Michael ‘Shroud’ Grzesiek explained why he doesn’t like playing with Valorant pros anymore, claiming it “makes him mad” because he knows he “isn’t as good” as them anymore.
In his prime, Shroud was one of the best CS:GO players in the world. He didn’t win a major. However, he was touted as one of the most naturally gifted gamers in the competitive scene, and fans loved him for it.
A lot has changed since then, though. Shroud still has insane skills. However, instead of practicing one game for hours on end, he’s cemented his place as one of the most popular variety streamers on the internet.
That didn’t stop him from having a crack at playing Valorant professionally. He assembled a team and competed in the VCT Qualifiers. But unfortunately, they didn’t make it as far as he and his fans hoped they would.
It hasn’t stopped him from playing the game. In fact, he loves it as much as ever. But he did admit that he doesn’t like playing it with pros anymore, and he told fans the reason why; because he believes he’s lost that edge.
“It makes me so mad when I play with professional players because in my head I’m like, man, I’m as good as them,” he said. But then when he does play with them, he claimed it doesn’t take him long to realize it’s not the case.
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“It makes me so mad because I know I want to be as good but I also know I never will be unless you play the game that much on a professional team. It’s such a f**king aggravating thing.
“You just can’t do it unless you play in that environment.”
Shroud is still insanely good compared to the average player. However, compared to professionals who put in hours upon hours to keep their skills sharp, he believes he’s lost his edge, as much as he hates to admit it.
It’s unlikely that we’ll ever see him compete at the professional scene again. But the good news is that his Twitch channel is as popular as ever thanks to New World’s launch, which he’s been absolutely cranking.