There are various characters in Riot Games’ popular shooter Valorant, dubbed agents. Each Agent has a different ability set that determines their ideal role in a team. They all have different levels of strength, which puts them at certain levels in the tier list of the agents in Valorant.
If you want to jump into the game but can’t decide which Agent you should play in Valorant, don’t worry. Here’s the tier list of all the Valorant agents based on their performance in the current meta.
We categorized all the agents based on their performance and potential, which should give you insight into which Agent to choose.
It’s important to keep in mind that those rankings mostly apply to solo play. Some agents perform better in teams that coordinate well and use strategies. However, achieving that is not easy in a randomly ranked match. So, here are the best agents you can opt for, especially for solo queue.
Valorant Agents Tier List for 5.07
- S-Tier: Chamber, Fade
- A-Tier: Sage, Raze, Viper, Sova, Brimstone, Omen
- B-Tier: Reyna, Killjoy, Kay/O, Jett, Skye
- C-Tier: Yoru, Neon, Breach, Phoenix
- D-Tier: Cypher, Astra
Let’s dive deeper into this tier list and explain why each Valorant Agent is in their ranked tier.
S-tier
Chamber
We begin the Valorant Agents tier list with the lovely Sentinel Chamber that has been dominating the game since his release. We’re used to seeing newly-released agents enjoy their time at the top before going down with the balance updates. However, Chamber is still going strong despite the recent nerfs.
Although presumed dead after its all-around nerf on the patch 5.03, Chamber was one of the most preferred agents in Valorant Champions 2022 with a pick rate of 67.35%, followed by Fade with a whooping 13% points between them. The French sentinel is the favorite pick of gamers, as well. It has the top pick rate (56.2%) in the competitive matches played in the last 30 days.
Looking at the effective ability set that lets him lock crucial areas securely, it is no wonder why players prefer Chamber so much right now. He can use his skills to defend from both mid-range and long-range without worrying about getting flanked, thanks to the Trademark trap, all with the comfort of his option to teleport with Rendezvous in case of a mistake.
Riot Games said they were working on even more nerfs for Chamber coming in the future patches. In the meantime, Chamber is always ready to play if they want to play!
Fade
Just like Chamber, the Turkish bounty hunter Fade has been a game-changer ever since its release in patch 4.08. Fade is the latest Agent to join the squad, who shows her strength in the professional arena and competitive matches.
She has been the second-most-picked Agent in VCT 2022 İstanbul, whose venue had a statue of her! As we mentioned before, the pick rate of Fade in the tournament was 54.08%, making her one of the two agents that had over a 50% pick rate, the other being Chamber.
Fade’s been up to a brilliant launch, being the go-to Initiator for players with her scary skillset that does not let the enemies keep their positions. Riot Games has some plans to tweak her. However, it’s unlikely that Fade will get out of the meta soon.
A-tier
Sage
We begin the A-tier for our Valorant Agents tier list with the Chinese wall that’s been around for as long as players can remember. Sage has always been a strong choice, even when she was hit by substantial nerfs. She is still one of the dominators of the current meta.
Sage was considered a must-have for every team in the earliest days of Valorant. Riot Games broke this by nerfing her abilities greatly and adding another healer to the game. Currently, Sage is still one of the best options, which shows that she was the third-most-picked Agent last month with a pick rate of 53.4%. Although players adore Sage, we haven’t seen her played that much in VCT 2022. She had a near-average pick rate in the tournament (23.47%).
One of the best things about Sage is her impressive versatility that emerges sometimes. Although her abilities are mostly about defending, with an orb that slows down the enemies and a wall that outright stops them, she can be in unexpected places. Sage can reach higher places in some Valorant maps using her Barrier Orb, which helps her hunt down clueless enemies. However, this strategy isn’t that effective on relatively higher levels, as players are usually familiar with where Sage can be.
We’ll see how Sage will continue her journey as Riot Games keeps tweaking the game.
Raze
Raze, which is another agent that’s been in the game since its inception, is certainly weaker than she was before. However, that doesn’t mean the Brazilian Duelist is no longer explosive!
On top of having an ability that gives her extensive mobility, Raze can easily dislocate her enemies with her abilities Paint Shells and Boom Bot, all while being a Duelist. Her Blast Pack can also be quite versatile, letting her fly away whenever she wants and preventing enemies from defusing the spike. Her skill set is especially lethal when used in combination. Therefore, Raze is a strong choice both on attack and defense.
Raze shares the third place in win rate for the last 30 days together with Killjoy, although her pick rate almost doubles Killjoy’s. Raze was also one of the favorite picks in VCT 2022, standing in fifth place following Kay/O.
Viper
One of the best defense agents in the game, Viper has a comfortable place in the A-Tier.
