Best Valorant Players in 2026: The Top 10 Pros Dominating Right Now
The Valorant 2026 season is off to an interesting start, as we have new names dominating the professional scene this year so far. Gone are the same players who used to be on top year after year, and a new era of Valorant is approaching. This makes it the ideal time to summarize the best Valorant players in 2026.
Disclaimer: This article is based only on the 2026 season and was written following the conclusion of VCT Masters Santiago.
| Player | Team | Role | Nationality |
|---|---|---|---|
| #1 Martin “marteen” Pátek | Gentle M8s | Duelist | 🇨🇿 Czech |
| #2 Lee “Dambi” Hyuk-kyu | Nongshim | Duelist | 🇰🇷 Korean |
| #3 Trent “trent” Cairns | G2 Esports | Initiator | 🇺🇸 American |
| #4 Jason “f0rsakeN” Susanto | Paper Rex | Flex | 🇮🇩 Indonesian |
| #5 Jung “Xross” Hwan | Nongshim | Sentinel/Duelist | 🇰🇷 Korean |
| #6 Ayarha “Ivy” Cruz | Nongshim | Controller | 🇨🇴 Colombian |
| #7 Georgio “keiko” Sanassy | NRG | Flex | 🇬🇧 British |
| #8 Jacob “valyn” Batio | G2 Esports | IGL | 🇺🇸 American |
| #9 Logan “skuba” Jenkins | NRG | Controller | 🇺🇸 American |
| #10 Adrian “invy” Reyes | Paper Rex | Initiator | 🇵🇭 Filipino |
#10 Adrian “invy” Reyes
Image via Colin Young-Wolff/Riot Games
At #10, Invy is the newest addition to the Paper Rex roster, and he’s already making this golden opportunity count. The Filipino used to be stuck in Team Secret jail, where he was clearly a standout player on a less-capable team.
However, invy transitioned into the Paper Rex lineup very well. Despite being the new kid on the block, invy has been the team’s highest rated player this year, which is an impressive feat considering the star power this roster has.
He played exceptionally well in his first international tournament – VCT Masters Santiago – and is just getting started.
#9 Logan “skuba” Jenkins
Image via Colin Young-Wolff/Riot Games
Reigning VCT Champion skuba came out of nowhere. He started his humble journey in the VCT Challengers League in 2025, before he was suddenly promoted and became a world champion in the span of months.
In 2026, skuba hasn’t slacked off, even a little bit. He’s still shooting hard and is looking like one of NRG’s best players. This is despite him playing roles that don’t necessarily put him in the spotlight.
His tier 1 career is just getting started, and there are no signs of him looking to slow down. Expect to see him featured heavily at Valorant betting sites in the coming months.
#8 Jacob “valyn” Batio
Image via Colin Young-Wolff/Riot Games
Valyn is the captain of one of the world’s best Valorant teams – G2 Esports. And even though he’s busy looking at the minimap and thinking of the next call to make, his aim is as sharp as ever. On top of that, he even plays smokes!
He’s by far one of the best fragging in-game leaders and is even one of G2’s highest-rated players throughout 2026. This is not something normal, and it’s only possible because of how great of a Valorant player valyn is.
In 2026, he’s looking like the complete package. He has the brains and the firepower, making him one of the most valuable players out there.
#7 Georgio “Keiko” Sanassy
Image via Colin Young-Wolff/Riot Games
Keiko recently made a huge career move, going from the comforts of EMEA to relocate to North America. He joined the champions-winning roster: NRG. Expectations for him were set pretty high, and so far, he’s delivered.
Despite being the newest player in such a star-studded roster, Keiko is the highest-rated player on the team. Not only are his numbers impressive, but he has also played eight different agents. Sentinel, smokes, to secondary duelist? This man can do it all.
If Keiko gets even more comfortable on his new team, who knows what he’s capable of for the rest of the year and beyond.
#6 Park “Ivy” Sung-hyeon
Image via Colin Young-Wolff/Riot Games
Ivy had to work hard for his spotlight. He started his Valorant journey from Premier Mode and took the longest path to franchising. And in 2026, he’s now an international champion, helping Nongshim RedForce win VCT Masters Santiago.
He’s cool, calm, collected, and always good for the clutch. He’s a very reliable player to be the last one alive, boasting a 27% clutch success rate — this is the 6th highest in all of VCT!
Even though he hasn’t been to too many international events, the nerves just don’t get to him either.
#5 Jung “Xross” Hwan
Image via Colin Young-Wolff/Riot Games
If Ivy’s arrival to the global scene was a surprise, Xross easily one ups him. The 18-year-old played with Nongshim RedForce in 2024 and helped the team in their journey to franchising. However, he didn’t meet the minimum age criteria for VCT and couldn’t play for the team because he was too young.
After turning 18, Xross re-joined the team and started dominating everyone. He has some of the crispiest aim in the scene and played a huge role in the grand final of VCT Masters Santiago. He dropped a 1.57 rating on Paper Rex in his first grand final to secure his first international trophy.
The scariest part is he’s doing all this despite being so young. In a year or two, he definitely has the potential to become a household name.
#4 Jason “f0rsakeN” Susanto
Image via Colin Young-Wolff/Riot Games
A contender for being one of the Valorant GOATs, f0rsakeN continues to impress in 2026. If Keiko’s eight agents were impressive, f0rsakeN raises it with nine. There’s no question he’s the best flex player in the world at this point.
f0rsakeN may not have the highest ratings or numbers compared to others on this list, but you can already tell how impactful he is by watching him play. Similar to valyn, he’s also doing this while being a heavy caller for the team.
Many people would agree he’s the most complete Valorant player in the world. He can literally do it all.
#3 Trent “trent” Cairns
Image via Colin Young-Wolff/Riot Games
If you’re looking for a consistent player, trent’s name should pop up in your head. Despite holding a relatively low profile, trent has consistently been one of the best players in the world throughout 2025, and now, in 2026 too.
People called him a “Tejo Merchant” and thought he would drop off after the agent got nerfed. However, he’s proving everyone wrong this year. He’s G2’s highest-rated player and a top three performer at VCT Masters Santiago.
Tejo isn’t the reason for his rise to the top — it’s time we admit he’s just a really good player.
#2 Lee “Dambi” Hyuk-kyu
Image via Colin Young-Wolff/Riot Games
The MVP of VCT Masters Santiago, Dambi not only won an international trophy, but he also had a cultural impact on the scene. He’s easily the best Neon player in the world and pushed the Judge playstyle. Now, everyone in ranked Valorant matches is trying to be like him.
Still, even without his Neon shenanigans, Dambi is still a very, very capable player. He also displays world-class performances on Waylay with his explosive entries.
For someone new to the international scene and is already creating such an impact, Dambi definitely deserves this ranking. He just needs to make sure he doesn’t fall off.
#1 Martin “marteen” Pátek
Image via Colin Young-Wolff/Riot Games
If you’ve kept track of this player at all, it should be no surprise. marteen has been posting some of the craziest individual performances we’ve seen in Valorant history. