It is undeniable that the two most popular first-person shooter games in the world at the moment are Counter-Strike 2 and Valorant. Despite being released much later, Valorant has taken the world by storm and built a massive player base. Meanwhile, Counter-Strike players have stayed loyal to the game.
If you’re having a hard time deciding which game to invest your time in, we’ll analyze and compare different aspects of both games including the esports scenes in case you’re thinking of going pro!
Gameplay And Mechanics
Both CS2 and Valorant have a primary focus on gameplay surrounding the bomb, where the offensive side will attempt to plant the bomb, while the defensive side will try to prevent the plant from occurring, or defuse to alleviate the scenario.
Counter-Strike 2
Counter-Strike focuses on Terrorists and Counter-Terrorists. The Terrorist side starts every round with the C4 Explosive, while Counter-Terrorists look to defend the bomb sites.
Gameplay in Counter-Strike is generally faster-paced, as players must actively move around the map to gather information themselves. Though there are utilities such as grenades and molotovs, most Counter-Strike gameplay comes down to raw aim duels and people swinging out of corners.
Valorant
Valorant is based on Attackers going against Defenders. Similar to Counter-Strike, Attackers must plant the Spike, while Defenders must defend the bomb site and prevent the Spike from exploding.
Generally, Valorant gameplay is a lot slower than Counter-Strike. Players advance through the map at a slower pace since agents have abilities that can look for information for them. For example, Sova can send his Owl Drone into a bomb site to reveal enemy positions before any actual player goes in. Agents can also manipulate the map by creating walls and barriers to delay entries.
Utility
Both games make use of utility that creates an extra layer of depth and complexity to the game, forcing players to be tactical with their gameplay.
Counter-Strike 2
In Counter-Strike, every team is equipped with the same utility, which are grenades that exist in real life. Both Terrorists and Counter-Terrorists have access to utility grenades such as HE grenades, molotovs, flashbangs, and smoke grenades.
These grenades do exactly what they would do in real life as well, making it easy for players to understand what each grenade does and how to play around it. All players are limited to carrying four grenades at a time. Everyone has access to all grenades, giving all players an equal chance to find impact with utility.
Valorant
In Valorant, agents are equipped with unique abilities. Some abilities allow agents to be more mobile, while others serve as forms of utility grenades like Counter-Strike. However, these abilities cannot be shared between agents, and the amount of utility also depends on the lineup of agents a team chooses.
Since agents are limited to their respective abilities, players have an easier time of understanding what they must do with their ability kit and how to contribute to the team, making the thought process more streamlined.
Design And Graphics
Though both games have a very similar concept and gameplay approach, one of the biggest differences between the two is the graphics design.
Counter-Strike 2
Counter-Strike has always followed the idea of realistic gameplay, which is reflected by its graphics. Counter-Strike agents closely resemble real-life humans, and the maps, grenades, and weapons look realistic as well.
When enemies are shot, blood splatters will show up, giving off a real battlefield experience. This is why Counter-Strike is generally played by a more mature audience. Additionally, Counter-Strike graphics are easier to understand since they look like the real world. Non-CS2 players can see a molotov or smoke grenade and will still have a good idea of what they do.
Valorant
Valorant is focused on more cartoonish gameplay, following a more family-friendly approach that makes the game accessible to young audiences. The game is very colorful, making it appealing for kids. Additionally, there are no blood splatters like Counter-Strike.
Agents in Valorant look very different from each other, as they are clothed in different colors and attires depending on the backstory and origin. This makes it easy to differentiate between agents in Valorant.
Roles Within A Team
Being tactical shooter games, it is ideal that players fill in the various roles required for a team to work.
Counter-Strike 2
In Counter-Strike 2, all player agents have the exact same capabilities and access to utility. This makes player roles in CS2 much more flexible in the game. In lower-ranked play, players can completely ignore the role system as everyone has an equal chance to contribute to the game. However, in higher-level play, players will fill in five different roles.
- Entry Fragger: This is the player who is often going in first and takes aim duels. They rely on their superior aim to get the entry frag to allow the team to advance.
- Support: This is the player doing the dirty work, throwing flashbangs to set up their teammates and other grenades to create advantageous situations for the team.
- Lurker: This is the player who plays alone. They are often separated from the team, gathering information and cutting off rotations.
- AWPer: This is the primary sniper of the team. They are at the back with their AWP, picking off enemy players from a distance and covering angles for their team.
- In-game Leader: This is the captain of the team. They are responsible for analyzing common trends from enemies and creating strategies for the team.
Valorant
In Valorant, roles are more defined as the game itself has already categorized the different agents into roles. This makes it easier for players to understand what the purpose of their agent is, and how they can best contribute to the team. Here are the different roles available in Valorant.
- Duelist: The Duelist is essentially similar to the entry fragger role. Their ability kit allows them to take engagements head-on with mobility, stuns, or flashes to set themselves up.
- Controller: The Controller is the smoker for the team. Every Controller agent is equipped with a smoke ability that helps provide cover for the team and take map control.
- Sentinel: The Sentinel is the anchor on Defense, and the lurker on Offense. Their toolkit allows them to operate alone and often hold down bomb sites by themselves.
- Initiator: The Initiator is equipped with the most utility, such as flashbangs, molotovs, and grenades. They assist the team with their utility to get into bomb sites or retakes.
Since there are only four roles, you will often see teams run two of the same roles in one roster. For example, “Double Duelist” lineups or “Double Controller” lineups.
Esports Scene
With goth being competitive games, it is natural that its players have dreams to become professionals one day, which is why information surrounding their esports scenes feels relevant.
Counter-Strike 2
Counter-Strike has become one of the most robust esports scenes in the world. The game has been streaming competitions for almost two decades, and is now fully developed. There are million-dollar tournaments every month thanks to the support of third-party organizations such as the ESL FACEIT Group and BLAST.tv.
The developers of the game, Valve, also pitch in twice a year with Counter-Strike Majors. Majors are the most prestigious Counter-Strike tournaments that every player in the game dreams of winning. When teams qualify for a Major, they will have their sticker signatures added to the game, immortalizing themselves as a part of the game’s history.
Valorant
Being a relatively new game, Valorant’s esports scene is still underdeveloped. For some reason, Riot Games is looking to host every single Valorant event in the year, with no room for third-party organizers.
This has resulted in less frequent tournaments throughout the calendar year. There are only three international tournaments annually, as most professional matches are held regionally. This creates a lot of hype for international events, but players don’t get to play that many matches per season.