VALORANT Agent Tier List: Best Agents Right Now

Our tier list, updated with every major VALORANT patch, is organized based on each agent's overall traits along with the features of the current meta. You'll notice the meta changes very little as you climb VALORANT's ranks, so you'll always need guides like this to adapt to sudden shifts.

Best VALORANT Characters After the Latest Patch

So if you couldn't decide which agent to look into or which one to spend more time with, the information we're about to give may come in handy. We spent a lot of time putting this ranking together, and died many times over to make sure every agent was placed in the right spot :)

We ranked the VALORANT agents by effectiveness, but before we start, I want to point out that every agent has meaningful abilities of their own, and none of them are unplayable.

Riot Games has done a great job balancing its characters' abilities, and has taken great care to make sure every weapon offers different advantages for everyone. If your economy is in a good place, you shouldn't have trouble playing whichever agent you pick.

VALORANT Current Tier List 2021

Tier	Agents
1	Jett, Omen, Raze, Reyna
2	Astra, Killjoy, Sova, Breach, Sage, Phoenix
3	Reyna, Brimstone, Cypher, Yoru, Viper
4	Skye

Tier 1

JETT

Jett stands out as the fastest agent on our list. While she doesn't have the same surprise factor Omen can get from teleporting, Jett is unmatched at catching opponents off guard with her fast movement and vertical abilities. The Korean Duelist can command the skies to launch herself upward or forward, and her passive lets her slide instead of taking fall damage (as long as you remember to hold the spacebar).

Players have long argued over how effective she really is, but that debate was settled after the latest patch. Pro and high-level players have come to a shared conclusion that Jett belongs at the top of Tier 1.

Because of this, her pick rate had dropped fairly quickly in earlier patches. With the new patch, that's now behind her, and Jett has once again become a focal point for ideal team compositions.

RAZE

VALORANT fans used to complain that Raze's abilities leaned too heavily on damage, which went against the philosophy that a character's abilities should come after their guns. Riot Games has rebalanced her power since the game's launch, so she isn't as strong as she used to be.

Because of this, her pick rate had been dropping fairly quickly up through patch 2.06. But with the new patch, she's frequently able to come out on top in chaotic duels, so she's started being seen as an ideal pairing with Jett and is being used more often.

OMEN

If you liked Overwatch, you probably already know Omen's kit fairly well. Similar to Blizzard's Reaper, this agent has teleportation abilities. He can teleport almost anywhere, and when used correctly, can become a lethal agent against a well-organized team.

Omen has powerful abilities, but unpredictability is the key to playing him well. Skilled players can anticipate standard Omen plays, so you have to get creative if you want to gain an edge over your opponents. His smoke is useful, and his Paranoia ability is great for blinding enemies hiding around corners. If you're new to the game, Omen is a genuinely fun agent to try.

Omen is a defensive powerhouse and is absolutely S-tier on defense. On offense, he's useful for pushing enemies out of a specific spot, but he absolutely needs a team that coordinates well around him.

Tier 2

ASTRA

Even though Astra is the most recently added agent in VALORANT, she's quite strong and absolutely earns her place in Tier 2. When she first came out, plenty of people tried hard to argue she deserved the top of the VALORANT tier list, but if you spend some time with her, you'll realize she isn't as strong as people thought. Still, we can comfortably say she's in a very good spot.

To use any of Astra's abilities, you have to enter Astral Form. Once she does, Astra can place stars across the map and later activate them to use her core abilities — anything from a Gravity Well that pulls in enemies, to a Nova Pulse that can stun enemies, to creating a smoke-spewing Nebula. That smoke can also be dissipated to create a brief smoke effect and get the star back to use later, which can lead to all kinds of bluffs and double bluffs that mess with your opponent's head.

Her ultimate is a giant wall that splits the entire map in two, muffling sound and blocking incoming fire. This is an important feature that helps Astra's whole team hide before making a move and catch opponents off guard.

Astra is a fairly difficult agent to use effectively, but once you master her, you'll see just how useful she can become.

BREACH

Breach is probably one of the most complicated agents in the game, so you should think twice before playing him. His abilities can often hurt teammates and cause major problems if used incorrectly. Without proper coordination, it's a bit of a stretch to say Breach's abilities offer a direct benefit.

