Valorant is primarily a team-based shooter where success in a match depends on the interaction among five players. However, teamwork reaches a special level on the professional Valorant stage, where esports stars demonstrate the highest level of coordination. Bringing together five professionals and making them work together is not so easy, which is why the captain is responsible for this task, being the most crucial link in the team. Today, our editorial team has prepared a material for you in which we will delve into who the captain is in professional Valorant teams and why their role is so important.
Who is the captain in Valorant team structure
Like in most team shooters, including CS2, in Valorant, a team of 5 players is divided into specific roles. In addition to agent-based roles such as Sentinels, Duelists, Initiators, and Controllers, there are also player-specific roles, including Entry Fragger, Lurker, Support, Sniper, and others. Among these roles is the captain, or as they are more commonly called in Valorant—the IGL (In-Game Leader). This position is usually held by charismatic and experienced players whose task is to lead the team and guide other members during and outside matches. The IGL is one of the most important roles in professional Valorant, and teams typically do not function without one.
Duties of the Captain
As evident from the above, the captain, or IGL, is the most important role within the entire team. This means that players fulfilling this role have many responsibilities, both towards their teammates and the team management. The most significant of these include:
- Strategic Planning – One of the primary duties of the captain is strategic planning. Before the start of each match, the IGL, together with the coach, is responsible for selecting the right strategy against a particular opponent. They need to analyze the performances of upcoming opponents, identify their weaknesses, and then develop a strategy that will enable their team to win.
- Adjusting the Strategy – Sometimes the aforementioned strategy against certain enemies may stop working. Opponents can adapt to the team's attacks, and the pre-developed strategy becomes ineffective. In such moments, the captain needs to stay calm and, during the match using a tactical pause, develop a new strategy to lead the team to victory.
- Maintaining Communication Among Players – Equally important among all the captain’s duties is maintaining a friendly atmosphere within the team and supporting communication among players. Every professional Valorant player is, first and foremost, a living person with their own emotions and preferences. Therefore, disputes or even conflicts can sometimes arise among them. The captain’s task is to prevent such moments or resolve them quickly so that they do not affect the team's gameplay ability. In general, the player performing the IGL role must perfectly read the mood of all players and create a friendly atmosphere where everyone works towards victory.
- Communication with Team Management – Communication is important not only among team members but also between players and the club’s management. The captain acts as a kind of liaison between professional players and the management staff, coaching staff, and others. Typically, they are the ones who convey requests and proposals from one side to the other and vice versa.
- Motivating Players During Matches – Another duty related to the players' state is motivating teammates during matches. There are sometimes moments when the team has lost several rounds in a row, causing their morale to drop, and players begin to lose hope and get frustrated. At such times, the captain's duty is to lift the team's spirits and motivate the players. It is worth remembering that in Valorant, even the most hopeless situation can be turned to your advantage.
What It means to be an IGL
An in-game leader is not just an ordinary role among others but an exceptionally significant responsibility. Earning it is not easy, and performing the duties well is even harder to ensure both the team and the club management remain satisfied. However, the best way to understand all the nuances of this role is to hear directly from the players who fulfill it. In 2023, the official YouTube account of VCT Americas released a video titled “IGLs: The Masterminds - What's It Like To Be an IGL?”
In it, the most renowned captains from the American Valorant scene, such as Boostio, Vanity Ethan, and others, share all the details about the IGL role. Therefore, if you want to find out what it means to be an IGL in the most well-known professional teams, we recommend watching the 15-minute video, which allows you to view the IGL role from the perspective of professional teams.
Top IGLs in Valorant
To conclude, we would like to introduce a few players in the IGL position who can be considered the best during Valorant’s professional scene existence. Although there are no official competitions among players in this role, the Valorant community on various forums often discusses and suggests their choices for the best captain among the 44—and today 48—different teams competing on Valorant’s highest stage. It should be noted that the list below is not a ranking of these players from best to worst but simply a list of all IGLs who, in the four years of Valorant’s existence, can be considered the best.
Boaster
One of those who can be called the best captain in Valorant is Jake "Boaster" Howlett. Since 2021, he has been playing for Fnatic and has held the IGL position since then. Under his leadership, the team has earned numerous awards and podium finishes in international tournaments. In 2023, Fnatic was the strongest team in the EMEA region, largely thanks to Boaster. With him as IGL, the team earned over $1.3 million, with the majority of this amount in 2023.
Boostio
Another well-known captain is Kelden "Boostio" Pupello. He is known for his eccentric and aggressive behavior, which does not affect his role as captain in any way. Thanks to his skills and experience, in 2023, he helped the Evil Geniuses team win the world championship. Although Boostio has since changed teams, he has not left his IGL role.
Saadhack
Another IGL who achieved the title of world champion is Matias "Saadhak" Delipetro. From 2022 to the end of 2024, as the captain of LOUD, he helped the team secure victory at Valorant Champions 2024. Although recently Saadhak moved to the French team Karmine Corp, he has not abandoned his IGL role, so the Argentine can be expected to deliver good results with his new team.
After reading our material, you have learned who the captain is in the professional Valorant scene, what their role and duties entail. Continue following our portal to learn more about the professional scene of Riot Games’ shooter and much more.
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