CS2 Pro Players Positions and Team Roles Explained

In Counter-Strike, superior strategy always wins in the end. This stays true no matter what rank you play at, and even absolute newbies can triumph over other beginners by playing as a team. However, newcomers can struggle to understand CS2 player positions and roles, as unlike many modern first-person shooters, the game has no clearly cut classes or hero types.

However, team roles are still what the game revolves around. And despite the absence of hero skills and such, the CS roles are quite straightforward in terms of goals you’ll need to accomplish. In this guide, we’ll outline the mainCS2 pro team roles, offer some advice on how to play them, and list their main strengths and weaknesses.

Entry Fragger

The entry fragger in CS2 is perhaps the most important role for the Terrorist side, as it is they who will initiate combat during assaults. This player will usually push into bombsites to secure kills or support their team’s strategy by clearing enemy positions and getting intelligence. Entry fraggers live and die by their aim and reflexes, so the role is not for the faint of heart.

A good entry fragger embraces the role's high-risk nature, learning from mistakes and adapting strategies on the go by analyzing their opponents. Practice entry routes, hone your game sense, maintain a positive mindset, and one day it might be you who writes CS2 pro player roles guides for newbies.

Even more than other players on the team, an entry fragger needs to maximize their firepower and mobility. Pistols like the Tec-9 (good firing rate) or the Desert Eagle (one-shot power) are always a good choice. In the rifles department, opt for a strong rifle like the iconic AK-47 (to give your attacks some extra punch), or something mobile like the MAC-10 (for effective run-and-shoot pushes).

Pros:

1. Maximum involvement in the game with early fights.
2. An opportunity to put all your skills to the test.

Cons:

1. A notoriously hard role to play, as you’ll be rushing headfirst into enemy defenses.
2. Requires exceptional skills to check and pre-aim multiple positions.
3. Can feel frustrating even for pro players if opponents put up a good defense.

Nikola "NiKo" Kovač, a former entry fragger for G2, demonstrated his prowess in the clip below. This aggressive and quick-paced footage exemplifies what playing as an entry fragger feels like. NiKo is likely still one of the best CS2 entry fraggers, although his role in Falcons has slightly changed nowadays.

Support

The support role in CS2 is all about helping your team, which will suit calmer and more mature players who can tolerate not being the squad’s top fragger. Supports help their entry fragger by trading kills, crouch to offer an unexpected elevated angle for the team’s AWPer, and use utilities to disrupt enemy plans.

Uniquely among the CS2 Pro player positions, supports can be called to sacrifice their life to save another player. They usually go for cheaper weapons but have the most grenades and a defuse kit. They are also weapon donors for their AWPers and Star Riflers, and cover the gaps if either decides to make an unexpected move during the round.

In lower ranks, this role often goes to the least skilled player on the team. However, in professional play, a support is usually a proven veteran or IGL who knows the most tricks and grenade spots and can also clutch very well. It is a versatile role, and any player with low HP can switch to it as the situation dictates. Although playing as a support may seem unrewarding, every good pro team has one. It’s hard to overstate how much a support can help their team by covering backs, giving info, and throwing vital grenades.

Pros:

1. Doesn’t require great aim to be effective and useful.
2. Allows experienced veterans to continue playing on the competitive scene once they’re past their prime.

Cons:

1. Requires advanced knowledge of grenade lineups.
2. Cheaper weapons mean fewer kills.
3. Requires putting your teammates’ needs before your own.

Rasmus "sjuush" Beck is a good example of a support player ready to adjust his position and role when his younger teammates are trying to play more proactively. Leaving his glory days in HEROIC behind, sjuush now plays for Ninjas in Pyjamas.

In-Game Leader (IGL)

This is the role that changed the most over the years. In the days of CS:GO roles were a bit different, and to be a good IGL, a player must have had a lot of different talents. They were the team’s manager, psychologist, and analyst, all in addition to making in-game calls and developing new strategies. The introduction of the CS2 coach role changed the situation, allowing IGLs to focus on their team’s in-game performance.

The IGL role in CS2 is all about coordination, strategy, and leveraging the unique strengths of your teammates. IGLs understand the flow of the game and make critical decisions about team economy, pushes, and rotations. The in-game leader’s core skills are adaptability and decision-making. They should also have a deep understanding of the game’s maps, popular strategies, and even the strengths and weaknesses of other pro teams.

While an IGL role is often combined with other CS2 pro positions, such as AWPer or support, having a strong leader is absolutely crucial if you plan to go anywhere near the professional scene.

Pros:

1. Allows you to play at the highest level regardless of your aim.
2. High game impact with strategic and tactical calls.

Cons:

1. Can’t focus solely on shooting.
2. Must coordinate the whole team.
3. An IGL assumes full responsibility for wrong calls and ineffective strategies.

Regarded as one of the most decorated in-game leaders, Finn "karrigan" Andersen is renowned for his transformative influence on the Counter-Strike pro scene as a whole. With years of experience, he had found success in several teams, winning literally every trophy possible as far back as CS 1.6. Already in his thirties, “karrigan” is still a great leader with good shooting. He’s a big name of his generation, and one of the best IGLs in CS2 history.

Lurk

Lurkers are solo players tasked with confounding the enemy team, gathering intel, cutting off retakes, and controlling the map. An effective lurker in CS2 can give their buddies invaluable insights on enemy movements, allowing them to outflank and defeat the opposing team. Lurker is primarily a T-side role, but a CT player who likes to push and gather information can also be called lurker. Regardless of the side you play as, clutch skills are vital.

The best lurkers of CS have excellent map awareness, can interpret enemy behavior to predict their maneuvers, and seem to always know the right moment to strike. Trigger discipline is another key lurker skill, as allowing one enemy player to pass by can allow you to set up an ambush for their entire team.

Surprisingly, lurker is not a weapon-dependent role. Still, picking the Tec-9 or Deagle will give you a good chance of scoring quick kills, while powerful rifles like M4s or an AK-47 can deal a lot of damage quickly. A lurker should also learn grenade lineups for imitations and fakes.

Pros:

1. A self-sufficient role that requires little coordination with other teammates.
2. Ideal for solo queues and random lobbies.
3. Doesn’t require exceptional aim.

Cons:

1. Requires good map knowledge and analytic skills.
2. A lurker often needs to control a large area, usually with multiple angles to check.
3. Giving your team the wrong info can easily cost you a round.

Robin “ropz” Kool is a prominent Estonian esports professional recognized for his lurker plays. He was a valued player in both MOUZ and FaZe Clan, and now plays in Team Vitality.

AWPer

AWPer is perhaps the most famous CS archetype. The CS take on the classic FPS sniper, this role is built around dominating long-range engagements with extremely powerful guns. The only problem? The enemy team has one, too.

To enhance your sniping skills, first focus on crosshair placement and positioning. Once your aim is good enough, train map awareness. Predicting enemy movement and pre-sighting their likely avenues of approach is like half of your success as an AWPer. Other key aspects of the role include team communication, relaying information, and adaptability.

However, you can’t always count on your team’s economy being good enough to afford an AWP. Train with rifles, and don’t forget to put an extra hour or two into figuring out Deagle. AWPers should also be good in clutches, as they will often be the last player to go down on their team. Take a trick or two from entry fraggers’ playbook, and you’ll be OK.

Pros:

1. You’ll be wielding the deadliest weapon in the game.
2. Long-distance firefights are usually safer.
3. Your actions will always impact the game in a meaningful way.

Cons:

1. You’ll have to buy the most expensive weapon in the game.
2. The role requires exceptional reaction.
3. You’re vulnerable at close range.

Mathieu "ZywOo" Herbaut, a cornerstone of Team Vitality, is the main candidate for the title of the greatest AWPer of all time. Renowned for his exceptional prowess with this deadly rifle, “ZywOo” can also outsmart his opponents with strategic thinking. That is why he is considered one of the best AWPers in CS2.

Star Rifler

With all the older CS2 roles explained, let’s talk about the new stuff. In CS:GO, AWPers reigned supreme on the pro scene, but CS2 allowed guys with regular rifles to shine as well. This is not a mandatory role for either side, but most top-tier teams have a head-crusher rifler who can win skirmishes that an AWPer will struggle with.

