Valorant is a video game that changes constantly. Players are already used to having multiple balancing patches in the same season, which aim at the maps and the agents. For instance, Patch 9.04 introduced multiple tweaks to Neon, Skye, Viper, and the launch of Vyse, Valorant's new Sentinel.
However, while changes in the map rotation, nerfs, and buffs can slightly modify each agent's strengths, understanding and adapting to the tweaks is crucial. Therefore, we have built a Valorant Agent Tier List so it’s easier for you to get the best out of the game’s characters.
As of now, Valorant has 26 agents – with Vyse being the latter edition. The Sentinel was added to the game following the conclusion of the Valorant Champions Seoul.
Valorant agent tier list
We have ordered every Valorant agent into five different categories, from the best (S) to the worst (D). Let’s start with the strongest characters in the game!
Valorant S-Tier Agents
If you love action, Jett is your agent. Despite Valorant’s efforts of nerfing her loadout, Jett is still one of the most used agents in the game thanks to her unique way of moving on the map.
While some players believe that using Jett is easy, it’s not. To master Jett, you must fully understand the way she moves, and exploit her potential.
First, mastering her Tailwind is useful to create new lines of sight that the enemies won’t expect. Then, her Tailwind, considered to be one of the best abilities in the game, allows her to quickly move from one place to another to create or even avoid gun fights.
If that wasn’t enough, Jett can also create smoke screens with her Cloudburst, which allows her to provide her teammates with extra cover. She can also combine it with her Tailwind to unexpectedly rush the enemies, putting them between a rock and a hard place.
Omen
Omen has gained popularity during the last few patches. His ultimate is one of the most powerful abilities in the game, as From The Shadows can be used to move from A to B or viceversa in a matter of seconds to catch the opponents off-guard.
Additionally, Omen's Signature and Basic abilities make him a very complete agent, as he can be used aggressively or passively. From blinding enemies to blocking their vision with his orbs, dealing with Omen is always difficult.
Sage
For obvious reasons, Sage will always be among the best Valorant agents – unless she gets a massive nerf in the upcoming future.
Sage’s healing abilities can make a five-player squad feel as if there was an extra member. Her Healing Orb can be used to heal herself or another member in the squad. Moreover, it can be used for a second time in the round after the 45-second cooldown has been completed.
Her healing potential goes even further with her Ultimate. Her Resurrection is an ability that allows her to revive a teammate. However, to activate this ability, Sage must be close enough to the chosen character.
However, that’s not what makes Sage special. Despite being a healer, Sage has abilities that can create unique angles of sight, extra cover, and even slow down her enemies. The Barrier Orb and the Slow Orb are perfect when it comes to planting attempts.
A good Sage watches and helps. While an early kill is always good news, Sage’s usefulness comes from healing and supporting the Duelists. Not understanding that would drop any Sage main from an A-Tier to a C or even D-Tier.
Neon
If you're a Jett main but someone takes her before you can, your next option will probably be Neon. However, with the launch of Patch 8.11, this agent is now one of the best in the game.
Neon is all about speed. She's the quickest agent in the game thanks to her High Gear, her Signature ability. Combined with her Fast Lane, two energy lines that block the vision of everyone around, Neon becomes a great option as a Duelist.
Valorant A-Tier Agents
Killjoy
Killjoy was recently nerfed with the tweaks to her Turret introduced with Episode 8 Act 1. Despite the changes, Killjoy is still one of the best agents out there. Her loadout doesn’t only gather information but also delivers great damage.
Killjoy’s most unique device is her Turret, which shoots at her opponents. At the same time, as the Turret points at the opponents, Killjoy can have an idea of where they are located.
Furthermore, Killjoy’s Lockdown is one of the strongest abilities in the game. Once activated, a 13-second countdown is initiated. All of the enemies caught in the gadget’s radius of action are detained, which makes this device an excellent option to use during post-plant situations.
Gekko
Gekko is arguably the best Initiator in the Valorant heading to Episode 8 Act 2. The agent's abilities make him the best planter in the game. Additionally, he's also a great agent to use to retake a whole site or a certain position on the map.
Gekko's Wingman allows him to plant the Spike using his ability. By doing that, he can cover the plant from a safe distance. At the same time, he can use Wingman to stun his opponents. It's like having a sixth agent in the squad!
His Mosh Pit allows him to stop pushes from a long distance, and even can protect the Spike from being defused. Meanwhile, Gekko's Signature ability, Dizzy, blinds anyone close to Gekko for two and a half seconds.
Finally, Gekko's Ultimate, Thrash, is one of the best in Valorant. When using it, Gekko frees some kind of shark that he can use to gather information. If it detonates next to an opponent, the enemy will be detained for six seconds.
