A collegiate Valorant player has managed to compete in and win a BO3 tournament while recovering from his hospital bed. Esports fans, streamers, and even developer Riot Games applauded the player for his dedication.Valorant is no stranger to competitive collegiate tournaments. Earlier this year, developer Riot Games announced that it will host its first-ever College Valorant Season (CVAL) for 2022 to 2023. It's open to teams from accredited colleges and universities in the US and Canada. There will be three tournaments happening in the fall, winter, and spring, which will culminate in the College Valorant Championship happening next year in Los Angeles. One of the teams competing is ODU Varsity Esports from Old Dominion University, which collegiate Valorant player Nishil "Sosliver8" Shah is part of. He was rushed to the emergency room for pancreatitis before his team's scheduled match against West Virginia Wesleyan Esports in the CVAL circuit. A rescheduling was requested, but West Virginia refused, which forced Sosliver8 to play from his hospital bed. All he had were his gaming laptop and a laptop case as his makeshift mousepad. Plus, he said in a tweet that he had to play at 60 FPS and deal with packet loss. ODU Varsity Esports eventually won 2-0 in the BO3 tournament.
Sosliver8 thanked his teammates for carrying him during their matches. His story, which was also re-shared by esports reporter and YouTuber Jake Lucky on Twitter, gained traction within the Valorant community. Former TSM Valorant player drone told the player he was "goated," while streamers like Flexinja wished him a speedy recovery. Riot also reportedly gifted him a Valorant gun buddy and Valorant Points (VP) for his efforts. As of writing, Sosliver8 had been discharged in the hospital and is doing well.
In the past, Valorant pro players have competed remotely or skipped tournaments due to health reasons. During the Valorant Championship Tournament (VCT), for example, players who tested positive for COVID-19 were required to compete in an isolated area until their quarantine period was up. Famously, the Sentinels had to look for a sub last minute when duelist main and Valorant streamer TenZ went down with a bad case of COVID.
Getting sick or getting injured can be difficult, especially for competitive Valorant players who rely on their reflexes and presence of mind to land their shots. While Sosliver8's situation was not ideal, it was still an admirable feat to be able to back up his team despite his medical circumstances.
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