Shroud responds to rumors about him going pro in Valorant
Riot Games/Twitch: shroudMichael ‘shroud’ Grzesiek, ex-CS:GO professional turned full-time Twitch streamer, has cast doubt on a switch to competitive Valorant, following months of rumors about him possibly going pro in Riot Games’ new FPS.
Despite establishing himself as one of the world’s biggest streamers, shroud has regularly been the subject of rumors regarding a return to esports. From Apex Legends to Warzone, fans of the ex-Cloud 9 star want to see him compete at the highest level.
With many CS:GO pros making the switch to Valorant, it stands to reason that shroud would be subject to the speculation. However, following the shutdown of Mixer, shroud himself fed into the rumors with a number of cryptic Valorant posts.
Riot GamesDespite the ongoing speculation, shroud poured cold water on fans’ hopes during an August 22 livestream, in which he said he’d only play for a professional Valorant team as a “stand-in”.
“Would I join 100 Thieves if they offered? No,” he said, reading from his chat. “Would I join a team as a stand-in if they ever needed me? Sure. So, you know, let’s say that Jimbo can’t play because of something, and then they needed me – sure, I’ll fill I don’t care.”
However, shroud said on his stream, at least in his current mentality and career plans, he will not transition to being a permanent member of any Valorant roster.
“I would never join a team [though],” he finished. “But I’d always be welcome to play as a fifth or if they just don’t have people – they need a fill [in].”
The comments will disappoint fans who want to see shroud competing at the top level of Valorant, the game many are tipping to be a huge esport.
He confirmed he’d be open to filling in from time to time, but becoming a full-time Valorant pro, as many thought he might, appears very far away indeed.