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Valorant, the first-person shooter (FPS) game developed and published by Riot Games, has been making waves in the gaming industry since its release two years ago. One notable area where Valorant has been particularly successful this year is in terms of Twitch viewership.
According to Stream Charts, Valorant, the first-person shooter game developed and published by Riot Games, was the most successful shooting game on Twitch in terms of viewership this year. It garnered more viewership on the purple platform than other FPS games such as Counter-Strike: Global Offensive and Fortnite.
From January to December 18th, the tactical first-person shooter game generated a staggering 1.126 billion total hours watched, nearly double the amount of the second-highest viewed FPS game, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, which had around 685 million total hours watched. Valorant’s strong performance on Twitch highlights its popularity and success in the FPS genre.
“Since its release in 2020, Valorant took the shooter genre by storm. A well-polished game that quickly gained a big fan base, it’s now one of the biggest titles in the genre,” Streams Charts said.
“Its esports scene also grew quickly, and this year it cemented itself as one of the most popular around the world. With Valorant winning the best esports game of the year award at the 2022 Game Awards, and captivating millions from all around the world, it’s no surprise the game sits at the top of this list. With an astonishing 1.1 billion Hours Watched, Valorant is this year’s most popular shooter.
“Coming in second place, we have Valorant biggest rival, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. The game is already a classic of the shooter genre. It was released in 2012, and for many years it was the most popular shooter game, with no title coming close to it.
“It has one of the oldest, and biggest esports scenes in the industry. Despite being released 10 years ago, it still captivates the hearts of millions of players from all around the globe. In 2022, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive was watched for 684 million hours.”
Right next to CS:GO is Apex Legends, which has become a popular choice among players for its battle royale gameplay. The game has consistently gained in popularity over the years and has even become a strong competitor to Fortnite, widely considered to be the most successful battle royale game to date.
Apex Legends has a thriving esports scene, and it is expected to continue growing in popularity. In terms of Twitch viewership, Apex Legends has achieved 640 million total hours watched, securing it the third spot on the list.
Although Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) had the highest peak viewership of any shooting game with 1.6 million viewers. On the other hand, Fortnite, developed by Epic Games, managed to beat out Valorant for the second-highest peak viewership. Valorant, a popular tactical first-person shooter game, still performed well in terms of peak viewership, coming in behind Fortnite.
Two of the most popular games on Twitch, CS:GO and VALORANT, also happen to have some of the most-watched streamers on the platform.
First on the list is Alexandre “gAuLeS” Borba, a Brazilian streamer who primarily streams Counter-Strike: Global Offensive and is a major player in the shooting game streaming category. He is extremely popular in Brazil and has the broadcast rights to some of the biggest tournaments for Counter-Strike: Global Offensive.
His channel is also the official watch party for Portuguese-language viewers, providing a unique viewing experience for Brazilian fans. In 2022, Gaules’ viewers tuned in to watch him stream shooter games for a total of 126 million hours. His popularity and access to top tournaments make him one of the most sought-after streamers for shooting games.
Tarik, a popular Valorant streamer on Twitch, often referred to as the “king of watch parties” for his coverage of the game’s biggest events comes in second. Many viewers choose to watch Tarik’s streams for his deep understanding of Valorant and its professional scene, as well as his unique perspective and valuable analysis.
In addition to his knowledge of the game, Tarik is also a skilled player, with a Radiant rank, the highest level in the game. His streams often feature him playing with and against top professional players in North America.
Over the course of 69.4 million hours watched, viewers have gained a wealth of knowledge and entertainment from Tarik’s Valorant streams. These streams have helped to increase the overall viewership of Valorant on Twitch.
Since its release in June 2020, Valorant has gained increasing popularity and has become a lucrative platform for content creation in the FPS genre. Despite its success, Valorant has yet to surpass Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO), one of the most popular esports of all time, in terms of peak viewership. However, Valorant’s strong performance in other areas, such as average viewership and overall popularity, suggests that it has the potential to eventually surpass CS:GO and become one of the top FPS games in the industry.
The competitive scene of Valorant will return for the 2023 VCT (Valorant Champions Tour) season, along with new content for the game to be introduced by Riot Games. Fans can look forward to more exciting gameplay and updates in the upcoming year.
