Shroud Responds To Rumours Of His Pro Return With VALORANT Return
Michael "shroud" Grzesiek has continued to tease his esports future as the pro player has responded to rumours he's swapping Counter-Strike: Global Offensive for VALORANT. Although Riot Games' first-person shooter is a relative baby compared to the likes of CS:GO, that hasn't stopped it luring big names like Daniel "vice" Kim and Nick “nitr0” Cannella to switch sides. While the addition of shroud to full-time VALORANT play could be the biggest move yet, he's keen to downplay the idea (for now).
After the collapse of Microsoft's Mixer streaming platform - and its merger with Facebook gaming - there have been big questions hanging over where shroud would go next. Both Grzesiek and Tyler "Ninja" Blevins were bought out of their exclusive contracts with Microsoft for a hefty sum, with shroud returning to Twitch once again.
Although shroud is no stranger to VALORANT, fans shouldn't pin their hopes on him catching the Riot Games bug and ditching CS:GO forever. Speaking during a stream on August 22, shroud doused the flames of speculation when he discussed a potential VALORANT future. "Would I join 100 Thieves if they offered? No", said shroud. He continued, "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".
The young player went on to explain that given his current mentality and career progression, he'd never be part of a team on a permanent basis: "I would never join a team [though]. But I'd always be welcome to play as a fifth or if they just don't have people - they need a fill [in]".
This doesn't make it crystal clear on what shroud's next steps are, but either way, don't expect him to sign his soul over to 100 Thieves, G2, or Team SoloMid. Once again, the latest news leaves fans puzzled about what exactly shroud is up to. VALORANT seemed like a logical next step after he shared a series of cryptic teasers that hinted at his post-Mixer career.
There was plenty of hype surrounding shroud's jump to VALORANT and what it could do for the game, but it sounds like we all jumped gun. There's no denying the presence the streamer has, and what his return to Twitch would mean for VALORANT, sadly, shroud's full-time career in the colourful world Riot created could be a long way off - if it happens at all.
For now, you'll just have to make do with the occasional VALORANT stream from shroud and to keep an eye on what the future holds. Who knows, maybe he's punking us all and there's a big VALORANT announcement on the way?
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Images via shroud | Riot Games
