The war between VALORANT and Counter-Strike for viewers has waged for almost half a decade now. While Riot’s shooter came close to catching the iconic Valve franchise in 2023, it seems that CS2 will continue to outpace VALORANT.
There’s clearly room for both tactical shooters to flourish and thrive, but only one can retain that top spot.
VALORANT Made It Close, but CS2 Looks Poised to Grow Their Lead
According to data from Esports Charts, VALORANT came close to matching Counter-Strike in total hours watched in 2023. VALORANT has grown in viewership every year since its 2020 release, and thanks to a drop in hours watched for Counter-Strike in 2023, Riot’s shooter nearly caught up.
This drop in CS viewership wasn’t due to a lack of interest, though. The number of CS esports hours watched dipped after the switch from MR16 to MR12, and because only one Major was held. With only one Major and shorter matches overall, the amount of total hours watched naturally took a dip.
However, CS2’s lead grew in 2024, thanks to increased interest from regions like Russia and Asia. This was due to the prominent rise of teams from those regions like Team Spirit and The MongolZ, as well as the hosting of the Perfect World Major in Shanghai. While it’s still early, VALORANT is getting mixed results for 2025. The total viewership for the Kickoff events this year was down in Americas and Pacific, though it slightly improved in EMEA. CS2 meanwhile is off to a hot start, as IEM Katowice just became the most watched non-Major tournament in the game’s history.
Based on these early trends, it seems likely that Counter-Strike will grow its lead some more in 2025, though it remains to be seen if VALORANT will show any actual decline. It’s also important to note that Esports Charts doesn’t feature any data from Chinese livestreaming platforms, which has a bigger effect on VALORANT”s global numbers than CS2’s.
Will VALORANT ever surpass CS2 in terms of esports viewership? Let us know what you think down below or in the official Insider Gaming forums.
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