All CS:GO Roles in Detail | AWPer, IGL, and More!

If you’re a lower-level CS:GO player, you might not be aware of the CS:GO roles that players can take on. They’re actually one of the most important elements of high-level play, ensuring the balance of each side remains intact. We’re going to talk you through each of these roles in CS:GO, so you can use the knowledge to rise through the CS:GO ranks. There might even be one that sounds like your current playstyle!

In-Game Leader

The in-game leader (IGL for short) is arguably the most important of all the roles in CS:GO. The IGL CS:GO player the calls at the start of every round, dictating how it should be played. Their influence doesn’t stop there. Mid-round, the IGL CS:GO role involves making big decisions about rotations, and how the set-up should change as the round evolves. As a result, you’ll see a lot of IGLs frag less than their teammates. Their focus is elsewhere.

In the pro scene, IGLs are often older stars who evolve their game to stay relevant. Players like karrigan, who once upon a time was a star rifler, but whose aim can’t keep up with the young guns. In fact, karrigan is arguably the best example as his achievements on the server have led him to become one of the best IGLs ever.

AWPer

The AWPer is usually the star of a team, and is one of the most important CS:GO roles. Get this guy the big $4750 gun, and he’ll win you rounds by himself. AWPers often look to get an opening pick on an opponent, leaving them at an instant 4v5 disadvantage. When the going gets tough, teams rely on their AWPer to drag them out of trouble. However, AWPers have to be good with weapons other than just the AWP. Remember, it costs $4750, so they won’t have it every single round. They must be able to work with a lesser weapon while they save for the Big Green.

In pro play, only the best CS:GO players use the AWP. You need lightning-fast reflexes combined with godlike aim to make it work, and those players don’t grow on trees. Here, you’ve got legends like s1mple, ZywOo, and dev1ce. Because of their star plays, AWPers are often the players you remember most.

Rifler

There’s so much to the Rifler role that we’ve split this into three sub-sections. The first is the Lurker.

Lurker

Of all the CS:GO roles, lurkers are arguably the most underappreciated. The lurker is traditionally a T-side role, holding back while their team progresses onto a bombsite. This allows them to catch any CTs in rotation, and hopefully can grab a free kill.

Finding players to play roles in CS:GO like the lurker can be hard. That’s what makes professionals like ropz so impressive, managing to reach the top of the game playing a role that not many like to play.

Entry Fragger

The entry fragger is a pretty self-explanatory T-side job. Their main roles in CS:GO matches are to be the point of entry to a bombsite, and get a kill before dying. If they can do that, it’s job done. If they can get two kills or more, then the entry fragger has the potential to win rounds by themselves. One thing about the entry fragger, is that they can’t be afraid of death. It’s a crucial part of the role that they must accept.

You’ll find that entry fraggers often have the best aim on their team. This guarantees that they’ll usually get at least one kill on the way into a bombsite. For CS:GO tips on how to be an entry fragger, NiKo is the one to watch. He has mastered the role, and you won’t find any better in the pro scene.

Support

The support is arguably the least glamorous of all the CS:GO roles. Their job is to gather information by staying alive, and providing swift backup when the enemy plans are revealed. The support will rarely top the leaderboard, but their contribution should not go unnoticed.

For a professional support, you only have to look at sjuush of Heroic. He has a team of top-fraggers around him, but he keeps things ticking along brilliantly.