Tyson ‘TenZ’ Ngo, renowned in both Counter-Strike and Valorant esports, recently shared during a live stream that he personally finds more enjoyment in the Valve game. Sentinels’ Valorant star, TenZ, engaged in the ongoing debate between Counter-Strike and Valorant communities when responding to a Twitch chat query about his gaming preferences. Even before Valve introduced its Counter-Strike: Global Offensive sequel, tensions simmered between the two communities. Despite their shared FPS genre, many professional players have transitioned between the two games’ esports scenes.
During a livestream on May 8, TenZ expressed his preference for Counter-Strike, citing its mechanical depth as a major draw. He highlighted the satisfaction of daily improvement in mechanical skills, which he found particularly appealing. According to the popular streamer, Counter-Strike surpasses Valorant in terms of mechanical intricacy.
TenZ also noted that Counter-Strike offers fewer “random kills” compared to Valorant, reflecting on his extensive experience in both games. Despite this, he acknowledged Valorant’s capacity for player creativity, particularly through agent selection and compositions. Contrasting it with Counter-Strike’s reliance on smoke lineups for strategic innovation.
Beginning his esports journey in CS:GO in 2017, TenZ gained recognition as a rising star rifler with Cloud9 in 2019 before transitioning to Valorant in 2020. In Valorant, he has achieved success with two VCT Masters titles and competes under the banner of Sentinels. One of the most prominent organizations in the scene.
The clip featuring TenZ’s insights has garnered attention on both Counter-Strike and Valorant Reddit forums.With members of both communities largely concurring with his observations on the distinctions between the two FPS titles.