Valorant tier list: Best Agents for each role

As someone who’s been dabbling in Valorant for quite some time now, let me tell you, these agent recommendations are spot on! If you’re just starting out, Sage is a fantastic choice. She’s like the Valorant version of a supportive best friend, always there to heal, block, and even resurrect when things get tough.

Playing Valorant might seem challenging for beginners, particularly those who aren’t familiar with the tactical shooter genre. But don’t worry! Finding out which Agents align best with your preferred gameplay style can make a significant difference. And you know what I enjoy most? Assisting others in doing just that!

Instead of our regular Valorant tier list that ranks the top Agents in each role based on high-level gameplay, we’re taking a slightly unconventional approach today.

We’ve broken it down to the three best agents for each role and then given each of them a difficulty rating to give you an idea of how skilled you need to be to get the most out of them. That way it doesn’t matter what skill level you’re at, you’ll be good to go.

We’ve also made sure that each role on this list has at least one Agent that’s available the moment you boot up Valorant ( although PC Game Pass will give you access to all of them if you decide you want to play other characters).

Valorant Agent Tier list: Best characters in each role

Role	Agent
Controller	Brimstone, Clove, Viper
Duelists	Raze, Jett, Iso
Initiators	KAY/0, Sova, Gekko
Sentinels	Sage, Cypher, Vyse

Controllers

Brimstone (Easy)

If you’re transitioning from other tactical shooters like Counter-Strike and seek familiar tools, consider Brimstone as your choice. He offers three smokes, a flamethrower to control areas, an area-of-effect fire rate boost, and an impressive orbital laser for his ultimate ability.

He’s straightforward, versatile across various team setups, and his strength should not be underestimated due to his simplicity. While it may seem easy to play Brimstone, don’t let that deceive you. Skilled Brimstone players control the tempo of the game. Additionally, he’s an excellent choice for beginners struggling with Valorant mechanics, as he allows more focus on gunplay rather than abilities.

Clove (Medium)

One of the more recent Agents in Valorant, Clove, possesses an all-around versatile toolset with a standout advantage – even when you are eliminated from the game, your utility remains effective.

As a gamer, I find that Clove’s ultimate ability to self-revive and their smokes being usable even from beyond the grave give me a lot of tactical options, whether I’m alive or not. This makes them an excellent choice for those who want to step up their aggression game, as they provide a solid foundation for strategic maneuvers in any situation.

To achieve victory, it’s essential that you engage the enemy directly. One of Clove’s skills heavily depends on draining an opponent’s energy after a battle, so making full use of their abilities requires active combat participation.

Viper (Hard)

Viper’s command over the game map might be unmatched among other controllers due to her adjustable smokescreens and area denial abilities, making her quite challenging to face off against. But mastering shooting lines with Viper is indispensable for successful play.

To maximize the use of your equipment, it’s important to observe skilled opponents and strategically decide on the best spots for deploying your smokes, erecting walls, and positioning the bomb, making it extremely challenging for the enemy to emerge victorious once you gain control.

Viper is an exceptional Agent if you’re prepared to invest time and energy in learning how to master her playstyle. However, she isn’t the kind of character that you can just jump into a game and expect to dominate with right away.

Duelists

Raze (Easy)

If discharging a weapon isn’t your preference – then perhaps this specific game might not be the best fit for you. However, character Raze from Valorant stands out as he offers multiple methods for inflicting damage, beyond mere firing.

Each of her skills inflicts harm, making her a significant danger. Her grenade, in particular, deals substantial damage and serves as a tool for controlling space, pushing enemies back or even eliminating them entirely. Similarly, her Boom Bot is also destructive. Although her satchels cause damage too, they’re more useful for propelling yourself forward and right into the heart of enemy lines.

Raze stands out as an ideal choice for a damage-dealing character due to her aggressive, self-focused nature and straightforward playstyle. While she may not provide significant utility, her ability to eliminate opponents effortlessly more than compensates for it.

Jett (Medium)

Jett, in many opinions, stands out as Valorant’s top versatile character. Her impressive agility and smoke abilities make her ideal for exhibiting exceptional firearm skills. Essentially, she could be described as the complete opposite of Raze.

This Agent has become more challenging compared to when initially launched. Her smoke screens no longer linger for long periods, and her dash ability requires preparation instead of being instantly available. However, she remains an excellent pick and is widely favored among Duelist players.

Contrary to Raze, she brings much more than just high damage output to the table. Her capacity to access high ground provides her with strategic advantages for taking sneaky shots from unexpected angles. Notably, she maintains an effective role both offensively and defensively.

Iso (Hard)

Iso’s equipment focuses entirely on enhancing his marksmanship skills. Each of his abilities provides an edge, particularly in one-on-one situations, as his ultimate creates a scenario where he and another player are secluded for a direct confrontation.

Everything about him pushes you forward and helps you stay in the fight, with Double Tap in particular letting him snowball fights by giving him a shield that blocks one bullet. That may not seem like a lot, but it really counts in higher-level play. Or against an Operator.

