Here is everything you need to know about the current VALORANT meta.
VALORANT is one of the fastest-growing games out there. With Riot's backing, its esports scene has seen significant growth and expansion over the past couple of years with the expansion into franchised domestic leagues. Esports.gg is bringing you the ultimate VALORANT Agent Tier List. Players will receive detailed explanations as to why these agents are currently strong along with how these agents are performing in professional play.
VALORANT Agent Tier 1
Jett:
Abilities:
- C - Cloud burst: Cost 200
- Q - Updraft: Cost 150
- E - Tailwind: Cost 0
- X - Blade storm - 7 ultimate points
A prominent figure since the release of VALORANT, Jett once again remains in tier one for patch 6.08. It seems almost impossible for Riot to nerf Jett. Although, to be honest, why should they? Jett is without question the most popular agent in the game and offers so much for both the casual scene as well as the competitive scene. Readers should expect Jett to be a mainstay on the Valorant agent tier list for many, many months.
Jett's versatility is what sets her apart from the competition. Her ability to pull off flashy plays while also having an escape is a fraggers dream. Maps such as Breeze and Icebox are where Jett gets the most love although both maps are now out of the competitive rotation. Being able to reach unthinkable vantage points with an Operator while also having an escape tool is what makes her so deadly.
Using VCT Americas as an example. Jett in the duelist department was by far the most picked agent with a 71% pick rate. Jett featured in every Ascent game during the Americas season along with Haven being the map Jett was played the most on.
Viper:
Abilities:
- Snake bite(C): Cost 200.
- Poison cloud(Q): Cost 200.
- Toxic screen(E): Cost 0.
- Vipers pit(X): 8 ultimate points.
Viper is one of the best control champions in the game and is a worthy entrant in the top tier. Viper can do it all, she has excellent slaying potential as well as controlling a site on her own. If you get the lineups correctly, there should be no way for an enemy either planting or defusing the spike. Viper was amongst the most used agents across all three leagues in the VALORANT Champions Tour domestic leagues, with 43% in EMEA, and 58% in the Americas. In the Pacific league, however, Viper was used the least at 37% while also being the only league in which Viper does not appear in the top four most used agents.
Killjoy:
Abilities:
- Nanoswarm(C): Cost 200.
- Alarmbot(Q): Cost 200.
- Turret(E): Cost 0.
- Lockdown(X): 8 ultimate points.
Killjoy has always been a rock for most teams both in competitive and online play. Her ability to hold sites on her own as well as retake a site is why she is so deadly. She was amongst the most picked agents in the Americas league and saw a lot of love on maps such as Haven and Ascent. If a Killjoy is on-site, then the enemy team must play around the agent otherwise they will be in trouble. Killjoy's swarm grenade is a deadly ability that can both be used offensively and defensively.
Skye:
- Regrowth(C): Cost 150.
- Trailblazer(Q): Cost 300.
- Guiding light(E): Cost 250.
- Seekers(X): 7 ultimate points.
Abilities:
One of the strongest agents in the game, there is no surprise Skye ends up in Tier 1 of our Valorant Agent tier list. Having a great initiator in any mode, whether that be competitive or in a casual game, you are going to have a greater chance of winning. Skye's rise to popularity came following her buffs in ACT 3. These changes saw a reduced weapon re-equip time as well as greater visibility and greater stun duration on "Trailblazer".
As is the case with the agents in tier one, Skye has been one of the most used agents in professional play. Skye's kit is also great for players in soloque due to her kit having a lot of variety. Skye toggles the line between being an aggressive agent as well as a supportive one.
Valorant Agent Tier 2
Sova:
Abilities:
- Owl drone (C): Cost 400.
- Shock bolt(Q): Cost 150.
- Recon bolt(E): Cost 0.
- Hunter's Fury(X): 8 ultimate points.
Another agent that has stood the test of time, Sova is another popular agent within Valorant that has only improved as the game evolves. Players have figured out more advanced arrow lineups and have become one of the most effective agents in the game. Sova has not seen as much love due to the change in map rotation in professional play but is still one of the more prominent with a 33% pick rate in VCT Americas alone. Sova is an easy entry point for players regardless of the steep learning curve.
Gekko:
Abilities:
- Most pit(C): Cost 250.
- Wingman (Q): Cost 300.
- Dizzy (E): Cost 0.
- Thrash (X): Cost 7 ultimate points
Gekko is the newest agent to VALORANT and as expected has already risen to the top of everyone's played list. Gekko is an exciting addition to the game with a unique kit. His Wingman ability is especially exciting to use for players with the little companion wreaking havoc, along with the ability to plant and defuse the bomb for his team! Unfortunately for Gekko, they have not seen the same love in competitive play. Teams did attempt to use Gekko when he was enabled in pro play, but teams quickly reverted back to trialed and tested compositions that didn't involve shoe horning Gekko in.
Omen:
Abilities:
- Shrouded Step(C): Cost 100.
- Paranoia(Q): Cost 250.
- Dark Cover(E): Cost 150.
- From the Shadows(X): 7 ultimate points.
From an agent that was never picked in competitive play, Omen has risen in the ranks once again and is one of the most prominent smoke agents in the game right now. With a 37% pick rate, Omen just falls out of the top four most-picked agents in VCT Americas this split. Once upon a time, Omen was in the mix with Yoru and Phoenix for the least-picked agents in competitive VALORANT. Now he is one of the first names on the roster. In the EMEA league, Omen is the most picked agent with a 63% pick rate according to VLR.
Raze:
Abilities:
- Boom bot(C): Cost 300.
- Blast pack(Q): Cost 200.
- Paint shells(E): Cost 0.
- Showstopper(X): 8 ultimate points.
Raze is an agent that can do it all, from aggressive pushes to using her tools defensively, Raze in the right spot is the optimal duelist to use. Raze featured heavily in the competitive scene with Bind still being her best map with an 81% pick rate in the EMEA league. And while Raze is not the star of the show anymore, her utility can still cause some havoc, especially in the lower ranks. A smart enough player will use "Paint Shells" in tight spaces to do a lot of damage to the opposition.
Reyna:
Abilities:
- Leer(C): Cost 250.
- Devour(Q): Cost 200.
- Dismiss(E): Cost 200.
- Empress(X): 6 ultimate points.
Reyna is an agent that is still considered to be one of the strongest in the game. Although she does not get that much love in the pro scene, she is a staple pick in ranked play. Reynas slaying potential is one of the best in the game, and her ability to duck and weave in 1:1 gunfights makes her extremely deadly. Reyna's healing makes her an attractive prospect in the lower ranks whose game sense lacks behind, making her kit that more deadly.
Brimstone:
Abilities:
- C - Stim Beacon(C): Cost 200.
- Q - Incendiary(Q): Cost 250.
- E - Sky Smoke(E): Cost 100.
- X - Orbital Strike(X): 7 ultimate points.
Brimstone unfortunately will always stay in and around the second to third tier based on how he stacks up against other controllers. There are simply better agents for the kit of Brimstone. Agents like Astra and Breach have a much easier time getting onto sites with abilities that overpower Brimstone. Where Brimstone is useful is being the starting point for new players wanting to learn controllers. Brim's kit is easy to use and is a great starting point for any new player who wants to play a more controlled type of game.
Brimstone has seen a rise in popularity, however. With the introduction of VALORANT's Premier mode, Brimstone has become a very useful agent compared to his controller counterparts. Brim was seen as a viable option on the majority of the maps in the rotation.
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Valorant Agent Tier 3
Astra:
- Gravity well(C): Cost 150.
- Nova Pulse(Q): Cost 150.
- Nebula / Dissipate(E): Cost 150.
- Astral Form / Cosmic Divide(X): 7 ultimate points.
Abilities:
Astra has fallen out of favor in the competitive scene with other controller agents seeing more game time. In EMEA for example, Astra only has a 18% pick rate, far from the agent she once was when she was dominating the conversation. Astra still holds value though with Split and Ascent still being two of her best maps.
Cypher:
Abilities:
- Trapwire(C): Cost 200.
- Cyber cage(Q): Cost 100.
- Spycam(E): Cost 0.
- Neural theft(X): 6 ultimate points.
Cypher is a unique agent in which he can essentially control the entirety of the map with his abilities. His Spycam is a great tool for gathering information while his cage and tripwire mean he can be at another site. At least in the EMEA, Cypher saw a massive comeback in the competitive scene with a 25% pick rate which saw him perform well on Split and Fracture.
Breach:
Abilities:
- Aftershock(C): Cost 200
- Flashpoint(Q): Cost 250
- Fault line(E): Cost 0
- Rolling thunder(X): 8 ultimate points
Although Breach has been played a lot in competitive, he is a very situational agent and can easily be replaced by other initiators. In the EMEA league, Breach had a pick rate of 27%. As stated earlier, Breach is excellent in isolation and a large portion of that 27% came on Haven - Breach had a 93% pick rate on the map.
Neon:
Abilities:
- Fast lane (C): Cost 300.
- Relay bolt (Q): Cost 200.
- High gear (E): Cost 0.
- Overdrive (X): Cost 7 ultimate points.
Neon is a high-risk, high-reward agent and like Breach is very good in isolated team comps. Neon's kills work similarly to other high-variance duelists, once you are in, you are in. As with most duelists, Neon excels against agents who are hindered by their lack of mobility. The only problem that Neon players in competitive could run into is her ability to break down heavy defences. This is a similar problem to Raze, where she may be fun in ranked play, but in a controlled environment, it will be tough for her.
Harbor
Abilities:
- Cascade (C): Cost 150.
- Cove (Q): Cost 300.
- High tide (E); Cost 0.
- Reckoning (X): Cost 7 ultimate points.
One of the latest additions to VALORANT alongside Gekko, Harbor has been an excellent addition to the Controllers class being useful in both solo queue and competitive. In VCT Americas, Harbor has been used primarily as one of the two controllers in a double-controller composition with agents such as Viper and Omen. Harbor boasts a 93% pick rate on Pearl, one of the maps that heavily benefit from double controller compositions.
Chamber:
Abilities:
- Trademark(C): Cost 200.
- Headhunter(Q): Cost 150.
- Rendezvous(E): Cost 0.
- Tour de Force(X): 8 ultimate points.
Chamber went from the Jett destroyer to being in her shadow. Chamber is one of the weakest agents in the game right now with the champion heavily nerfed following a dominant 2022. Although there are still strong aspects to his kit, Chamber can simply not match up to Raze and Jett who are heavily favored in the meta.
Sage:
Abilities:
- Barrier orb (C): Cost 400.
- Slow orb (Q): Cost 200.
- Heal orb (E): Cost 0.
- Resurrection (X): Cost 8 ultimate points.
Sage is one of the most commonly used agents in ranked play. Her ultimate allows for players who have been killed to be revived and come back into the fight. Although as many Sage players will tell you, the phrase "Sage heal" is words that will be ringing in your ears for hours after play. As for competitive, with the game ever-evolving, players are finding ways to counteract Sage. Sage has completely fallen out of the pro meta with a 7% pick rate in the Americas league.
KAY/O:
Abilities:
- C - FRAG/MENT(C): Cost 200.
- Q - FLASH/DRIVE(Q): Cost 250.
- E - ZERO/POINT(E): Cost 0.
- X - NULL/CMD(X): 8 ultimate points.
KAY/O can be described as the best of a bad bunch, he isn't completely unplayable like other agents in this list but is also never going to be the first choice for many players. KAY/O, like many in this tier, is very powerful on nice maps. Ascent is where KAY/O shines with a 93% pick rate in VCT Americas. His ultimate disables a lot of powerful abilities, an example being a Viper ultimate on a site.
Fade:
Abilities:
- Prowler (C): Cost 250.
- Seize (Q): Cost 200.
- Haunt (E): Cost 0.
- Nightfall (X): Cost 8 ultimate points.
Yoru:
Abilities:
- Bait(C): Cost 100.
- Stun(Q): Cost 250.
- Uninvited Guest(E): Cost 150 - resets after 2 kills.
- Spatial Drift(X): 7 ultimate points.
Will Yoru ever see the light of day? no one knows. Yoru right now is one of the worst agents in the game both from a competitive standpoint and online. Unlike previous international events, Yoru did see a handful of games across VCT Pacific and EMEA.
Phoenix:
Abilities:
- Blaze(C): Cost 150.
- Curveball(Q): Cost 250.
- Hot Hands(E): Cost 0.
- Run it Back(X): 6 ultimate points.
Phoenix again is an agent that is simply outclassed by the agents in his class. Phoenix is a solid pickup for players looking to learn the aggressive duelist role, but as skills refine should look to go for the options in the tiers above. One of the benefits Phoenix does have is his ultimate points being at six, a couple of kills, and orb collections you are on your way.
This concludes the tier list for Valorant agents. As Riot updates the game and adds new agents, players should expect movement across the various tiers. However, picking an agent depends on your team composition.
Stay tuned to Esports.gg for the latest Valorant news and updates.
