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Nitr0 doesn’t ‘regret’ switching from CS:GO to VALORANT

Nicholas “nitr0” Cannella returned to CS:GO from VALORANT earlier in January this year. Starting slow, nitr0 took a while to become more than just a shadow of his former self. In a press conference before the start of the ESL Pro League play-off, nitr0 opened up about the decision and why he did not “regret” switching from CS:GO to VALORANT back then.

VALORANT’s experience

Nitr0 explained that switching from CS:GO to VALORANT was a good decision.

“I don’t regret it. It was a very good decision for me and my personal life,” nitr0 said. “At that time my wife was pregnant. The schedule for the 2020-2021 season was super rough.

“They were basically living in Europe and obviously with a pregnant wife it’s not ideal. So VALORANT kind of allowed me to be home and at the same time do my job. It was really nice.”

Nitr0 then went on to explain why he switched back to CS:GO, saying that he liked it better as a game.

“Actually, it was really nice to take a little break from all the travels. But at the end of the day, I like Counter-Strike way more as a game. And that’s why I decided to come back now when my son is a little bit older,” he said.

Asked whether he had to catch up upon his return to CS:GO, nitr0 answered “Oh, yeah, there’s been a lot of that actually. I think it started even before I decided to make the full transition back. [Team Liquid manager] John [“Tephus” Lewis] was helping me and telling me, what was different and what changed.

“It has been a lot to learn and I’m still learning every time we practice and trying to figure out solutions for anywhere problems. And I think we’re in a pretty good spot right now,” he continued.

The player said he learned many new things from VALORANT, including how to build a new team “from scratch” and how to “approach people”. VALORANT was a new game back then when nitr0 switched from CS:GO. Understandably, building a new professional team was rather difficult. He said what he learned in VALORANT helped him when he came back to Counter-Strike.

“It’s super hard in CSGO, especially nowadays,” the 26-year-old said. “It takes months and months to actually get to the highest level of Counter-Strike. You can’t just put five superstars together and be the best team in the world within two months – it’s just not logical.”

Criticizing NA VALORANT players

Earlier, after reaching the semi-finals of the VCT Stage 3 Masters event with 100 Thieves, nitr0 criticized the current situation of VALORANT players in North America, indicating that NA teams were being complacent. He said EMEA had taken over NA’s position as the top region because its players “work harder”.

“They might not be better individually, so to speak,” nitr0 said, as quoted by Dexerto. “And I’m not even a hundred percent sure on that one. I think every player is pretty much on the same level right now. But I think they work harder.”

Nitr0, a regular international titles winner with Team Liquid in CS:GO, then explained that there had been a shift in mentality that led to complacency.

“I think they [EMEA players] are putting more time into practice and dealing with teammates,” he said. “Whereas in NA, I feel that a lot of people are just looking for content. I hate to even say that, but that’s honestly how I feel. And sometimes I felt that with my old team.

“It’s just one of those things where if you put that extra energy towards practice and improving, there’s a chance that you just become two times better immediately. Because all we have is time. Time’s the only consistent thing we have.”