TenZ explained why he won't be returning to professional CS

Renowned VALORANT player, Tyson “TenZ” Van Ngo, shared his thoughts on a possible return to competitive Counter-Strike. However, his answer will disappoint many - the professional no longer plans to return to the legendary FPS game from Valve. What made the former player give up on the idea?

At the peak of his career, TenZ faced some of the best players in the world, including such giants as s1mple and ZywOo. The experience of those games was so memorable for him that he's not sure he can compete at that level again.

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Transition from CS to VALORANT

TenZ started his career in Counter-Strike in 2016 and has represented teams such as Bad News Bears, Cloud9 and ATK. He has had some successes over the years, including winning Mythic Cup #2 and reaching the semifinals of the 2019 Arctic Invitational, where his team lost to FURIA. However, in 2020, TenZ decided to leave CS and focus on a new discipline, VALORANT. It was in the game from Riot Games that the Canadian reached the greatest heights, playing for Cloud9 Blue and Sentinels.

Recognizing the skills of his opponents

In the interview, TenZ recalled how he faced the legendary Oleksandr “s1mple” Kostyliev on the Train map. One of s1mple's shots impressed him so much that he described it as “one of the most absurd shots of his life”. A similar thing happened with Mathieu “ZywOo” Herbaut, whom TenZ called a “supermachine.” “If you don't kill him instantly, he'll kill you on the spot,” the player added, emphasizing the level of competition in CS.

According to TenZ, the key difference between the games is that CS requires instant reaction and speed, whereas VALORANT requires more precision.

Farewell to competitive Valorant

In mid-September 2024, TenZ officially announced his retirement from competitive Valorant. The main reason was a desire to focus on his personal life and create a more flexible schedule by getting into content creation. For fans of professional eSports, this was unexpected news, as TenZ was one of the brightest players in VALORANT.

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Conclusion

TenZ's decision not to return to competitive Counter-Strike, despite his considerable experience and former achievements, is due to the high level of competition in CS and the difficulty of maintaining the necessary skills. For many fans, this marks the end of an era for one of the most memorable players on the FPS scene, but TenZ leaves behind a colorful legacy in both games.