Last month, Counter-Strike 2 (CS2) and VALORANT saw two major tournaments overlap for the first time. Both the BLAST.tv Austin Major and Masters Toronto took place in June, even sharing the same Grand Final day on June 22nd.

The similar scale and prize pool of the two events have also reignited comparisons between the FPS titles — one carrying over a decade of legacy and the other still trialing its fairly nascent esports ecosystem.

Two FPS Games, Two Different Ecosystems

As the 2025 esports season passes its halfway mark, Esports Insider compares CS2 and VALORANT in terms of ecosystem, viewership, and community.

CS2 follows an open ecosystem, with major tournaments hosted by third-party organisers like BLAST, ESL, and PGL, allowing wide participation. In contrast, VALORANT uses Riot Games’ franchised model, limiting top-tier competition to partnered teams across four VCT regions: EMEA, Americas, Pacific, and China.

While CS2 features frequent short events, VALORANT opts for a slower league format, highlighted by three major international tournaments: Masters Bangkok, Masters Toronto, and Champions.

Counter-Strike 2’s Legacy Still Draws in Millions of Viewers

The overlapping Austin Major and Masters Toronto offered a clear view of FPS fan interest in 2025. Both had $1m prize pools and Grand Finals on June 22nd, but the Austin Major pulled ahead with 1.8m peak viewers and 76.1m hours watched over 135 hours — making it the most-watched CS2 event ever.

Masters Toronto, with just 12 teams and 73 hours of broadcast, reached 1.12m peak viewers and 34.8m hours watched. Interestingly, it trailed even its predecessor, Masters Bangkok (1.3m peak).

Overall, CS2 viewership is rising in 2025, while VALORANT's numbers have declined, especially after the Kickoff events. Only the Pacific region saw a peak viewership increase between VCT stages.

VALORANT League Structure Affects Prize Money Distribution

Prize pool comparisons in 2025 show CS2 leading so far. Top CS2 events range from ₹1.58 Cr to ₹10.4 Cr, with three ₹8 Cr+ tournaments already held and three more to come.

Meanwhile, Riot is saving VALORANT’s biggest prize — ₹18.7 Cr — for the year-end Champions event. Until then, CS2 dominates in total prize money.

VALORANT Meta Sees Regular Additions

Valve and Riot take very different approaches to in-game content. Riot actively updates VALORANT with new agents, maps, and meta shifts—adding two agents (Tejo, Waylay) and the new map Corrode in 2025 alone. The game has also seen four map pool changes this year, keeping esports fresh and dynamic.

In contrast, Valve focuses more on gameplay stability for CS2, with minimal esports-impacting changes. While new maps were added in May, only Overpass and Train were reintroduced to the competitive pool, which now includes:

Ancient, Anubis, Dust II, Inferno, Mirage, Nuke, Train

Despite fewer updates, CS2 leads 2025 in viewership and prize pools. VALORANT excels in fresh content, but CS2’s larger ecosystem and consistent popularity keep it ahead—for now. However, VALORANT’s upcoming Champions event could still shift the momentum.

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