A Star Rifler is a player with a great game sense who will often work with the team’s IGL in developing tactics for the situation at hand. Playing as Terrorists, they usually do the entry fragging, or, if they happen to have the heaviest gun on the team, arrive second for trades. On the CT side, the Star Rifler is often involved in the early fights for space (the Middle or another important location).

Similarly to the AWPer, the Star Rifler requires expensive weapons to truly shine, with the AK-47 being the natural choice. If the team is on a budget, the Star Rifler should receive the best gun available at the moment, which will usually be a Deagle, FAMAS, or Galil-AR. In yet another similarity with the AWPer, the Star Rifler will have to clutch often (although still not as often as their sniper counterpart).

Pros:

1. Full freedom in movement and decision-making.
2. You’ll receive the best available weapon in almost every round.

Cons:

1. Requires the sharpest possible aim.
2. It’s up to you to try and carry the team if your game plan goes wrong.
3. You’ll have to contest the toughest spots on the map.

Ismailcan "XANTARES" Dörtkardeş held the crown as the best Star Rifler even before CS2 made the role really viable, but Danil "donk" Kryshkovets stole the show with his professional debut. The kid won almost everything possible on the pro scene, outshining his teammate AWPer “sh1ro” and getting recognized as HLTV’s #1 player of the Year in 2024.

Anchor

The CS2 Anchor role is mainly relevant for the CTs. The Anchor is responsible for holding a bombsite alone or with minimal support, especially early in the round. Their job is to delay, survive, and provide information rather than risk duels. That’s why they prefer additional utilities to better weapons.

A good anchor uses every trick at his disposal to stall pushes and gives their team info so the rotators can react in time. They’re often the last player to leave their site during mid-round adjustments. An Anchor must be comfortable playing under pressure, know how to take efficient trades, and make smart decisions when outnumbered.

The list of skills that make you Anchor material also includes positioning, crossfire awareness, utility timing, and keeping your wits under fire. Since they are usually last to leave the site, they’ll likely be involved in clutches if the Ts planted the bomb on the other one. Anchors often play a sort of hide-and-seek with T-side lurkers, which can be fun if you’re into mind games.

Pros:

1. A solo role that requires little interaction with teammates.
2. Mainly playing bombsites, you would know good angles and smart utilities better than your opponents.

Cons:

1. Playing alone is dangerous if your team is too far from the action.
2. Failing to defend the bombsite gives your opponents an opportunity to plant the bomb immediately.
3. You’ll be the least involved player if the enemies choose not to go to you.

Jimi "Jimpphat" Salo is the top anchor in the new generation of players. He stays calm in intense situations and is very effective both in holding against pushes and in clutches.

What to Do If One of the Teammates Dies?

Ideally, you should strive to become more versatile and adaptable until you’re capable of fulfilling multiple CS2 Pro roles within their team. There are lots and lots of situations where you might have no choice but to take an unfamiliar role for your team to have any chance of victory. For example, virtually any player might be forced to play as an Anchor if the situation demands it. Similarly, there are scenarios where you’ll have to rely on utilities, rifles, or an AWP, even if they’re not your strongest suit. Most players tend to excel in one or two CS2 roles, but all the best CS coaches train their squads for more versatility. After all, teams with players adept in different CS roles are better equipped to succeed if their game plan goes wrong. Once again, the better strategy always wins in the end.

The same is true for getting info about your opponents. Even the sudden death of your most important player can be transformed into a victory if your opponents revealed too much of their positioning to score the takedown.

That is, there is no need to immediately grab the AWP after your sniper dies — just call for a flash and neutralize the scoped opponent with SMG. If your lurk was caught, don’t run to replace him, but use the info about the angles your opponents hold to outsmart them. The situation with IGL, entry, and support is a bit more prosaic, as almost every player tries these CS2 team roles occasionally. If you have a decent understanding of the game, you’ll be able to fill these roles well enough.

If you want to see the absolute beast of each of the roles in CS2, check out the competition for the title of the best CS2 player right now.

Conclusion

With our overview of CS2 player roles complete, we hope you’ve got some idea about what they look like and what their responsibilities are. However, unlike a lot of similar FPS games, your role can and will change as the round progresses. Therefore, train for all CS2 positions at least a little bit. If nothing else, switching from a Support to a Rifler will give you endless bragging rights.

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