Michael “Shroud” Grzesiek has shared his thoughts on today’s market of competitive shooters, and he thinks the popular first-person shooter franchiseCall of Dutycould learn a thing or two from tactical shooterRainbow Six Siege. BothCall of DutyandRainbow Six Siegehave esports events, thoughCall of Duty’s esports presence has grown since the establishment of theCall of Duty Leaguein 2020. Shroud feels there are a few key components that set the two franchises apart, but the main sticking point boils down to the use of aim down sight.
Shroud’s comments come partially from his experience with competitive shooters. Shroud was aprofessionalCS:GOplayerfor esports teams compLexity and Cloud9 before he retired in 2018. He was a member of Cloud9’s ESL Pro League Season 4 championship team, and other esports pros have commented on his exceptional aim. Though Shroud no longer plays competitively, he still actively plays several first-person shooter games, includingPUBG,Apex Legends, andValorant.
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In a recentTwitchstream, Shroud expresses his opinion thatCall of Dutyisn’t as competitive asRainbow Six Siegeprimarily because competitiveCall of Dutyrelies more heavily on the use of ADS. He claims that competitive shooters that make use of “ADS andCOD-esque movement aren’t truly competitive,” and he hasn’t seen a “good competitive title with being able to aim down the sights of your gun.” Shroud’s comparison of competitive shooters starts around 14 minutes and 15 seconds into his GAMES!!! stream.
Shroud does recognize thatRainbow Six Siegealso has ADS options, but he thinks that competitive play in the game is superior toCall of Dutybecause of the “depth of strategy that goes behind it.“Rainbow Six Siegegameplay is very strategic and often moves at a slower pace than competitive play for games likeCall of Duty: Black Ops Cold War. Attacking teams often spend most of the match working through obstacles and traps set up by Defenders, though the developers ofRainbow Six Siegehave recently expressed an interest in making theRainbow Six Siegemeta more attacker-sidedto speed up gameplay.
ADS is a divisive subject among competitive shooter gamers in general, and Shroud’s comments will probably only stir up more discussion. Using weapon sights often makes a player slower, and in sometactical shooters likeValorant, it will decrease a weapon’s rate of fire. On the other hand, some players feel ADS gives them better accuracy and a more focused field of view. Often times it’s simply up to player preference. Ultimately, gamers looking for good competitive shooters have a variety of options to choose from regardless of whether they rely on ADS or not.