Though she was not a great choice before, Viper is now in a much better situation. Statistics prove that, as well. She has the best win rate in the last 30 days, together with Brimstone, which is 51.4%. Yes, many other factors affect the win rate, so it shouldn’t be the sole predictor of a specific agent’s strength. But it’s still quite impressive! It’s also important to mention that Viper was the third-most-picked Agent in VCT 2022, following Chamber and Fade, respectively.
The ability set of Viper lets her comfortably defend an area by herself, but it has some drawbacks, too. For instance, you should master a lot of lineups to play Viper with her full potential. Teamwork and communication are also crucial to unleash the potential of the venomous Controller, so she might not be the perfect choice for solo queuers.
Sova
The Russian sentinel isn’t as glorious as before, for Fade is a great replacement for him, but Sova still has his place in the A-Tier.
If you want to gather intel about your enemies’ whereabouts in spacious and open areas, there’s hardly any choice better than Sova now that Cypher isn’t as useful as before. However, like Viper, it’s not a great choice for beginners or solo players. You must master Sova’s lineups and have a great line of communication with your team to get the most out of the relentless archer. If you don’t have teammates ready to act on the intel, your effort goes to waste.
Brimstone
Brimstone keeps climbing up the ladders of meta despite the vast amount of smokers out there.
Although he was not favored that much before, Brimstone is now in a better place with his controlling abilities that can enable his team to gain control of an area. He can be a lethal choice in specific areas with his smoke. On top of that, Brimstone isn’t easy to master, just like most Controllers, as there are a lot of lineups for his Incendiary. Again, Brimstone needs a lot of coordinated effort to contribute to his team.
B-tier
Reyna
A tremendous pick for solo players, Reyna is still one of the strongest Duelists in the game. Thanks to some nerfs, she’s no longer overpowering as she was prior, meaning she’ll kickstart the B-tier of our Valorant Agents tier list.
Reyna now has two charges to use Devour and Dismiss due to the nerfs, which greatly impacted her. That’s why she was the least-picked Agent in VCT 2022. It’s not smart to prefer a recently nerfed and highly individual character in high-level competitions where teamwork is of utmost importance, after all. However, she is still a player favorite, being the second-most picked Agent in the last 30 days – although with the worst win rate (41.9%).
If you don’t feel like using complex strategies that require teamwork and communication, then definitely go for Reyna. Otherwise, she does not seem to be an excellent choice for the current meta.
Killjoy
Once breaking the charts with her deadly defensive ability set, the German engineer is far from where she was in her earliest days. That doesn’t mean Killjoy is a bad pick, though.
Although not as efficient as before, Killjoy’s skills are still suited for gathering information. Her turret might seem like an ability focused on dealing damage for low ELO, but it is a great tool for surveillance. With Cypher in the last tier, Killjoy is not a bad choice for defensive players who want to help their teams with surveillance abilities. Looking at her Nanoswarm, we see a great crowd control ability that can be used in a versatile way – if the player knows the lineups, that is. And her ultimate? Don’t get us started. That ability can singlehandedly retake a site or prevent a whole team from entering a specific area. Utilize it well.
In a nutshell, Killjoy is still powerful. However, you need to coordinate well with your team to make the most out of her. Her abilities are now more focused on gathering information rather than killing enemies.
Kay/O
Like every Agent, Kay/O was one of the strongest upon his release in Episode 3, Act 1. However, he’s more balanced now with the necessary updates.
Kay/O’s ability set has quite the potential when you look at it. However, it is not easy to execute the plays perfectly. His flashbang, for instance, is a great ability that can enable Kay/O to entry frag all by himself. His suppression ability is a perfect defensive tool to gather information and render his opponents useless just before they push.
The Agent has the necessary set to help his team both on attack and defense. So, what’s keeping him from higher tiers? Well, as you might guess, you need teamwork to make Kay/O work. That’s why the Agent is a better pick in esports tournaments and higher ELO games, while he isn’t as deadly in low ELO solo queue matches.
You can make game-changing plays with Kay/O if you learn how to utilize his abilities with efficient lineups and build & execute relevant strategies with your teammates. Until then, he’s just fine. Neither terrific nor perfect.
Jett
The Korean Duelist has been hit with continuous nerfs to her whole set since patch 3.0. The nerfs are not enough to make Jett a low-tier agent, though.
Unlike many other agents in her tier, Jett has a more individual ability set. Her smokes only stay on the map for a brief moment, which is generally not enough to build a team strategy on. Her dash and Updraft are quite useful in making Jett a deadly mobile agent on the attack. However, all those abilities are for Jett. Not for her team.
