Edit: This is NOT an advanced guide for all players. This is a guide to give a basic rundown of each role for iron-bronze players who are still relatively new and are trying to figure out their role.

In low elo, I’ve seen a LOT of players pick an agent, then not use them properly or effectively, or not know what they do at all. The role descriptions are kind of vague, and it also varies from character to character. Here’s my perspective, so hopefully this helps some people out:

Sentinel: Your job is to lock down/protect a site or your team. It varies by character, but generally, you’re either holding a site or covering your team’s rear end. This could be the flank, or post-plant.

Initiator: Your job is to scramble the opponents, and make the other teammates’ jobs easier. You want to make space, push the opponent back or apart, and generally make their lives more difficult. Sova’s info and shocks, breach’s flashes and concuss, etc, are all ways to accomplish this. This one’s actually pretty well explained in game.

Controller: Cut enemy vision, take control (surprise surprise) of an area, and force enemies into choke points. Simple, repetitive, and vital to a team’s ability to win.

Duelist: And finally, the duelists. Valorant describes them as “self-sufficient fraggers” which, to an extent, is the case. Their kits are primarily based in fragging, ie raze’s explosives or reyna’s self-heal. Each has to played a different way, although generally you’re the one to be playing picks, entry fragging, etc. (The exception here is yoru, with yoru you want to lurk, and play like an initiator. Sometimes you can entry frag but if you watch ziptie, ethos, or red, you’ll find they play a lot of flank and lurk over entry)

Now, each character has a playstyle better suited for them. I’m not an expert by any means, but especially in the case of individual agents. This is a general guide for noobies who need a better understanding of the roles.

If you have anything to add please leave it down below! Just don’t leave comments insulting my breakdown, especially if it’s unhelpful to the post. Thanks!

P.S: Each agent has an individual sub-role that affects the team’s synergy. i.e sage and skye have healing abilities that may not necessarily fit into the description of their role above. Every agent is played differently, and can be play in different ways.