition from Map Releases 16 to 12, and with only one Major tournament held during that period. Since there was only one Major event and the matches were generally shorter, it’s natural that the total number of hours watched would decrease accordingly.
In 2024, the lead of CS2 expanded, primarily due to heightened interest from regions such as Russia and Asia. This surge was fueled by the rise of teams like Team Spirit and The MongolZ from these areas, along with the hosting of the Perfect World Major in Shanghai. For 2025, VALORANT is experiencing a blend of outcomes. Viewership for Kickoff events this year decreased in the Americas and Pacific regions, but showed a slight increase in EMEA. In contrast, CS2 has started the year strongly, with IEM Katowice breaking records as the most watched non-Major tournament in the game’s history.
Looking at the current trends, it’s probable that Counter-Strike will increase its advantage even more in 2025. However, whether or not VALORANT will display a noticeable decrease is yet to be determined. It’s worth mentioning that Esports Charts doesn’t incorporate data from Chinese livestreaming platforms, which can have a greater impact on VALORANT’s global statistics than CS2’s.
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2025-02-17 20:47