5 Best Valorant IGLs of All Time

Check out our list of the 5 best Valorant IGLs of all time

Valorant is a team game where each player has a specific role to fulfill. While all roles are important, the In-Game-Leaders play the most crucial part in determining a match's outcome. IGLs are responsible for all the shotcalling during a game. Making the correct call or having the right read by an IGL makes all the difference in a game of Valorant.

The IGL's responsibilities often keep them out of the spotlight, as they may not focus on fragging as much. However, their value doesn't lie in their stats but in the quality of their calls and their impact in-game.

If you're interested in learning about the top Valorant players excelling at in-game leading, look no further. In this article, we will highlight the 5 best Valorant IGLs in the history of the Champions Tour.

Best Valorant IGLs in VCT- Updated 2024

As of 2024, these five IGLs have impressed us the most.

5. Kyrylo “ANGE1” Karasov

Credit: Riot Games

• Current Team: NAVI
• Role: Controller

After over 15 years in the pro scene, the old man of NAVI is still going strong. ANGE1 had an illustrious career as an IGL in Counter-Strike before taking the reins of the FPX Valorant team. So far, the Ukrainian has had multiple upside-downs as team leader. He started strong with FPX by winning the Masters Copenhagen, but since joining NAVI, he has struggled to get his hands on another trophy.

As an IGL, ANGE1 is known for his selfless plays. While it is quite common for IGLs to make sacrifice plays, ANGE1 does take this to an extreme. How he writes entries for his team, even on a Controller agent, is something never seen before.

At 34 years old, any season could be ANGE1’s last, we fans should enjoy his unique and unconventional gameplay while it lasts.

4. Amine “johnqt” Ouarid

Credit: Riot Games

• Current Team: Sentinels
• Role: Controller

Johnqt may be a relatively new face in the esports world compared to the other players on this list of best Valorant IGLs, but he has definitely earned his place. After competing in the Challengers league for the first three VCT seasons, the Moroccan-American player got his big break when he was given the opportunity to lead M80 in the 2023 season. He hasn't looked back since.

Following an impressive Ascension run that season, Johnqt was acquired by the most popular organization in Valorant history, Sentinels. He took on the responsibility of restoring Sentinels to its former glory, and his performance has been nothing short of exceptional. His first event was the regional Americas Kickoff, where the 25-year-old led his team to win the entire event after a dramatic journey.

Johnqt's feat that led us to put him on this list was his IGL masterclass in his very first international VCT event, the 2024 Masters Madrid. Not only the he excel in shot-calling, but the Masters winner also proved to be one of the most clutch players in the entire event. His ability to frag so exceptionally, alongside his remarkable IGL abilities, sets him apart from the rest.

3. Pujan “FNS” Mehta

Credit: Riot Games

• Last Team: NRG Esports
• Role: Controller

Although semi-retired, there is no doubt FNS belongs in the list of best IGLs in Valorant history. After the fall of Sentinels, OpTic Gaming/NRG Esports kept the North American region relevant in the global VCT competition. The man who led the biggest representative of NA during those times of EMEA and BR domination was none other than FNS.

A veteran from CS, FNS was bound to get picked up by tier 1 Valorant orgs. He started his Val journey with Team Envy but first started having success during his time with OpTic Gaming. The 2022 season was an absolute marvel for him and his team as they dominated every event they participated in.

With multiple podium finishes and a victory at Masters Reykjavik, FNS was named the IGL of the year in 2022. Following a rather mediocre run with NRG Esports in 2023, the 32-year-old stepped down from his role and is currently semi-retired.

2. Jake “Boaster” Howlett

Credit: Riot Games

• Current Team: FNATIC
• Role: Controller

The eccentric IGL of the most consistent Valorant team ever is in second place on our list. Despite not being as well known as other seasoned players who transitioned from CS, Boaster has proven to everyone that you don’t need a distinguished CS pedigree to excel at leading a team in Valorant.

FNATIC is one of the few teams that has been consistent since the very first VCT season. However, their performance in the 2023 season specifically was extraordinary, with two of three major VCT events won. 

Boaster may not have contributed much to these championship runs with his stats, but rest assured that none of it would be possible without him. He is the glue that made that powerhouse of a roster function together. His nerves of steel and impeccable calling helped FNATIC make comebacks like the one they did against LOUD in VCT 2023 LOCK//IN. 

Going forward, seeing if Boaster can lead his team to consecutive successful seasons will be interesting.

1. Matias “Saadhak” Delipetro

Credit: Riot Games

• Current Team: LOUD
• Role: Flex

Saadhak has been the IGL of LOUD, the most decorated VCT team ever, for the past three years. It is a toss-up between him and Boaster for the top spot, but when considering personal mechanics and in-game creativity, Saadhak edges out his British rival.

Unlike most IGLs, Saadhak does not restrict himself to one or two specific agents. Rather, he has an agent pool much larger than even the best flex players in the world.

Besides his large agent pool and brilliant mechanics, his most impressive qualities as an IGL are his creativity with tactics and his willingness to go against the meta to try something new. This is evident when we analyze LOUD's team compositions across different maps. Many of today's meta compositions were first introduced by the Brazillian juggernauts, thanks to the innovative mind of their 27-year-old IGL.

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