VCT will never be bigger than comp CSGO for the simple reason being that orgs cannot afford to hold onto the same successful roster unless they’re fucking liquidated. EG 2023 had both the best story and the best win to ever come out of North American Valorant and yet it was impossible for them to stay together for just one more year.
To see where I’m getting at, imagine if the famous 2015 FNATIC roster disbanded right after their first major in Katowice. That roster’s arguably the most famous in not only CS, but also in FPS’ in general. There existed no inevitability where they had to be forced apart right after accomplishing the peak of CS, they got the opportunity to stick together and continue on their legendary legacy that, in hand to hand with other famous rosters in the past like peak Astralis, raised the game’s competitive popularity through the roof as more and more diehard fans are born and whatnot, because people fucking love winners.
Then there’s VCT, where even if your team has proven to be the best team in the world, and even if they win THE trophy of the year, you’re damn sure some of your players are gone by the next offseason unless you’re one of the very few richest orgs in the scene. Fans are more likely to burnout their interest in watching the esport if storylines that revolve around the best teams in the world cannot be made, and like I said before, people fucking love winners.
EG were easily set up to be the biggest name in VCT NA, generating a shit ton of value for both the esport and the game itself, but their legacy lasted for just 5 fucking months. It’s a complete failure through and through.