AverageJonas: "Riot Knows What To Do To Take Valorant To Next Level"

Whether streaming, casting, playing professionally, analysis, or Jonas "AverageJonas," Navarsete has done it all. Currently signed with Team Liquid as a content creator, he also has decades of experience with professional opera singing. He is known for his famous Sova lineups and is one of the few people who recognized the agent's potential early when Valorant became available. I got to catch up with him, where Jonas talked about his experience with Valorant Champions 2022, his thoughts regarding VCT 2023, and more.

An Interview with AverageJonas

How did you feel being at Valorant Champions with the crowd in Istanbul?

Jonas: Honestly, this was all amazing. We had friends all over the world gather at one place to enjoy esports and the game Valorant. I mean, it's crazy thinking that this game has been out for more than two years now and seeing the development competition by competition; it just makes you wonder what this game is gonna be in a few years. So, honestly, it's a cool experience to be here and celebrate it.

Did you guys have any idea about the carpet event that happened? Did you guys get the invite to it, or was it a surprise for you guys as well, just like for the fans?

Jonas: I think a lot of people got surprised; however, I have a few friends at Riot, so I knew (laughs). It was a cool experience to have with the interviews, photo shoot, and carpet, and also it was great to see all the fans coming out to take photos and autographs. You gotta appreciate people coming out here and taking their time off to enjoy some good Valorant.

What are your thoughts about VCT 2023 season with partnership teams coming in and the competition being more open to even minor regions?

Jonas: It's going to be really exciting because I think the more international tournaments we have, the better. I am super excited to see how they kick it off next year with all the teams. You can always question what is the correct approach to take the game to the next level, but I think Riot knows what they are doing. I feel that this is gonna be big.

Why did you pick Sova as your main agent in Valorant?

Jonas: When I started playing Valorant, I used to play Sage and Raze in the beginning, but then I saw Sova, and I was like, if I am going to play Sova, I will have to really "play" Sova like I will have to study lineups because I saw a lot of potential there. Then eventually, I was like ok, I am gonna sit down and practice and figure out this agent. It took a few thousand hours to figure out the lineups and everything. I created this educational community, and so on, but it was very intriguing to me.

I come from Overwatch before, and I think the ability usage kind of made it natural for me to play Sova. It's just it took a lot of time to create all the tools needed because nobody really knew how to use Sova in the start; nobody used him for tournaments. He kind of came into the picture later when people realized how big the potential was, and a lot of pro players in the start and coaches came into my discord very early to steal a few tricks, so they didn't have to do it themselves.

Looking at the huge crowd cheering for their favorite teams and players, do you ever have the urge to go pro, even to try?

Jonas: No, I love being a streamer and content creator like I have 15-20 years of music and entertainment behind me, so for me, it's always more natural to be an entertainer. I love being on stage; I love making people laugh; I love just hanging out with the crowd, and being a streamer is super flexible. I can do whatever I want, whenever I want, and I wouldn't trade that for anything. I have so much respect for the pro players, but it's not for me. I am really enjoying my current life, and I will continue doing that.

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Featured image via Riot Games.