Knowing which of Valorant's twenty Agents is best is vital to climbing the ranks. Our Valorant Agent tier list aims to answer that.
Deciding on who the best Agent in Valorant is, is no easy task. There are frequent Agent balance changes that can buff or nerf the power of an Agent, and, with the introduction of new Agents and new maps, further changes can be seen in their relative power.
Then, you have to also consider other factors like team composition, ease of use, and how they perform in their designated role. That is to say, ranking Valorant’s Agents isn’t easy and is entirely subjective. However, we love a challenge at EarlyGame, and that is why we have compiled our Valorant Agent tier list - ranking each and every agent against one another to work out who is best.
This list is up-to-date as of theValorant V4.09 patch which saw Chamber hit with nerfs.
Valorant Agent Tier List: How It Works
As mentioned previously, ranking Valorant’s Agents can prove difficult, but with this tier list, we are hoping to make it as simple as possible. To that end, we are considering the Agent’s power in its entirety, not for a particular role or map, but on the basis of what agents are ‘must picks’, who sits under them, and ultimately, who should you steer well clear of.
Valorant Agent Tier List: S-Tier
- Chamber
- Jett
- Viper
An Agent who is looking increasingly powerful is Initiator, Chamber. The Frenchman, who can use his teleports to take up angles only Jett would have previously dared to, has been further boosted by his rival’s recent nerf. His traps also help him against flankers and make him a formidable force on defense though the most recent update has nerfed their potential reducing them from 2 to 1 charge. His Sheriff ability and Operator ultimate, mean he is also very rarely without his most powerful tools. If Chamber is the one for you, check out our Chamber tips and tricks guide to get the most of him.
Jett may have recently seen her Tailwind ability nerfed, but she is still one of the game’s most powerful and oppressive agents. Capable of moving around the map unlike any other, her abilities make her the premium Operator agent, perfect for entering a site or taking a risky angle. No longer quite as strong on defense, still very few will want to come up against her in the right hands.
Whether it be holding down the site on defense or post-plant, Viper’s expansive kit gives her many options during play. Her free-of-charge Toxic Screen is great for blocking off the entry points, and her Snake Bites are equally effective for clearing angles. Her Poison Cloud is great in post-plant situations too and - if you know some lineups - Viper is the best Agent you can have in a post-plant situation. Viper’s Pit marries all of these abilities, creating a huge cloud of noxious gas that is great for holding down a site or an already planted bomb. She’s been nerfed, but Viper is still toxic.
Valorant Agent Tier List: A-Tier
- Brimstone
- Fade
- Skye
- Sova
Joining the A-Tier is the game’s newest Agent: Fade. The extremities of this Turkish Agent's power are not yet clear, though it looks like she will prove especially useful when synergized with others. She is great on attack and retakes, as she has two information-gathering abilities, her signature, Haunt, and ultimate, Nightfall. She also has a blind (the longest lasting in the game) and the ability to tether opponents, perfect to be used in conjunction with an ability like Raze’s grenades.
One Agent who is having a renaissance of sorts is Brimstone. A recent buff to the range of his smokes, coupled with nerfs to other Controllers, has made Brimstone once again one of the easiest to use and most powerful Controllers in the game. No ability is wasted now, even his previously maligned Stim Beacon has its uses when on an attack or rotation.
Skye is one of the best all-around Agents, capable of fitting in and being of use in any composition. She has information-gathering abilities, a powerful heal, flashes, and an ultimate that can turn the tide of any round.Sova was once the ultimate intelligence gathering with his Recon Bolts and Sova Drone perfect for surveying a site. That is still the case, however, his Sova Drone was majorly nerfed in the latest patch and doesn’t have nearly the same impact as it once did. Other agents, like Fade, also now offer up abilities that can compete with Sova. Still powerful, but far from his best.
Valorant Agent Tier List: B-Tier
- Killjoy
- KAY/O
- Omen
- Raze
- Reyna
Killjoy remains one of the best defensive Agents, even if nerfs have knocked off some of her power. On attack, she is quite the same force but still has massive utility in post-plant situations. Depending on the map, she can easily be an A-Tier pick.
KAY/O has grown in stature after what was a pretty poor start. With information-gathering, flash, and mollies, he has all the tools to fit in many team compositions.
Omen isn’t a bad Agent - and is, in fact, an excellent one - but his primary role, as a smoker, has been overtaken by Brimstone. However, his flash and teleport abilities make him deadly in the right hands.
The bombastic Raze is one of the game’s true fraggers and - depending on the map - could be higher on the list. Her Paint Shell grenades and Boom Bot are unrivaled for clearing opponents out of positions and her ultimate is a one-shot kill machine.
Depending on your rank, Reyna could likely be higher in the list, but her abilities are too often used to the wrong effect. A victim of her ability to clutch up in situations when she is outnumbered, her real power comes from getting the first blood on a site and opening up new angles. This playstyle is too often ignored for a more freewheeling role.
Neon isn’t a bad Agent, he just has yet to truly find a space in Valorant’s meta. She can move faster than any other Agent and excels on larger maps like Breeze. Her Fast Lane is an improvement to Pheonix’s Blaze wall and her ultimate is the truly ridiculous Overdrive which allows you to sprint at full speed while firing a literal laser beam.
Valorant Agent Tier List: C-Tier
- Breach
- Sage
- Yoru
There was a time that Breach was one of the best Agent's in the game, but nerfs - especially to his flashes - have seen his power subside. There are still few better Agents you would want to take when needing to clear an area though, with his Aftershock, Fault Line, and Rolling Thunder all terrifying prospects for those at the harsh end of them.
Sage is another who was once a must-pick but now finds herself in the middle of the pack. Her ultimate is still the best in the game but changes to her walls and basic healing ability have made her a handy helper rather than a team's saving grace. A must for Icebox.
Yoru is still suffering from his lackluster launch which saw him released and quickly drop to the lowest-picked Agent in the game. His rework has done much to make him more viable however his kit isn't easy to master. Those that do spend the time to do so will find an Agent that can have opponents spinning.
Valorant Agent Tier List: D-Tier
- Cypher
Not much has changed with Cypher since his release, but other Agents have overtaken him. Not nearly as good as Sova when on the attack, and matched by Chamber in defense, it's hard to find a good reason to pick him. His camera and ultimate are still, of course, powerful additions to have in any team but no longer the game-changers they once were.
Valorant Agent Tier List: F-Tier
- Astra
- Pheonix
Astra is proof that an Agent's time at the top can be short-lived. The global Controller was unrivaled when she initially launched with many claiming she was "broken." That all changed with the release of V4.04 which saw her max stars reduced from 5 to 4 and huge cooldowns added to her skills making it difficult to react to what was happening in the match. Surely in need of a rework à la Yoru but until then, stay clear.
Ah, Pheonix. Other than his ultimate which essentially gives him one extra life in a round, there is really no reason to pick him over Reyna, Jett, Fade, Raze, or even Yoru. Probably the easiest Agent to learn and that is why you will still see players pick him but, once you take the stabilizers off, choose another Agent.