How Valorant's Sneakiest Superstar Ratted His Way to a World Title

Rats are one of the more controversial animals that inhabit our planet.

They get between walls, chew wires, spread the plague. Not a great rap. The word alone has become a universal insult, synonymous with shameful traits like dishonesty and cowardice.

And in esports it’s also been used to disparagingly describe dubious yet highly effective strategies.

Rats hide in corners, lurk in the shadows, sneak up behind their unsuspecting victims – and just about everyone hates them.

The truth is that there’s nothing inherently wrong about playing like a rat. It’s not cheating, it’s just annoying to deal with.

But rats are far more than just a pain in the ass – they’re psychological weapons. Nuisances capable of creating paranoia and a creeping sense of uncertainty through their unpredictable positioning and their mastery of timing.

In recent years, we’ve seen the rat-inspired lurker role become less prevalent in CS:GO, thanks to the game’s growing emphasis on big brain executes over sneaky cheesy individual outplays. But in Valorant, where there are only so many lineups and post plants you can pull off, things are a little different.

And, of all the sneaky beakies frequenting Valorant’s servers, none have reached the lurking heights of Ayaz “nAts” Akhmetshin. The insanely talented Sentinel player for Gambit Esports, who has proven himself to be the game’s one true rodent king.

Produced & Hosted by: Dimitri Pascaluta (@DPascaluta)
Written by: Devin Coull (@Fake_DevinCoull)
Edited by: Brendan Fahey (@Drillbit_)
Produced by: Miles Hackett (@miles_hackett)
Production assistance by: Jason Lo (@JasonLobster) & Nic Buck
Thumbnail by: Bennett Grainger

Footage Credits: https://pastebin.com/GifeL3Ws

Music used under license from Associated Production Music LLC (”APM”).

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