Are you playing the wrong agent? Learn about roles in Valorant

Fariha Bhatti Published 09/02/2022

Have you been pushing sites as Killjoy? You probably don’t understand all the roles in Valorant and may want to switch your agent.

Riot Games took a page out of the hero shooter playbook by adding clear roles for characters to fill. Valorant players understand their responsibility in a team, which ultimately leads to a better gaming experience. However, toxicity still persists in Valorant as some players fail to understand their roles.

Because of that, it’s worth looking over the roles, pondering how they fit into a team, and seeing if your playstyle fits into that framework. Valorant categories may be a new feature, but it stems from the same old FPS team structure. Each agent section is based on a few FPS roles that have existed since the creation of this genre.

Here are those roles and how they fit into a Valorant team.

What’s an IGL in Valorant?

IGL stands for in-game leader. This is the player who calls the shots during the buy phase and mid-round. An IGL should always pick an agent that is needed until the end of the round.

It’s crucial for IGLs to remain alive in order to maintain a balance in the team. For this purpose, IGLs often stay in the backlines and create opportunities for teammates to make plays. If you often find yourself playing passive and staying alive, you may want to go for an agent that is needed throughout.

The ideal agent category for an IGL is Sentinel. For example, Sage’s heal is necessary until the end. Unsurprisingly, Sage is also the leader of the Valorant pack in the lore.

What agent should entry fraggers play?

As evident from the name, the entry fragger is expected to secure the first kill. An entry fragger should ideally pick a duelist, as this category is equipped with utility that facilitates aggressive plays.

Very few other categories make good entry fraggers. For example, Breach can break into enemy territory like a duelist, but Skye can’t thrive in this role. The wild initiator has a healing ability that’s too valuable to risk at the beginning of the round. Conversely, duelists can effectively utilize their powers to break open bomb points or repel the pushers.

Best agents to play for support players

Support is usually an Initiator, but almost all agents can play support. If you find yourself gathering intel to enable duelists, then you’re likely a support player by nature. These are the best agents for you:

Sova
Sage
Skye
Kay/O

What’s a smoker in Valorant?

Controllers, sometimes known as smokers, differ a bit from supports. Valorant has a separate controller category for agents that carry equipment to block sight.

A controller is often required to stick with the duelist in order to throw quick smokes. The entry fragger often calls for smokes to help push into certain areas. For this reason, a controller should stay alert at all times and play passive at least until he runs out of smokes.

Are you are a lurker?

Your teammates may have called you a baiter at least once if you like to lurk around the map. It’s likely because you lurk with the wrong agent. Staying behind with a flasher or duelist is a big no-no in Valorant.

If you like to create plays from the backlines and read enemy’s moves patiently, you’re likely a lurker. If that’s the case, you may want to drop the Jett and pick Cypher or Killjoy. The two agents are equipped with ideal utility designed to hold the backlines.

Fariha Bhatti

About Fariha Bhatti

Fariha Bhatti is a long-time gaming writer who loves competitive FPS games and slots with particularly fun themes. She got her start playing classic games developed by SNK, from legendary fighting game series The King of Fighters to challenging platform franchise Metal Slug. She now spends most of her time playing Valorant and Counter-Strike 2 while working her way through new slot releases to find her next favorite. Fariha has been published at PCGamesN, TalkEsport and ONE Esports.

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