Cloud9 has announced Tyson “TenZ” Ngo as its first professional Valorant player. The game’s increasing popularity is catching the attention of esports organizations, even though it’s only in its beta stages. C9 will be joining other teams, such as 100 Thieves, that have also announced pro players for Valorant.
Although Valorant isn’t an esport just yet, pro teams are still playing it as if it is. 100 Thieves recently announced its 100 Thieves Invitational: Valorant, inviting popular streamers and pro players to participate. Even though the game has yet to officially release, gamers everywhere are keeping up with streams, beta drop opportunities, and more. TenZ becoming the first Valorant player for Cloud9 marks the organization’s first step into the budding shooter.
TenZ had originally signed to be Cloud9’s CSGO streamer, but he’s switching his focus for Valorant. Although the game has very similar features to CSGO, there’s plenty to learn — and way more people are currently watching Valorant-based streams than those for CSGO.
Super excited for the next steps in my career and what the future holds!
going live on twitch now https://t.co/z3lOKmoYCd https://t.co/EivlowqLpa— TenZ (@TenZOfficial) April 12, 2020
Being a pro in Valorant
Cloud9 announced the news through a YouTube video, detailing TenZ’s reasoning for switching. “I decided to make this change,” he begins, “because after gaining access to the closed beta, I’ve been having a lot of fun… I just thought it’d be best if I changed games, and I’m just really excited for the future of this game.” Viewers can see a montage of his in-game victories.
Plenty of Cloud9’s Twitter followers have given feedback on their decision to switch TenZ to Valorant. Some have said that he will do well in the game, seeing as he’s considered a great CSGO player with “amazing aim.” Others don’t agree with the decision, stating that it’s way too early for the team to even consider a professional player when the game hasn’t officially been released. C9 moving forward into professional Valorant will give them a leg up if the game does continue to do well after its release. The closed beta has already broken records, so the future of the game is looking bright so far.
Fans can view TenZ’s Valorant streams on his Twitch channel.
Although this is Cloud9’s first pro-player announcement, they have another Valorant player coming up. No info has been released just yet, but they’re keeping fans on their toes.
