If you’ve ever wanted a quick laugh, watch some of the reactions that non-FPS players have when they watch VALORANT. The popular tactical shooter is one of the most popular PC games in the world, but it’s still as confusing as ever for the uninitiated.
Popular League of Legends streamer Caedrel recently watched an action-packed clip from the upper bracket finals between Evil Geniuses and Paper Rex during VALORANT Champions 2023, and the former pro was hilariously flabbergasted when a teamfight kicked off between the two squads on the map Bind.
As Paper Rex started their push onto the B site, a torrent of abilities began to rain down onto the area, including Harbor’s High Tide wall, Cascade wall, and ultimate ability; Brimstone’s ultimate ability, and Reyna’s blinding orb. In response, EG popped their own abilities to slow down the attack but were forced to hold their positions and trust their aim.
From the eyes of a non-VALORANT player like Caedrel, the amount of abilities on the screen were understandably overwhelming, especially when viewed in the first-person perspective. There are so many forms of crowd control and abilities that need to be accounted for in a short amount of time that it can be almost impossible to follow as a spectator if you aren’t knowledgeable about the game and its agents.
At the same time, a familiar opinion can be said when watching League as a non-MOBA enjoyer. For those who aren’t familiar with the game or the genre, watching gameplay can bring similar levels of confusion as multiple forms of abilities are thrown out in a five-vs-five teamfight.
There are so many different visual effects that will catch your eye, and with the countless champions and interactions that you’ll need to consider on a given day, you’ll need a great amount of game knowledge to appreciate just how good these players are on Summoner’s Rift. If you aren’t in the know, all you’ll see will be a blur of color, sound, and flashing lights as the various champions battle for supremacy.
Ultimately, both games require a ton of patience to learn, since they both bring a lot of visual and auditory noise to the mix that can easily become too much to handle if you aren’t ready. If you wish to try your hand at watching these games at the highest level, you can catch both the 2024 VCT Masters in Madrid or the 2024 Mid-Season Invitational in May.
