All Valorant Roles: Key Takeaways
- There are a total of four Valorant roles in the game.
- The Valorant roles are Duelist, Initiator, Sentinel, and Controller.
- Each role has responsibilities that are integral to winning the game.
- Your abilities are geared towards helping you fulfill your role but won’t limit you in-game.
Valorant decided to divide all their agents into four different roles. These roles all have a duty in-game and are essential to winning rounds. It’s hard to win games if you don’t have at least one agent from each role within your team.
Picking a role that suits your playstyle can be a tough challenge. They all are unique in their own, but they also overlap in others. Finding your main role is definitely one of the most fun things you can do as a beginner in Valorant.
To help you out, we’ve decided to list down all the Valorant roles and explain what they should do within the game.
Make sure to check out the Z League App to earn rewards by playing your favorite games, joining a friendly gamer community, or joining a Valorant tournament within minutes!
Table of Contents
Duelists
First up, we have the Duelists. Duelists act as the entry fraggers of each team. They generally play aggressively and look for early picks and opportunities to kill. Most of a Duelist’s abilities are geared toward getting kills and dealing damage.
Most Duelists are also self-sufficient, with most of their kits containing a great setting-up ability, a mobility ability, or a heal. Duelists are also the ones responsible for clearing corners and creating space for their team through aggression.
If you prefer a more aggressive playstyle, like being the first one on-site, and like getting kills, then the Duelist class might be perfect for you.
There are currently six Duelists in Valorant:
Controllers
The Controllers are up next, and I don’t mean the ones with joysticks. Controllers or more commonly known as “smokers,” are the ones primarily responsible for blocking vision and creating space by zoning enemies out.
They are a perfect class for players who prefer a more passive playstyle that mostly involves supporting your team by trading them and smoking for them. Controllers are usually IGLs as well since they dictate where their smokes go.
Overall, it can be one of the toughest Valorant roles because you not only have to worry about properly placing your smokes to cover common areas, but you must also time your smokes properly. This is a skill that isn’t easily learned and is usually developed the more you play the game.
There are currently five Controllers in Valorant:
Initiators
Initiators are a literal definition of setting your team up for success. They are great at gathering information and using their skills to assist their allies. They make their team’s life easier by helping them get kills or helping them make decisions.
Initiators can also use their abilities to clear corners, check angles, assist their team, and flush out hiding enemies. They offer a great mix between being passive and aggressive, making them a solid class choice for players who prefer a more flexible playstyle.
Most Initiators will usually have at least one if not more, of the following abilities: a flash, a scanning ability, a concussing ability, a pet of sorts, and a damaging ability.
There are currently six Initiators in Valorant:
Sentinels
The final role is the Sentinel. Sentinels are known as being insane defensive strongholds. They are the main star on the defending side and can hold an enemy team down and prevent them from gaining space.
Being a Sentinel requires extreme patience. They typically require a more passive playstyle and play off of their abilities. As a Sentinel, your main role is to prevent enemies from pushing your site as much as possible. You’re also the main flank watcher on the Attacking side.
Overall, a Sentinel is definitely a class that most people don’t want to play. They do a lot of the dirty work on the Defending side that usually gets left unnoticed. It’s a perfect fit for players who want a more passive playstyle and have the patience to wait for rotates.
There are currently four Sentinels in Valorant:
