Valorant character tier list: Best agents ranked
Riot Games, DexertoValorant has a wide array of agents to choose from and our tier list has ranked each one in the game.
There’s an eclectic mix of Agents in Valorant, and while many are drawn to specific characters, understanding which ones reign supreme in the current meta is paramount, especially with the beta bringing this game to consoles.
Given that keeping up with the ever-shifting meta can be difficult, we’ve compiled this tier list to showcase the meta agents everyone should be using.
Valorant agent Tier List
Best Valorant agents (September 2024) – Recommended
Of the 25 available agents in Valorant, the top agents we recommend for the current meta are Jett, Omen, and Cypher. All three are at the top of their respective class, Duelist, Controller, and Sentinel respectively, and can be picked on any map and slot into any composition.
Tiers explained
Here is a short breakdown of each tier:
- S: The best agents in the game
- A: Very good agents that are also worth picking
- B: Situational agents that work on specific maps and compositions
- C: Viable picks but there are much better options
- D: Avoid playing these agents unless you have an affinity for them
S-tier Valorant agents
Jett
Despite Jett getting a number of significant nerfs over the past few years, with the most recent ones being on patch 7.04, she remains the game’s best Operator user, which easily puts her up in S-tier. That one-shot potential is too good to pass up on.
Her signature ability, Tailwind, is possibly one of the best movement abilities in the game, allowing Jett to take up aggressive positions and easily dash away. On top of being a great ability to take favorable positions with, Tailwind is also ideal for entering sites with combined with her Cloudburst and Updraft.
Jett is the signature agent in Valorant, and she always has a spot in the meta on any map.
Cypher
Cypher has steadily climbed back up tier lists as other agents in his class have been released and nerfed back down to earth.
He can still be the one-man army he was back when Valorant first released, locking down sites with cameras and cages, telling his team what he sees – or doesn’t see. His Neural Theft is also incredibly handy to help read enemy plays and is one of the easiest ultimates to earn in the game.
Cypher might not have the most engaging kit in the game, but he is easy to use and has a place in every map in almost any composition.
Omen
Omen is the strongest Controller in Valorant thanks to his versatility, movement, and ease of execution. Players can use Omen’s blind to help initiate fights, teleport to different areas to confuse enemies, and smoke off choke points with pinpoint precision.
The agent has been nerfed and buffed over multiple patches, but he still sits as one of the top characters in Valorant. If you’re new and looking for someone to learn the game on, Omen’s your man.
Chamber
Chamber is a Sentinel and Duelist hybrid that relies heavily on the aim of the player to be used correctly. While the agent does have an information gathering ability, Chamber is best used as a defensive anchor that can hold an angle and teleport to safety if need be.
The French assassin has undergone multiple rounds of nerfs and a slight rework. This caused him to fall into a niche, high-skill floor category of agents that are only as good as the person playing them. However, the recent buffs to his Rendezvous ability in patch 9.05 has brought the Agent back to the top of the ranks.
Allowing Chamber to push more aggressively again and hold unexpected angles makes him one of the strongest Agents in the meta right now.
Valorant’s A-tier agents
Raze
Raze is second only to Jett in terms of movement, and she’s easily the next-best Duelist in the game. Riot has been working to nerf her effectiveness in the air, but players who master her Blast Packs will be rewarded with flashy kills and highlight plays despite the nerfs that tried to keep her down.
Raze can also make space with her other abilities which do significant damage, and she has an ultimate that sends enemies running no matter where she is on the map. She’s always a threat.
Brimstone
Brimstone is another Controller that is easy to use and can be picked on almost any map. The agent has three smokes available and excels at post-plants thanks to his molly and ultimate ability.
The agent doesn’t break past A-tier, however, as he lacks mobility and struggles at times as a solo Controller. Big maps make Brimstone’s limited range a real problem.
Killjoy
Killjoy can operate far outside the bounds of her Sentinel status. While her abilities make her one of the most powerful agents on Defense, she can also be extremely beneficial on Attack, too. Her Nanoswarm grenades, Alarm Bot, and turret are great at gathering information and claiming space.
However, Killjoy is nowhere as impactful as she was on release. She can’t roam across the entire map and expect her robots to do their job. To make the most of her, you’ll have to pick a spot and post up. If that spot is the wrong one or the enemy rotates out, you’re not going to have a good time.
Iso
The seventh Duelist in Valorant, Iso came out in patch 7.09 to much skepticism around his place in the meta.
Thanks to some much-needed buffs in Episode 8, the Chinese assassin is now a scary pick that can wipe an entire team if left unchecked. Iso, however, lacks the movement abilities to effectively surprise enemies and take space.
While still a strong pick in the current meta, it’s hard to justify selecting Iso over agents that can dive into the action like Jett and Raze. He makes for a fantastic secondary Duelist if the composition you’re running allows for one.
Sova
Sova is one of Valorant’s best intel-gathering agents. While he’s got a nasty learning curve and requires more map knowledge than most characters, the payoff is worth it.
By mastering some lineups with Sova’s bolts, this agent offers a diverse approach in their quest for intel that no other can match. His kit overall is so fluid and functional that he can be played on every map.
Sova can slot into any composition as a primary scan agent, or he can act as a post-plant staller who can win rounds off of his abilities alone. This flexibility makes him a staple in pro and casual play.
Gekko
Released in patch 6.04, Gekko has settled right into the Valorant meta as a great solo Initiator option. The agent can overwhelm teams with his utility, and he can pick up many of his abilities and re-use them to throw the enemy off.
Gekko is also adept at stalling enemy pushes and often has the upper hand in 1v1 clutches thanks to Wingman being able to plant bombs for him.
However, this agent can be countered by teamplay if enemies stop him from picking up his abilities. That doesn’t stop him from being a solid solo queue pick but know that good players will know how to counter you.
Clove
Clove was added to Valorant in Episode 8 Act 2 with patch 8.05. They are the only agent in the Controller class with a resurrection ability, making them stand out from the others like Omen or Viper.
They’re a Controller and Duelist hybrid, making them an ideal pick for players who want to push forward while also providing utility for their team.
They can deploy smokes via Ruse, their E ability. These smokes block vision like other agents, but what makes the ability unique is Clove can use it even after dying, albeit across a smaller radius. Since their release, Clove has been tearing up the meta with staggering pick and win rates in matches.
Vyse
Vyse is the latest Sentinel to join the rank of Agents in Valorant and needless to say, she is one of the stronger characters in the current meta. Equipped with multiple abilities to disrupt enemies, Vyse’s release with patch 9.04 has given players a brand new choice when it comes to Agents capable of turning entire rounds on their own.
Given that it is still early days for Vyse, she finds herself strongly positioned in the A tier while players continue to explore possible counters for this Agent. However, until that happens, Vyse remains a very strong pick for coming up with new strategies across all the maps in Valorant.
Valorant’s B-tier agents
Viper
Viper is a lineup-heavy agent that requires players to learn in practice mode how to best throw her utility to get the most out of her abilities. The agent is a powerful pick if mastered, but she takes time to learn and isn’t very beginner-friendly.
This Controller is also very map-dependent and thrives best on small maps like Split and Lotus. Viper is also a staple in double-controller compositions, though these aren’t common outside of the high-level ranked matches or professional play.
The agent is still a strong pick, but her learning curve keeps her out of the S-Tier. Give Brimstone a shot if your team needs smokes and you aren’t familiar with Controllers.
Skye
Skye is another Initiator that can spam out flashes and other abilities to stall enemies and take space. She is best at gathering information for her team and then supporting their duels with her utility.
The agent has gone through a steady stream of nerfs, taking her from S-tier down to B-tier now after losing her constantly regenerating flashes.
Skye now has a tougher learning curve compared to before the nerfs, and she’s been surpassed by the likes of Gekko and Sova in terms of raw power and flexibility.
Breach
Breach is a well-rounded agent who has a stun, flash, and damage-dealing ability in his kit. Like other Initiators, Breach can spam his utility to stall enemies’ advancement or initiate fights for his teammates.
His failings come with his lack of range and utility gimmick. Large maps are his Achilles heel, as Breach can struggle to find value since his flashes need to go through walls. He’s almost useless when caught out in open spaces.
On the right maps, however, Breach is a solid pick that can rack up kills and assist with ease.
Neon
Neon is the third most mobile Duelist in Valorant thanks to her sprinting ability and can initiate fights all on her own thanks to her stun. Though the electric agent received some much-needed buffs in Episode 8, she’s been getting steady nerfs since then and has been knocked into B-tier.
However, players who put in the time to learn her movement skills can break their enemy’s ankles with style and then eliminate them afterward. Neon doesn’t have the raw power or satisfying learning curve that Jett and Raze offer, but she’s a solid Duelist that works on most maps.
Phoenix
Phoenix is the prime example of the “most average” agent in Valorant. He’s nothing to write home about, but he’s not too bad either. He has flashes, a molly, and a wall that can make taking space much easier for his team.
Phoenix thrives on smaller maps and as a secondary Duelist. He is the easiest Duelist to pick up and use without even having to see his abilities in the practice tool. He doesn’t have that many pros, but he also lacks the cons that would put him lower on this list.
KAY/O
KAY/O released Episode 3 Act 1, and he easily made his way into the S-tier on release. However, after some meta changes and a number of adjustments that took his power down a notch, he finds himself in B-tier.
Despite how strong his flash is, the agent can be quite difficult to execute optimally. Even if he’s strong, other Initiators provide more flexibility and ease of use than he does.
Nevertheless, his information-gathering and nullification abilities make him a strong pick for players who want to learn him, and he is a good second option when Gekko isn’t in the cards.
Astra
Astra was arguably the most underpowered agent in Valorant for quite a while. Riot had nerfed the galaxy-themed agent into the ground, and every other Controller seemed to have carved out a niche in the meta where she once reigned supreme.
However, with recent buffs to her Stars in patch 9.05 has somewhat brought the Agent back to playing terms. The agent can precisely place her smokes, stuns, and displacement abilities thanks to her passive, but their overall power and range are still lacking when compared to other controllers like Omen and Clove.
Astra’s learning curve is also steep, so the reward for spending the time grinding out games to properly pilot her might not be worth the time and effort.
Reyna
Reyna is the most selfish agent in the game, and she’s often piloted by smurfs in solo queue to stomp on lower Elo opponents. While that might make for an entertaining stream or highlight reel, she’s not the most optimal pick in the hands of your average Valorant player.
She can heal, become intangible, and flash enemies with her abilities, but Reyna requires kills to activate most of her kit. There are almost always better options you can pick in the Duelist role, as one bad round as Reyna can change the flow of the entire match within moments.
Valorant’s C-tier agents
Sage
Sage is a fairly simple Valorant agent, but she’s unique among the Sentinel class. What she lacks in information gathering, she makes up for with her ability to stall pushes and cut off enemies with her wall and slow.
The agent also has a heal and revive that can change the course of a round. However, she doesn’t have much active utility that’s useful without team play, making her a poor solo queue pick.
Sage, if piloted correctly, can stop enemies in their tracks and attack from wild angles thanks to her wall. However, she isn’t powerful enough to warrant a high spot on this list and is outclassed by much of the Valorant cast.
Fade
Fade can be powerful once you learn all her lineups, and she serves as an information-gathering agent a bit more offensively oriented than the likes of Sova or Cypher. However, her range is limited, and her identity as an Initiator makes her playstyle a bit one-note.
Fade is adept at dumping utility on enemies. Once she knows where someone is, she’ll make sure they can’t move and can’t see.
However, Fade’s usefulness is often based on the composition around her. This lack of range makes Sova a better choice in most scenarios.
Harbor
Harbor is a unique Controller in that his primary way of taking space is his wall and Cascade ability which can open up loads of space on the map. He also has a smoke that can protect allies from bullets and other damaging utility up to a point.
His only hangup is a steep learning curve. On top of requiring line-up knowledge like most other Controllers, his abilities are a bit unwieldy in comparison to other agents in the category.
Harbor is also hampered by map and composition limitations, as he often needs to be paired with another Controller or piloted on a smaller map like Lotus.
Deadlock
Deadlock is in a unique spot on the Valorant roster. The Controller has a ton of potential thanks to her space-denying kit, but she’s a situational pick at best.
The agent has received multiple buffs to her sensors, cage, and stun abilities, but has yet to carve out a place in the meta outside of maps small maps like Bind and Split.
Her ultimate is also very situational, and it’s often misused in lower ranks to try to grab an easy kill instead of being used as a round-ending threat.
Valorant’s D-tier agents
Yoru
Yoru is an incredibly niche agent that takes time to learn, and he requires his team to be on the same page at all times. While he can be powerful in the right hands thanks to his flashes, clone ability, and teleport, he can also lose entire rounds off bad or unfortunate timing.
Though he’s not a bad pick and has had some real clutch moments in pro play, his finicky kit is only useful with a lot of practice for both you and your teammates. Don’t touch this agent in the solo queue.
Now that you’ve locked down on your best agents, combine them with the perfect crosshairs you can use with our best crosshairs used by pros in VCT. And if you’ve started playing Valorant on consoles, check our best controller settings for a headstart.