Phoenix
Although Phoenix is a great option to start getting used to Valorant’s mechanics, it isn’t the most useful character in the war zone.
Phoenix’s blinding abilities are combined with healing abilities that he can use on himself. Nevertheless, some players selfishly use him, ignoring that Blaze and Hot Hands can be used to deal damage and slow down enemies. Moreover, Hot Hands provides some very useful cover that can be used not just for entry tasks but also when planting the Spike.
His Curveball allows him to flash enemies for one second and a half, which puts him in a strong place when trying to rush the opponents. Meanwhile, his Run It Back ability creates a clone of him that can be controlled for ten seconds. This can be used to plant the Spike and get kills. Once the clone is killed, Phoenix spawns on the same spot he triggered his Ultimate.
Sova
Sova is all about information. The Russian's Recon Bolt is a very popular ability as players often use it at the beginning of the round to quickly know if the site has any enemies around. If no shapes are revealed by Sova's ability, the attackers may have green light to push the site.
His Owl Drone is another of his intel-gathering devices. This flying device can be used to spot the enemies on the site.
Although both abilities are very useful, the truth is that it's easy to deal with Sova's gadget as they aren't bulletproof. For this reason and despite his other abilities, Sova isn't as popular as it used to be.
Breach
Breach has certainly gained some popularity recently. His abilities are made to blind or concuss his opponents, which comes in handy for some pushes. It's the perfect pick for someone who wants to support gunfights but doesn't want to play as a Duelist. With Breach's abilities, you will be able to help your team's Reyna or Jett.
Valorant B Tier Agents
Vyse
Although players are still trying to figure out how to play with Vyse, the Sentinel has a lot of potential. Her abilities can become a great asset to have especially during defensive duties.
Harbor
Harbor's popularity has increased massively since Viper's most-recent nerf. His abilities allow him to create the coverage that Viper can't provide her teammates right now. His abilities allow him to slow down and even concuss his opponents.
Cypher
When it comes to intel-gathering tasks, Cypher is a super option. His gadgets are useful as they can block vision and utility, while also giving your team an extra pair of eyes.
Cypher’s loadout is also perfect when it comes to preventing late flanks. His Trapwire is an excellent gadget to stop the enemies from flanking your team, as this device reveals the location of the opponent that triggers it, while also concussing it.
Moreover, Cypher’s Neural Theft frees a drone that gets the exact location of the enemies once it has been attached to the body of a dead enemy. It’s very useful, and it only costs six ultimate points.
Brimstone
Although Brimstone is also known as Agent 1, this doesn't make him the best character in the game. However, he's a very consistent Controller. As he has been in the game since its early days, many players know how to use him.
Brimstone abilities can be used to delay pushes and to slow down enemies. Additionally, his Stim Beacon and his Sky Smoke can be combined to lead a team to a quick and safe site take.
Last but not least, his Orbital Strike is one of the most deadly Ultimates on Valorant. You will be severely damaged by Brimstone if it hits you!
Raze
Although Raze has recently been nerfed, she’s still one of the best Duelists in the game. However, if you want to start playing with the Brazilian agent, you’ll need some time to get used to her loadout.
Raze loves explosions, so her Ultimate ability is a huge bazooka that produces massive damage in the affected area. She combines it with her Boom Bot, a gadget that not only explodes but also provides Raze with information regarding the enemies’ location.
Additionally, Raze’s Paint Shells allow her to get kills from a safe distance, especially if she’s combined with a Deadlock. Her grenade frees sub-munitions which detonate shortly after being released from the main canister.
To top it off, her famous Blast Pack allows her to quickly move around the map. That’s the most difficult ability to master in Raze’s loadout: if you want to become a good Raze main, you will have to spend a lot of time practicing!
Reyna
If you main Reyna on Valorant, you probably are a SoloQ player. However, if you get to master her, you will probably be able to carry your team in every single match.
Although she's very popular among the mechanical-gifted players, the truth is that her abilities don't help her teammates. She's a lone wolf. For this reason, professional players on Valorant don't pick Reyna too often.
Clove
Clove's abilities make the Scottish agent a versatile agent. Their abilities make Clove an extremely aggressive agent. However, don't forget about their smokes, which must be deployed at the beginning of the round. Additionally, Clove can deploy smoke clouds while being dead. Not to mention, the Scottish agent can use their Ultimate to revive theirself. Is there anything Clove can't do?
Chamber
This may come as a surprise, but we have placed Champer in the B Tier.
Historically, Chamber has been a popular agent in Valorant. He is a good option to protect your team from late flanks. Additionally, Rendezvous can teleport him to a safe place while being in a gunfight.
