It’s not possible to not examine Valorant and Counter-Strike with regards to esports and, whereas each video games are immensely profitable and nice for their very own causes, CS2 has an enormous leg up on Valorant in a single key space: The way in which their professional scenes are structured.
Valorant’s professional scene has a franchised construction with Ascension slots that, as soon as per yr, permit a workforce from tier 2 to maneuver up and hold their spot for as much as 2 years. 10 franchised groups with 2 Ascension slots whole a 12 workforce league.
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On the floor, making a franchise league looks like a good way to create a sustainable esport. And it’s! For the groups which can be in it, anyhow.
Franchising ensures that you just’ll see the identical groups at most esports occasions, that these groups can construct a fandom. A workforce like Sentinels will all the time have followers no matter how they carry out, so having a workforce like them within the circuit is a large boon for viewership. This construction is an extremely protected choice.
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However G2’s workforce Ascended from Challengers (form of), bringing collectively gamers who couldn’t discover a spot they match inside present VCT groups which have come collectively to make a world-class roster. It’s an important story, and a roster that needs to be caught in tier 2.
Makes you marvel what number of groups like which can be caught in T2 that by no means get the prospect to shine, what number of groups down there which have gamers who could possibly be higher than those which can be presently in VCT.
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A franchise construction helps (and hurts) Valorant esports
There’s nothing higher than a very good underdog run. A workforce that’s anticipated to lose, that has a lot much less funding or much less skilled gamers that the competitors, is tough to not root for.
Whereas this will occur in a franchised construction if a workforce that traditionally performs poorly spends massive or scouts a younger prodigy to hold them, groups need to be prepared to spend to remain aggressive. However what actually lights a hearth beneath groups and encourages them to do higher? Relegation.
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That is the place Counter-Strike 2’s scene handily beats Valorant’s. Nobody is protected. It doesn’t matter if you happen to’re Staff Vitality scorching off an IEM Katowice win, if they’ve a sequence of unhealthy performances, the org’s dynasty means nothing. Groups often need to earn their spots on stage with efficiency, not status. Astralis profitable a number of Majors prior to now hasn’t stored them from repeatedly dropping out of qualification now.
Once more, that is a part of why Riot’s franchise construction is so good for the groups inside it. Even when an org picked to signify Valorant has an off cut up, they’ll signal a “funds” roster and hold their spot. Riot does reserve the best as well groups from the VCT as they see match, but it surely’s uncommon.
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Making an attempt to construct a CS2 workforce is far riskier, one thing that’s made clear by an enormous esports org like Cloud9 exiting the esport after failing to construct an important roster.
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That is partially as a result of Counter-Strike’s participant salaries are closely inflated, but in addition as a result of it’s onerous to stay round you probably have a workforce that may’t carry out. Even an org like C9 doesn’t have deep sufficient pockets to take losses like that.
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Valorant’s construction is certainly extra sustainable and advantages groups that may get into it, but it surely loses the true spirit of esports: Placing collectively a workforce of nice gamers and proving you’re the perfect.
And there’s a rising workforce in Counter-Strike with a narrative that’d be nearly not possible to drag off in Valorant’s present ecosystem.
Valorant misses out on the perfect factor about esports
The way in which that Ascension is structured presently, solely two groups can Ascend to VCT leagues directly. At the moment, G2 is protected for 2025 and certain 2026. Their placement at this Masters occasion nearly ensures them for Champions on the finish of 2025.
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Let’s say, hypothetically, that 2GAME finally ends up additionally making it to Champions on the finish of the yr. Even when these two groups are by far the perfect rosters within the area, one in all them can be relegated. And, if both workforce had been to get relegated within the case that they’re prime 2, it’d be a catastrophe.
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Both the relegated workforce’s present roster goes via the Challenger’s league understanding they’re possible going to win, or the roster will get torn aside and acquired out by franchised VCT groups, hurting fandom for gamers and the org as a complete.
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What’s extra, there solely being one Ascension slot per yr incentivizes orgs who aren’t already within the VCT to spend massive and get the perfect gamers they’ll, with each one in all them risking an enormous monetary loss in the event that they don’t qualify.
M80 is a superb instance of an org that’s been on the cusp however has simply narrowly missed qualification, spending massive on a roster and faceplanting within the finals. Twice.
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Not solely is that this a disgrace for M80 who clearly desires to reach the scene and is prepared to fork over the capital to do it, but in addition groups that need to compete towards them. It could possibly be argued that there are a number of tier 2 groups which can be higher than present VCT rosters with how aggressive that single slot is.
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This typically retains newer groups from having the prospect to play stage video games towards the perfect groups on the planet. What number of G2s are there on the market that simply can’t match into that one Ascension slot? What number of nice groups have crumbled due to that franchise barrier, particularly when G2 itself is made up of VCT veterans?
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There’s one Counter-Strike 2 workforce presently that embodies simply how vital getting expertise on stage and giving rookies time to chop their enamel can imply: The MongolZ.
Regardless of being a considerably lackluster org for more often than not they’ve existed, this workforce has turned up the warmth over the previous 2 years, to the purpose the place they’ve three youngsters which can be beating the gods of Counter-Strike, gamers price tens of millions. Only a bunch of younger Mongolian gamers placing every little thing on the road to flip the script on the longest standing dynasties in CS.
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This workforce is so profitable that they’ve been acknowledged as nationwide athletes by their authorities, with Mongolia backing the gamers and supporting them to attempt to develop the nation’s presence in esports.
There’s completely no likelihood a franchised workforce picks up a roster like what The MongolZ have. Such a storyline is subsequent to not possible in Valorant, and underdog runs like this are the best possible factor that may occur in established esports.
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What wouldn’t it be like if each org needed to attempt? If everybody needed to earn their spot, put every little thing on the road or threat being irrelevant? It’s onerous to think about that, if each workforce needed to attempt as onerous as G2 to construct a profitable roster, the esport wouldn’t be all the higher for it.
That isn’t to say that Valorant is a foul esport, removed from it. The ultimate between G2 and T1 at VCT Masters Bangkok 2025 was a spectacle, one thing I’m positive even Counter-Strike followers may admire. Each groups had been lifeless even by way of talent within the forwards and backwards closing.
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It’d be nice to see a stage of competitors like that in Valorant on a regular basis somewhat than a considerably lackluster common season that brings fleeting curiosity whereas followers anticipate the few massive internationals the yr’s circuit brings.
At this level, there’s no likelihood that Valorant will ditch the franchise system. For the orgs that discover their place in it, it’s an important deal, and the orgs which have earned their approach in are unlikely to surrender the spots they’ve.
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Valorant could also be a more healthy esport than CS by way of sustainability for groups who’re already inside the tier 1 ecosystem, however the sport’s storylines are additionally a hell of rather a lot much less enjoyable due to it.
