I (M24) only got a gaming PC one month ago, and decided to immediately download CSGO and Valorant. I knew they were the 2 F2P FPS games that were worth getting good at. The gunplay was similar so I figured it would be good to play both at once. To preface, CSGO is still an amazing game with a high ceiling, and it’s fun to watch and play. Upon trying to play competitive on CSGO, I was met with a 4 stack that was angry because I didn’t really “understand” how to play CS correctly, and it often meant getting kicked or having to mute everyone. This happened on more than one occasion and I eventually decided to focus more on Valorant. Any game where I stated on chat that i hadn’t played before, there was almost always someone to guide me, whether in game or spectating. Almost every game, this has happened. I’ve noticed significant improvement in my gameplay, and have even found a small discord server within my rank, where we not only help each other, but have a great time without any real toxicity.

I’ve always stayed detached from online gaming based off toxicity in the early Halo 3 days, but I’m more than happy to say that Valorant has restored my faith in fun, uplifting, competitive gaming.

Love you all.