Iso performs optimally only when you outperform your rival. However, should you excel, he offers an edge and demonstrates greater consistency compared to Reyna, particularly in terms of high-impact performance.

Initiators

KAY/0 (Easy)

Similar to Brimstone, KAY/0 is a suggested choice for individuals accustomed to tactical shooting games, largely due to the unique functionality of his flashbang. What sets him apart is that he possesses two distinct throw intensities and can also rebound it off walls or even hurl it in the air before swiftly spinning around. This makes his flash one of the most versatile in the game.

He possesses a skill comparable to a multi-use flashbang grenade, capable of detonating multiple times in various manners to subdue the opposition, thereby disabling their special abilities.

While many prefer other Agents in Valorant due to their more attention-grabbing kits, KAY/0 proves effective at completing tasks.

Sova (Medium)

Sova is marketed as a beginner-friendly character, but he truly excels with a touch of skill and understanding of the game’s layout. His drone functions as described, but his arrow abilities have some hidden complexities.

His scouting dart benefits from some map knowledge, with there being a few lineups to get your arrow in the prime spot to scan the enemy. But his electric dart really, really wants for lineups. If you memorize where to plant the bomb and are able to deny bomb defuse, Sova is instantly a better character.

As a fan, I’m naturally skilled at Valorant, yet I find myself improving exponentially when I delve deeper into the game by learning its intricacies and observing top-tier players.

Gekko (Medium)

In essence, Gekko serves as the equivalent of a Pokemon trainer within Valorant. He’s accompanied by numerous miniature entities that perform a variety of tasks, such as disorienting opponents with blinding effects, spreading deadly pools of toxic sludge, and even planting explosives.

This agent is entertaining and generally beneficial, but it does necessitate a certain level of familiarity with the game to utilize effectively. All actions taken by him aren’t immediate; they require some setup and strategic thinking to execute successfully. You won’t achieve good results if you panic while using this Agent.

As a gamer speaking about my experience with Gekko, I’ve found him to be quite manageable once you understand his mechanics, and luckily, he doesn’t necessitate intricate lineups or an extensive understanding of the map to excel. Given his impressive array of abilities, it’s challenging to envision a meta where Gekko wouldn’t be a solid choice for any team.

Sentinels

Sage (Easy)

In Valorant, Sage serves as one of the most helpful sidekicks in the game. If you’re new to this exciting world, it may be beneficial for you to experiment with Agents that emphasize gunmanship skills to boost your own abilities. However, if you find yourself a bit overwhelmed, Sage provides a comfort zone where you can still contribute effectively, even without securing numerous kills.

Her skills include healing teammates, establishing barriers, and generating large slowing zones, making her user-friendly and highly efficient. Additionally, her ultimate ability resurrects an ally, offering a second opportunity for victory in a match.

Sage is an excellent character to master, and she doesn’t struggle excessively at higher skill levels in Valorant. In fact, her popularity among players is well-deserved.

Cypher (Medium)

Information is one of the most valuable things you can have in Valorant, and Cypher’s great at gathering it. He can place tripwires that stop you from getting flanked, put up a camera that’s easy to conceal and has a tracking dart you can fire at enemies, and a sort of “smoke” that creates a deployable screen that can be toggled at will.

Among the Agents in Valorant, he’s among the few whose ultimate ability might be considered the least powerful when compared to others in his kit. However, because it immediately reveals the positions of all enemies across the map, it’s far from being an insignificant skill.

From a fan’s perspective, it’s worth noting that Cypher’s skills don’t inflict damage or control an opponent directly, except for his tripwire which is quite visible. However, these abilities prove to be incredibly valuable in different ways. Instead of causing harm, I find myself using them to trace the enemy by observing when they disarm the traps rather than being caught in them themselves.

Vyse (Hard)

Vyse is robust but hard to handle, boasting an abundance of excellent tools and one of the most versatile kits in the game. However, mastering her requires considerable effort.

Everything she executes outside her ultimate ability involves a sequence of actions. She can’t simply trigger her flash; instead, she must position it, allow it to deploy, and then activate it for use. Similarly, she can hurl a large web of spikes that obstruct an area, but you need to throw it and detonate it to see its effect. Her wall doesn’t instantaneously restrict areas. Instead, it rises after someone passes by, trapping them within.

She’s among the top-tier Agents in Valorant, yet she’s not easy to master. It takes time to adapt to her, and she truly shines when combined with solid teamwork.

This team excels at filling any position in Valorant; if your preferred agent isn’t highlighted, it doesn’t imply they’re subpar. Instead, they might be somewhat specific in their effectiveness, requiring a skilled player to maximize their potential, or simply not aligning with the current gameplay trends (meta).

Since Valorant has numerous playable Agents, don’t hesitate to experiment with whoever appeals to you most. You can easily test out any character thanks to PC Game Pass, which offers the freedom to explore new characters without having to go through the process of earning or purchasing them individually.

To find out about our planned activities for the remainder of PC Gaming Week, don’t forget to explore the complete schedule right here.

2024-12-05 17:56