Although these are very useful, the truth is that players often go for Sage, Killjoy, or Cypher when playing as a Sentinel. If they want to play more aggressively, they just pick a Duellist. We could say, Chamber is in a grey area.
If you are a mechanically gifted player, you may want to give him a chance as his Tour de Force is a great Ultimate to get some quick, game-changing kills. Other than that, Chamber's function can be performed by other agents more efficiently.
Valorant C Tier Agents
Viper
Valorant's recent tweaks to Viper's gadgets have killed her. While Viper can still use her abilities to block the lines of sight of her enemies, she now needs more fuel than before. Additionally, she can't pick up her Poison Cloud anymore.
Her Ultimate (Viper’s Pit) is still one of the best in the game as it creates a chemical cloud that nearsights players and decays the health of her enemies. However, Viper doesn't fit Valorant's meta anymore.
Skye
Skye used to be one of the most played agents in Valorant. Her abilities allowed her to fit multiple play styles, as she could not only heal her teammates but also flash and even track her enemies.
Plain and simple, her loadout was so strong that she was more than an Initiator. That's why Skye was nerfed recently. Now, she's just another agent. While she's still great at flashing and creating some favorable situations to safely get kills from a close-range distance, Skye isn't what she used to be.
Deadlock
Recently, Valorant decided to buff Deadlock by increasing the range and durability of some of her abilities.
Although it's not bulletproof, Deadlock's Barrier Mesh is difficicult to deal with. It can be a serious problem when it comes to retakes, as it can easily block one of the entrances to the site. Breaking it will reveal the enemies' position as they will have to expose themselves to break the device.
Additionally, Deadlock's Sonic Sensors can be used to stop your opponents from flanking your team. If you know how to play her, she can be a great alternative to Cypher.
Astra
When Astra was released to Valorant players thought she was broken. Eventually, Riot decided to nerf her. Now, she's far away from her best days.
Learning how to play Astra is a tough mission. Getting used to her unique abilities is difficult, especially moving around the map with her Astral Form.
While her abilities aren't bad, players tend to use other Controllers as they are easier to learn or because they have better gadgets and abilities. With agents like Omen, Viper, or Brimstone in the game, it's difficult to see Astra mains nowadays.
KAY/O
KAY/O is a very unique agent. The Initiator has access to flashes, which come in handy to support Duelists when it comes to pushing the site. His ability FRAG/MENT is similar but delivers damage. This makes KAY/O a strong operator, especially at the start of the round.
However, his Signature ability ZERO/POINT is what makes him special as he can suppress the abilities of the opponents in the area. This goes even further with his Ultimate, called NULL/CMD, which suppresses any ability in a massive radius. Unfortunately, this ability will down KAY/O temporarily.
Fade
Fade is a great agent if you want to get information for your teammates. Her abilities are difficult to avoid too. Using Seize at the start of the round can easily give you the location of one of the enemies for almost five seconds. Meanwhile, her Prowler will chase the nearby enemies, which ultimately tells Fade where they are.
However, there's something that chases Fade too: there are better Initiators and intel gatherers than her. Cypher, for example, doesn't only gather information but also protects his teammates from flanks. If we talk about Initiators, Gekko and Sova are the better options.
Valorant D Tier Agents
Yoru
Yoru is a very difficult operator to master. This is a big red flag for those new players who will choose an easier Duelist to play with, like Jett or Reyna. If you have easier options to choose from, you will just try to master them as soon as possible. This is slowly killing Yoru.
Additionally, his abiities are easy to counter. His Fakeout frees a clone of Yoru that will automatically blind you if you shoot it. However, it's quite easy to notice the clone as it moves slow, like a robot.
However, Yoru is a very fun agent to use. His Dimensional Drift and his Gatecrash are very unique abilities. If you master him, Yoru can become a B or A Tier easily. You just have to be confident, ignore the easy-to-master Duelist agents, and put blood, sweat, and tears into getting better with Yoru!
Iso
Iso was introduced to Valorant as the game's Agent 24. Later this month, Agent 25 will be revealed, as Riot will unveil more details during the VCT Masters Madrid.
Hopefully, the game's upcoming addition can outperform Iso. The Duelist was expected to become an alternative to the classic options (Jett and Reyna) but he couldn't make himself a space in Valorant.
He's a lone wolf. His Ultimate ability, known as Kill Contract, teleports him and someone from the enemy team into a separated arena. Although his other abilities are easy to counter and don't have much of an impact against the enemies, his Contingency can help him and his teammates at moving forward due to the ability's bulletproof status.
Nevertheless, he doesn't add anything special to any lineup and players will always pick Reyna before Iso.