It’s worth noting this list will change dramatically as the game evolves. Also, when it really comes down to it, all agents are strong when in the right hands - so take this guide as a guideline, and not some strict, objective law. At the end of the day, there’s no harm in playing who you enjoy! Patch 1.07 UPDATE: Riot’s just released Valorant’s 1.07 patch notes. Sage, Killjoy, Viper, and Breach all received big changes. Sova’s only received a couple of very minor updates to his character model. Below we’ve altered our tier list in line with these tweaks. In short, Sage and Killjoy have been hit hard, while Breach and Viper enjoy some lovely buffs. Oh, and Sova’s cape is now under control and his hands are prettier.
Valorant: Best Agents
Here’s our ranking of the best agents to play in Valorant. Expect this list to change drastically as Riot makes tweaks to the game.
1. Breach
If there’s a wall, this guy absolutely loves it. He can fire flashbangs which’ll attach to them and even earthquakes which’ll rattle enemies on the other side. While a number of his abilities have a long wind up time, they’re great for both attacking a site or counterattacking if you’re on the defence. As many of Breach’s abilities can take place out of sight, they’re incredibly hard to counteract if you’re on the receiving end. And, if you’ve been hit by them, you’re severely impaired too. The only downside to Breach stems from your map knowledge and whether you’re in sync with your team. His abilities all make good use of the environment, so you’ll get the most out of them through anticipation, intimate knowledge of each map, and information from your team. Finally, be sure to coordinate with teammates as his abilities can hinder allies too, so make sure you nail down your callouts.
2. Cypher
Cypher’s all about placing traps to slow enemy advances and gather information. In this way he plays a more supportive, defensive role. He really comes into his own when a lurking enemy is spotted, or you get that crucial snippet of info which then enables you to surprise the enemy with a counterattack. In many ways, he can totally lock down a bomb site on his lonesome! His traps and devices are difficult to avoid, so much so, over time we can see players discovering some devious placements for them to make these sites very, very difficult to attack. Mastery of Cypher stems from knowing where to place these traps optimally and perfectly balancing your attention between them and the game. It’s so easy to get caught up in triggering them, or setting them up in just the right spot that you’ll forget you’re in a vulnerable position and suddenly get dropped.
3. Omen
Omen’s all about gaining map control with smokes that’ll travel through walls, and a teleport maneuver which enables him to bridge gaps or juke enemies at the click of a button. Two abilities really shine through. First, his smokes are bottomless and extremely effective. Second, his flash can really cause issues for anyone on the receiving end. It’s super fast, passes through walls, and if aimed correctly, can traverse huge distances. Apart from anticipation and positioning, there really isn’t any counterplay to this utility, and we think this is what makes him super strong right now. Omen’s ultimate enables him to pick a spot on the map and travel there. Fantastic for sneaking up on an enemy team and it’ll induce paranoia too. He’s effectively a lurker’s dream, but playing him effectively can be difficult as it’s easy to be overzealous.
4. Sova
Sova’s ability to gather information is unparalleled, to the point where those who learn his arrow setups can totally dismantle a team with his ‘wall-hack’ tools. The global nature of his ultimate is also pretty busted as there’s largely no counterplay - it’s dodge or die. Here’s a quick overview of abilities, and why they’re so strong. Sova’s scouting arrow is a strong tool which briefly shines a light on the enemy’s positions. Despite being easily counterable, it’s on a pretty low cooldown and offers a wealth of information even if you don’t necessarily pick up any activity. Another vision tool is his pilotable Owl Drone which can fly a short distance around a map and comes equipped with a dart that’ll periodically reveal enemies who’ve been tagged. Again, this thing can gather so much information for your team and won’t put you in any danger at all. Think of it like a free peek round a corner or into a site. Next up is his Shock Arrow which deals AoE damages upon detonation. It’s probably the weakest ability in his arsenal in terms of usability, but it’s still handy in some scenarios. For example, if you know an enemy’s holed in one spot, you can fire them in to flush them out or even pick up a kill if you’re lucky. Finally, Sova can fire off three powerful arrows which travel through the map and deal damage. These are pretty strong when paired with his other abilities, as you can send them directly into enemies if you know where they are. Overall, he’s fantastic for grabbing quick snippets of info for rotations, retakes and the like. In the right hands, he’s devastating.
5. Brimstone
We’ve found Brimstone to be a great character for players who are new to the game, as his abilities are easy to understand and easy to execute, while still bringing a fair amount to the table. Brimstone’s able to pinpoint exactly where he wants three smoke grenades to land simultaneously near his position, and we’ve found this to be exceptionally useful when defending a site. However, it can also be used when pushing onto a site to obscure vision from tricky angles to protect teammates and to throw off the opposition. Plus, it’s simple to use. You literally bring up a little map, click where you want them to drop, and after a short delay they’ll fall from the sky. One of Brimstone’s other abilities is a molotov which can be fired pretty far across the map and can be useful for flushing opponents out of spots you know they’re holding. It can also be shot onto a planted bomb to delay a defuse, or used in chokepoints to delay a push so your team has a few extra seconds to setup defensively. There’s also a Stim Pack which isn’t incredible, but it’s easy to chuck down and gives allies in its radius increased fire rate and damage. If you know you’re about to engage in a trade or firefight, it’s a solid option to give yourselves that extra edge, but it’s by no means essential. Brimstone’s Orbital Strike works wonders if you know where the enemy is positioned. If they’re pushing, you can drop it down to split them up, or if they’re planting, you can drop it right on them to secure an easy kill. Think of it as a tool to force enemies into spots they’d rather not be, which’ll then allow you to capitalise on their missteps.
6. Killjoy
Killjoy’s not quite as strong as we thought she’d be, but nonetheless, she’s a decent pick. Her contraptions are great at gathering info or locking down bombsites, and her grenades can halt pushes or force enemies into some really tough spots. If you go against a team who anticipates where your contraptions are going to be placed, though, you’re in for a tough time. You need to mix things up constantly as otherwise you’re rendered obsolete.
7. Raze
She doesn’t bring much utility to a team but her offensive capabilities are second to none. Her Boombot enables her to scout for enemies safely, and her C4-esque ability can be used to boost up to unique spots around a map. Let’s not forget her rocket launcher which can insta-kill enemies quickly with its ridiculous splash damage radius. In our games, we’ve found Raze’s cluster grenades to be her greatest asset. They do big damage and are great for flushing out enemies, finishing them off, and erasing any hopes of a group push.
8. Jett
Easily the most mobile agent on the roster, Jett’s great for getting up to hard to reach spots and holding cheeky angles. Her dash grants her the ability to dart in and out of cover, or used in conjunction with her blades, it makes her both incredibly hard to hit and impossible to escape.
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Jett also offers a little utility with her cloudburst smokes that are great for obscuring vision in tight situations. We’d also say she’s pretty tough to use effectively if you’re just starting out. All of her abilities bar her smoke grenade activate quickly and once you’ve committed there’s no going back. Plus, to really make the most of them, you’ll want to combo it up. Practice and you can become a force to be reckoned with. In plenty of the matches we’ve played, there’s a Jett that’s caused headaches for us with fast, aggressive plays.
9. Viper
By no means does Viper’s ranking in this guide make her a bad pick. She’s just an agent who needs to be played in the right hands, as many of her abilities obscure vision but hurt allies who step into them too. A good Viper can cause headaches for the enemy team. She can chuck poisonous smoke bombs which aren’t only great for blocking chokepoints, but also allow her to enter them without taking any damage - perfect for keeping her enemies guessing. Her enormous toxic screen totally splits vision, and her massive ultimate can make retaking a bomb site incredibly difficult for the enemy. Again, you just have to communicate with your team before throwing these big abilities down as you don’t want to hinder your allies.
10. Phoenix
One of the most Counter:Strike-like of the lot, Phoenix has a flashbang and molotov in his arsenal, which instantly gives him tools to do some serious damage, whether attacking or defending. Plus his ultimate is simple to use and a fantastic way of grabbing info without putting yourself at risk. Phoenix’s reusable ability is a fireball that works almost identically to Brimstone’s molotov but with less range. It’s decent for blocking a chokepoint and generally causing some headaches for teams, but we’ve found its greatest strength is as a free healing tool. His fiery abilities heal him, so you can pop it down at your feet for a little replenishment if you’re hurt. Phoenix’s flashbangs can’t be thrown forwards or bounced off objects, but are orbs which can be swung left or right around corners. In this regard, we’ve found them a little tricky to utilise effectively as they’re less versatile than their CS counterparts. Don’t get us wrong, if you are standing on the corner of a box, or in a doorway, they’re great for catching enemies by surprise as they explode in a snap - but. And it’s a big but. You need to position yourself correctly in the heat of the moment otherwise you’ll likely blind yourself. The no “throw forwards” option is a surprising hindrance! Phoenix also has a fire wall which’ll obscure vision and rend a section of the map in two, making it a risky, confusing affair for enemy players to approach. Hoo boy, Phoenix’s ultimate is a cracker. Activate it and you’ll take control of a fiery clone while your actual body remains where you stopped, and vulnerable to attack too. Meanwhile, you’ll have a set time limit to run about and shoot as the clone. This makes it amazing for scouting ahead to gather info on enemy positions and even get some kills in the process - all practically risk free.
11. Sage
Poor Sage. She’s been hit with a steady stream of nerfs since launch and it’s finally caught up with her. No longer does she reign supreme as a must-pick. We’d say her ability to revive an ally is what makes her worth a shot, though. It’s the only ability in the game of its kind and provides so much game changing potential with so little effort. Revive an ally and it can totally swing a round in your favour and totally bring you back into a match. Of course she’s got some other brilliant zoning tools too, including a frosty AoE and a wall which can block chokepoints or elevate allies. Let’s not forget she can point and click on someone to heal them, which can be a difference maker in a close round - especially the pistol where an ally might be heavily tagged. The amount she brings to a team is pretty staggering.
12. Reyna
Reyna’s not bad, but she doesn’t bring as much to the table as many of the other Agents. It’s Reyna’s Leer (floating eye orb) which can really cause some damage to enemy teams as it forces them to shoot it, or suffer the consequences. Plus, her ability to overheal, or reposition without taking any damage - or even go invisible with her ultimate - only serves to make her even tougher to deal with. Other than that, though, she struggles against a coordinated team who know how to deal with her flashes.
