What does ‘CT’ mean in VALORANT?

While VALORANT is certainly its own game at this point, the mechanics of the FPS shooter were deeply inspired by Counter Strike: Global Offensive. The core gameplay loop of the attackers trying to plant a bomb at a bomb site and defenders attempting to stop them is identical in both VALORANT and CS:GO. Of course, VALORANT added its own spin by having Agents use special abilities on the map. However, since CS:GO came first and many VALORANT players experienced that shooter first, much of the terminology from CS:GO has transferred over. This includes the term “CT,” which has baffled new VALORANT players for some time.

There are a plethora of terms that originated in CS:GO that current VALORANT players use all of the time. For example, VALORANT players call the Operator sniper the “OP” because a similar sniper in CS:GO is called the “AWP.” Both are pronounced the same and the developers at Riot Games likely intentionally did this to make the transition to VALORANT easier.

The term CT has a similar backstory, and players can read about its exact meaning below.

The “CT” term in VALORANT

In CS:GO, the term CT stands for “Counter-Terrorists.” This is the defending side, while the attacking side is called T, or “Terrorists.” In VALORANT, players will use the term CT when they’re referring to the defending side. So if you hear a teammate call out that an enemy is on the “CT side,” they’re saying that the enemy is on the defender’s side of the map.

It’s a simple, yet completely confusing term for new players in VALORANT. However, now that you know the meaning of it, you can use it in your communication and callouts with your team. That should vastly improve your VALORANT experience, especially in Rated play.

Related: Read about what the name VALORANT means on Twinfinite.