KILLJOY

Killjoy made a strong entrance and got off to a solid start.

That said, Killjoy's abilities seem capable of offering more than Reyna's, and unless a sudden meta shift or another major nerf holds her back, we'll probably keep seeing her around Tier 2 for a while.

One of her deadliest tricks is pulling opponents' attention toward turrets while planting the Spike. Her kit is both unique and powerful, which makes her a great agent for any team.

PHOENIX

Phoenix is one of the most self-sufficient agents on the list. He's a fiery (literally) Londoner who controls a variety of flame-based abilities. Like Viper, he can plant a wall that blocks enemies' line of sight, and like Brimstone, he has a Molotov. These abilities can damage other players, but Phoenix also has the ability to heal himself. That makes him a great pick for aggressive players who don't mind taking some risk.

Phoenix is a good team player, but only if used correctly.

With his forgiving duel potential, Phoenix seems to have solidified his place in Tier 2. He's not quite at the top because the dangerous Duelist duo of Raze and Jett are currently preferred over him.

SAGE

Sage has a lot of the traits you'd expect from a VALORANT support character. She can heal herself or others during a round, which gives everyone a bit more staying power on the battlefield. Her ultimate can also revive a teammate, which makes her an important agent in most team compositions you'll build.

SOVA

Sova is a great agent for players who love team play. With his recon abilities and a bit of damage output, playing Sova is an art in itself. So if you want to play him, you'll need to be good with math and know your angles. If you know where to place Sova's recon arrows, they're a great tool for gathering information. Sova will pay off once new players get past a painful learning curve and get to know the map and their team well.

If you're playing apart from your team, the information you gather with him alone might not do you much good.

Even though he gives away his position fairly quickly, Sova also has a great recon drone. Like Cypher's camera, he has a dart to mark opponents, but it can be destroyed easily and is hard to hide.

He's by far the game's best information gatherer, but it takes some time to learn how to use these abilities to their fullest.

Tier 3

CYPHER

Cypher's key features have taken a hit in recent patches, and his pick rate has been dropping ever since. While he used to be one of the best information gatherers in the game, recent meta shifts have seriously reduced his effectiveness.

It doesn't look likely he'll climb the tier list again until new buffs come along. We'll have to wait and see what time brings.

BRIMSTONE

If you know VALORANT, you know that a lot of agents' smokes either block sightlines or stop enemies from seeing your position. Brimstone-type agents in particular are useful because they drop their bombs directly from the sky. That might not sound important at first, but it means enemies have no way of knowing where Brimstone placed his bombs, letting you hold your position and wait for the opponent to make a move.

REYNA

Reyna was a bit of a surprise for players at first. Players initially found her to be a fairly selfish agent and realized she doesn't have much to offer when it comes to team play.

Players who enjoy Reyna have to be smart about when and where they use her. If those situations are do-or-die moments or Competitive matches, things don't look too great.

YORU

Yoru is considered a relatively new agent for VALORANT, but even so, his kit genuinely feels lacking. As a Duelist, Yoru doesn't offer much compared to someone like Phoenix, which is why he has a genuinely low pick rate in the VALORANT rankings.

If you enjoy hiding and surprising enemies with well-timed movement, Yoru might be for you, but otherwise, unfortunately, most of his flaws haven't been fixed by the latest patch and buffs, so it doesn't look likely we'll see him rise in these rankings.

VIPER

Despite a series of buffs, Viper is still one of the worst agents in the game. Even though the latest patch drew quite a bit of attention to her, we can comfortably say she still isn't a meta agent.

When it comes to team play and trying out combos, Viper just isn't your girl. It's genuinely a shame to say, because visually, Viper is one of VALORANT's coolest characters, but unfortunately she's more style than substance.

Tier 4

SKYE

Skye's kit is good for gathering information (only if you have a team that will actually act on that information). Her healing and flashes are appealing to some players, but there isn't much else for her to do. She's also a completely team-dependent agent. While she's a great pick for five-stacks and Competitive matches, she doesn't look likely to help much in solo queue.

That's why Skye is like Marmite — you either love her or hate her.

The new VALORANT patch will keep changing this list as the meta shifts. Follow us for the latest tier rankings.