That's why Valorant will be more relevant than CS, ain't nobody gives a shit about some tier 2 up and comer when they just gonna fluke on the biggest tournament of the year when teams ppl actually care about got knocked in the group stage, people claiming that "oh wow what an underdog story" are only a small group of people that are passionate when most of the ppl who watch the game are casuals who don't give a shit about tier 2
The reality is that no one outside y'all nerds gives a shit about some "underdog story", they just want a team that they can latch on to and be a part of their fanbase, that's why esports with franchising are the most lucrative ones, because they give stability to the sponsors, the orgs, and the players. Yeah maybe the open circuit will be more "competitive" but no casual fans gives a shit about that LMAO
Can't wait when you guys gonna went home crying when your tournament had a small amount of viewers complaining about why people don't watch the game because we're normal humans who have shit to do unlike y'all who spend 7 hours religiously on HLTV saying "oh wow, this team is impressive, I've been watching this team ever since they're in some tier 4 tournaments because I've spent my time watching amateur professional video game tournaments for 8 hours a day!"