Whether this is an advantage depends on the team and play style. If you’re looking to carry the team all by yourself without elaborate strategies, go ahead. Jett is a great choice in that context, just like Reyna. Nevertheless, you should know Jett is not the perfect pick for team play, especially after all the nerfs.
Skye
Skye is a powerful pick. Still, there are some factors you need to consider before going with her.
Skye’s ability set is well-rounded, complete with a flash, an intel-gathering skill, and a healing ability. Her flash is a great tool for entering a site and gathering information, while she can heal all her teammates with a single ability. Her set makes Skye a good choice for both sides. However, she is hard to master. That’s why it took relatively long for players to grasp the Agent.
Those who are familiar with the delicacies of Skye can reap the rewards. However, that’s not that simple. This is why Skye is not at a higher tier than B despite her huge potential.
As you might guess, being an Initiator, Skye is another agent that requires good coordination. Her teammates need to hunt down the enemies that Skye marks with her Trailblazers. Keep that in mind.
C-tier
Yoru
Even after the rework and all the buffs Yoru got, we can only say he’s a decent pick now, which places him in the C-tier for our Valorant Agents tier list.
He is not necessarily weak. However, there are much better picks to fill the Duelist role. Yes, Yoru’s ability set is perfect for lurking or making exceptional big-brain plays, but teams expect more from Duelists. On top of that, it is quite difficult to master Yoru’s ability set to the fullest, which does not even give players a huge advantage. Therefore, it seems like the best option to stick with other Duelists.
Neon
Neon is another Duelist you can utilize to make incredible plays with. Overall though, her ability set lacks on some points.
As Neon is a highly offensive agent, it can be hard, and even impossible in some cases, for the enemy defenders to keep up with her. However, the team must have excellent communication to give Neon this opportunity to break the defense. That’s because Neon cannot fall back. She lacks the skills to escape like Jett’s dash or Chamber’s teleport. Once you engage, you must go all the way.
So, unless you have a team synergy you can rely on, Neon does not seem like the best Duelist option for the current meta.
Breach
Breach can be a perfect Initiator in some situations thanks to his ability set, but there are better choices.
His abilities are mostly only suitable for entering a site, which is quite natural as Breach is an Initiator. However, when we compare him to the others, we see why the Swedish Agent is not the best option for his role. With Fade outshining all the other Initiators and Sova still a viable option, Breach is only good for a perfect composition designed to work with him.
And, as you know, you don’t play with that kind of synergy in solo play. So, you have much better options than Breach.
Phoenix
Despite getting pumped up with substantial buffs in Patch 5.01, Phoenix still isn’t an effective Duelist. In fact, he is the worst one in the current meta.
First, he does not have mobility skills, which is a huge handicap for a Duelist. His ultimate ability might make up for it, but then again, it’s the ultimate. In addition to that, Phoenix’s Blaze and Hot Hands are not quite useful for entering a site.
Although he isn’t as strong as the other Duelists, there are some advantages to choosing Phoenix. For example, he’s not a hard agent to play. You can easily master Phoenix, whose learning curve is not harsh. On top of that, Phoenix is perhaps the most suitable Duelist for team play. So, give the British guy a shot if you’re looking for an easy agent that goes well with your premades.
D-tier
Cypher
Cypher was once the go-to intel agent in Valorant. However, he’s not as useful now, which unfortunately puts him in the D-tier for our Valorant Agents tier list.
Especially after Chamber’s release, we see the Moroccan Agent go lower and lower in tier lists. Now that Chamber is arguably the strongest Agent in the game with an ability that does a part of Cypher’s job, Cypher is not a good choice as a Sentinel. On the other hand, Killjoy is another salient Sentinel who renders Cypher redundant.
Of course, Cypher’s unique ability kit allows players to defend multiple areas comfortably, but he falls short in attacking.
Astra
Although Astra seems like a perfect all-in-one Controller at first glance, which is practically the case, she is an arduous agent to master.
She has more control around the map than the other Controllers, both in reaching areas and using abilities. Astra’s ultimate ability is definitely a game-changer, too, but it isn’t suitable for the average player who plays with a random team.
Astra’s playbook is perfect for players who deeply grasp Valorant at a macro level. Therefore, she is a relatively viable choice in the highest ELOs and professional esports tournaments.
But as you can guess, she’s just terrible for low ELO matches and solo play. You both need to think of Valorant as a game of chess and have a useful team strategy to use Astra efficiently. Well, that’s not the case in your daily competitive game.
So, you have much better Controllers to choose from if you’re looking for a fun game all by yourself without worrying about the performance of your teammates.
Wrapping Up
Do you agree with our ratings in our Valorant Agents tier list? What would you change? Let us know in the comments below, and keep the conversation going below!
