Corey "Corey" Nigra is leaving Overwatch for Valorant

Recently, star DPS player Corey “Corey” Nigra officially announced his departure from the Washington Justice. In his announcement, he revealed that he is leaving Overwatch League for Riot’s upcoming tactical shooter Valorant. Since its reveal, many players in the Overwatch League scene have quickly found a new passion with it in its closed beta.

For many fans, this is a surprise and a shock, as Corey was one of the leading DPS players in the OWL and had a large fanbase following him. But he is not alone. Many others seem to see the potential in Valorant‘s yet-to-emerge esports scene.

Valorant on the rise

Valorant has been getting a lot of attention, especially on Twitch where the beta’s record traffic numbers have been kicking Overwatch’s butt. While the discrepancy is largely a product of Riot’s marketing strategy of giving away beta keys through streamers drops, Overwatch’s organic numbers have been stagnant for a while now. That’s hardly a good sign for a spectator esports, and the game’s decline is only hastened with its original viewership turning its attention to this new shooter.

Today we say thank you and farewell to @Corey_OW as he retires from professional Overwatch.

Corey, thank you for being an exceptional leader, a dedicated worker, and for always having a positive attitude. It has been a privilege having you on the team and we wish you the best. pic.twitter.com/wSVU4yAdzP

— Washington Justice (@washjustice) May 8, 2020

What’s next for Corey?

After the announcement of his retirement, Corey posted a Twitlonger message thanking his fans and the Overwatch League. He also wrote small and personal messages for his former teammates in Justice, and a final thank you to everyone who has supported and helped him along the way with his Overwatch journey.

As a fellow DPS player and fan, I would like to take a moment to wish Corey the best of luck in his new endeavor. He has stated that with Valorant sharing so much with CS:GO – which Corey he dreamed of going pro in as a kid – it felt perfect for him. Naturally, he will continue to stream while beginning his journey to go pro in the new FPS.