Twitch Streamer Summit1g Blasts Valorant Viewership Numbers for Being Fake

Gamers are quite excited about Valorant. The upcoming first-person shooter from Riot Games is [...]

By Marc Deschamps

Gamers are quite excited about Valorant. The upcoming first-person shooter from Riot Games is currently in the beta test phase, and players are desperate to get early access. To get access to those beta entitlement drops, players must link their Twitch and Riot accounts, then watch streams of the game on Twitch for a couple hours. Once players have done so, they'll gain access to the beta. It's a rather ingenious concept, but some streamers are less than pleased with the overall implementation. Streamer Jaryd "Summit1g" Lazar is one such streamer, and he has had some choice words about the impact this is having on Twitch.

Lazar's frustration is two-fold: bot accounts are manipulating players into watching their streams, leaving real streamers chasing viewers. Lazar is equally frustrated, however, with Twitch users that are "watching" multiple streams at once. According to Lazar, the numbers are essentially being inflated, and real streamers are fighting for real views. Lazar isn't the only streamer disappointed with the current issues with Valorant on Twitch. Caesar "CDNThe3rd" Noriega has also complained about the bots that are manipulating viewership numbers.

The whole situation is a bit disappointing. After all, the idea was meant to benefit streamers playing Valorant. Instead, the system is being manipulated, and streamers are actually being hurt, as a result. According to Lazar, the situation "helps me burn out, just a little bit quicker." To their credit, Riot Games seems aware of the issue, and is looking into ways to make sure closed beta drops are distributed fairly, and things like "viewbotting" are handled appropriately.

It will be interesting to see if Valorant can maintain this level of interest once the game is officially released this summer. In the game, there are two separate teams: an attacking team, and a defending team, each with five players. The attacking team's goal is to place and protect a bomb known as the Spike, as the defending team tries to prevent the bomb from being placed. If the bomb has been placed, the defending team must diffuse it before it does off. Attacking teams get a point for setting a bomb off, while defending teams receive a point for diffusing a bomb, or for holding off the attacking team altogether. Of course, the game requires some strategy, since the two teams switch roles after 12 rounds.

Are you currently playing Valorant's open beta? What do you think of the way Riot Games is distributing beta entitlement drops? Let us know in the comments or share your thoughts directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp to talk all things gaming!

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