Val Roles is deprecated
No the roles make sense still because the agents in those roles are better built to fit a certain playstyle of doing certain thing. Obviously some characters have some pieces of util that don't obey these rules, but this kind of how each role is built to work. (At least this is how I think about it)
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Duelist is the space taker- typically has some movement or a heal, very good for attack and taking space but struggles to get info or deny info
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Initiator is the space creator (there is both flash and ping, so think skye vs sova and how their abilities are so different) - flash initiator typically will use flashes to make it easier to take space for the duelist and the rest of the team to entry/clear and area. The ping initiator has util that just gives info on where the enemies are and uses that to take space.
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Controller is the space/info denier - uses smokes to deny sightlines and info, can deny of all info but can't really gain any info by themselves
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Sentinel is the space holder (?) - has util that will allow for denial of space of an area, or if the enemy team does want to take that space they will have to give away the info that they are there (think kj alarm bot) typically very good for defense, but has the weakness of not being able to take space very well.
well that mostly comes down to personal playstyle and the team system and what they want each player on their agent to do rather than the fact that the game itself and the roles are bad.
i would say more so you find what playstyle you have and then figure out what type of agent/role best suits that style. pANcada was on controller in the last meta because that was the lurking role, but in this meta sentinel is the lurker so he has now transitioned over because that role better suits his style of hard lurking and tying to catch a flank and little timing.
The roles are still important in solo q at most levels, but at a pro level it is much more of an archetype of player, similar to how the NBA works. In the NBA it's no longer one of 5 positions you play, but rather archetypes, whether you're a defensive shooter or a playmaker, you may still be in the same position but you are completely different players. In val the roles are more like.
OP specialist: Jett, Chamber sometimes Sage or Omen (Think Yay Cned Saya)
Entry Duelist: Raze, Jett, Neon sometimes Phoenix (Think Aspas Derke Foxy9)
Duelist flex: Raze Kayo Skye sometimes Phoenix Sage Breach or Neon, usually your most flexible fragger (Think Zekken Molsi Jingg)
Flash Initiator: Breach Kayo Skye sometimes viper or sage. Often IGLs (Think Saadhak Chronicle Stax)
Info Initiator: Sova Fade sometimes breach or viper (Think Crashies Leo Xeta)
Controller: Controller agents and sometimes Kayo or Sage (Think Marved Boaster Mak0)
Sentinel: KJ Cypher Viper and sometimes sage (Think Less Suygetsu K1ng)
So even though Zekken and Saadhak are both intiaitor players, they are completely different types of players even if their "role" is the same. These go even deeper depending on meta like sentinel intiator players such as FNS or Sheydos who play breach and sentinels, or sentinel entries like Alfa, Sova Raze players like Sinatraa or Nukkye, and Flash controller players like gMd or dephh. There's a ton of different archetypes of players to the point where having 4 roles isn't the way to think about it in competitive.
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