Nadeshot says VALORANT burned him out because players all have a 'god complex'

Matthew “Nadeshot” Haag, founder of 100 Thieves, explained why he has been spending time in CS2 instead of VALORANT. He made his point during a livestream on March 24, and he did not hold back.

It is not the game, it is the people

Nadeshot said he enjoys VALORANT and thinks Riot has built a very polished tactical shooter. The issue for him was not the mechanics or the maps. It was the vibe inside ranked queues.

“I like Val a lot, I just got burnt out on the player base. Everybody on VALORANT thinks they’re the best player in the game, and every player on VALORANT has a god complex.”

He argued that the competitive atmosphere in VALORANT can feel full of ego and pressure, which contributed to his decision to play elsewhere.

Why CS2 then?

Nadeshot gave two plain reasons. First, he wanted a different online experience for a change of pace. Second, he has a collection of skins in CS2 and felt he owed them a fair shot — in his words, to try and be decent with the game since he owned the cosmetics.

He is not claiming CS2 is a paradise. The game has its own history of toxicity and complaints. His point was more about the day-to-day feeling when he queues: right now CS2 is giving him something VALORANT stopped providing.

Why his opinion matters

• Profile: Nadeshot is a well-known figure in North American esports, a former pro and the CEO of 100 Thieves, so his impressions carry weight with fans and the scene.
• Reality check: Riot has invested heavily in VALORANT and many players enjoy it, but ranked culture and toxicity remain recurring complaints.
• Perspective: Switching games because of community behavior is a common reaction, and Nadeshot’s switch highlights how player culture can shape where high-profile streamers spend their time.

In short, Nadeshot did not call VALORANT a broken game. He called out the people he meets in its lobbies. For someone who has watched competitive gaming evolve for over a decade, that is a blunt observation worth noting — and mildly entertaining to hear from someone who built an esports brand himself.