Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CSGO) has been around for about 10 years now. While it may seem a long time to many people, but the game is a successor to CS 1.6 and Source, which were legendary FPS titles of their era.
CSGO is still going strong even against stiff competition from Valorant. While old and seasoned veterans may know a lot about Counter-Strike, the new players who enter the hostile multiplayer environment of the game may find it challenging.
There are five players in a competitive match of Counter-Strike, and not all players have the same objective. If we follow the professional esports scene, we can clearly see that each player has its own role in the match. Here is a brief guide to Counter-Strike’s roles.
All CSGO Roles Explained
There are different roles in a CSGO competitive match. Each role has certain responsibilities and is unique to other roles. Let’s have a closer look at them.
Support
The support role, as the name suggest supports the entire team with utility. Players who play as a support will buy Smokes, Flashes and Molotovs to help their teammates either take a bomb site or defend it against terrorists.
Support role also demands players to accompany and coordinate along with other roles to help cover or take return kills. This role requires players to be aware of positions of flashes and smokes for multiple maps.
Entry Fragger
The Entry Fragger is the first person to enter a bomb site execution. Their role is to spot enemies, gather intel and pass it on to their teammates. The entry fragger will also try to kill as many opposition players as possible during the entry phase.
Usually the entry fragger is the first person to go down serving as a bait for the entire team. This is also true for CT-side during retakes of a bomb site. Player need razor sharp aim, enemy positioning sense to pre-aim and pre-shoot common spots and quick reaction time.
Rifler/Anchor/Secondary
The rifler is the main pillar of the fragging in the team. The players in rifler position have a simple task of following the entry fragger and churning out as many kills as possible. Apart from being good at jobs of supporter and entry fragger, the rifles has to have an excellent aim and game sense.
The rifler usually serves as an anchor for holding bombs sites alone or with a support player. They also play as secondary awper in case the team needs it. Players with experience and a good grasp on rifles may play this role.
Awper
The most popular role in CSGO. An awper is the player who uses the AWP weapon to nail down enemies from a distance. It is by far the most risky yet rewarding role in the game. Mastering the AWP take a long time and buying one is incredibly taxing on your team’s economy. So Awpers are efficient at how they use the sniper.
Awpers can perform multiple tasks in the game. They can give cover to the team from a long range, hold sites and even push into the enemy territory.
Lurker
The lurker is usually the player who is also playing as a support. Player who lurk in the game have to be smart and master in reading the enemy. The player cuts rotations to bomb sites, catches the enemy off-guard and back stabs the opponent.
Lurking is an art of deception. When performed correctly, it can alter the flow of rounds. The role demands supreme game sense, movement and reaction speed.
In-Game Leader(IGL)
The In-Game Leader or IGL is the one who calls the shots. Like the name suggests, IGL gives commands in the game for the entire team. Players who play as IGL are calm, composed and have superior game knowledge. They also need good leadership qualities and swift communication skills.
The IGL may need to take the captain’s spot, but that doesn’t mean they are weak at making plays. An IGL needs to have good aim and knowledge of each role.
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That covers all the roles in CSGO. Players interchange roles according to game’s requirements and roles are flexible in the game.
