In CS2, players can find themselves in one of a number of roles that are crucial to their team’s ultimate success, but these ideas are never explained in the game.
The best players regardless of role will have a plethora of experience under their belt. This then leads to a higher level of map knowledge and expertise with weapons. However, there are specific skills to go with necessary roles and help ensure the player’s team comes out on top.
Here are all the main and secondary roles players can expect to take on in CS2 explained.
CS2 has five main roles for the five players allowed on a team. Importantly, teams work best when every player has an assigned role ahead of time. Not everyone can be an entry fragger at the same time.
The AWPer is arguably the most important role in CS2. Named after the expensive sniper rifle, AWPers are responsible for executing long-range attacks on enemies and clearing the field for their allies. They maintain a level of map control from up high and are masters of the flick.
Players who want to serve as the AWPer need to have a high level of skill with a sniper rifle and the ability to serve in a hybrid role when need be. Given that an AWP only has five shots, their team may need them on the ground when they run out.
An entry fragger is charged with the task of being the first one to break enemy defenses. In doing so, they can set the tempo of the match and create opportunities for their teammates. While they may end up being one of the first to die, the entry fragger prioritizes the team over their own personal survival. Entry fraggers must be quick on the draw and fully commit to the push. They are often accompanied by a second rifler whose goal is to trade if the entry fragger dies.
IGLs are crucial to the success of the entire match. They are responsible for their team’s strategy, which includes making plans before the game even starts and adapting them on the fly. IGLs must pay attention to their enemies’ weaknesses and patterns to exploit them. Any good IGL will be able to strategize and restrategize on the spot and have a strong and confident leadership presence in their team. They effectively serve as the captain of the team. Note that IGLs can be riflers or AWPers in addition to their normal responsibilities.
As their name suggests, the lurker’s importance lies in remaining unseen. It is their job to sneak behind enemy lines, collecting crucial intel and potentially leading a one-man ambush. Unlike other players, lurkers spend much of the match completely separated from their own team. They should have a good awareness of their surroundings and how they fit into them. On the T side, lurkers oftentimes help take a site before relocating to an offbeat position to catch CTs by surprise.
Finally, supports in CS2 are the most versatile role in the main five. Armed with smoke bombs and rifles alike, they prioritize utility over pure firepower and are ready to fill in where the IGL tells them to go. Oftentimes supports will end up providing cover for other teammates, especially the entry fragger. A good support will have be able to handle a variety of weapons and flexibility in their directive.
There are a few secondary roles in CS2 that can be filled by players in addition to their main job.
Anchors, for instance, focus on either defending the bomb so it can explode or trying to prevent the other team from taking the site. In-game leaders or support riflers are best suited to filling the anchor position. Neither has a specific place they have to be like entry fraggers or lurkers, although IGLs may prefer to be up near the action to help strategize.
Another secondary role is the rifler, or riflers, who use their weapons to offer both offense and defense when needed. A rifler player needs to be versatile and often a good fragger. Most players can double as a rifler even if it isn’t their main weapon of choice.
Some of the best professional CS2 players rank for two or more roles, such as Oleksandr “s1mple” Kostyljev being known both as an AWPer and entry fragger. To be competitive in CS2, then, players should look to diversify their skill sets enough so they can play any role that the team requires.
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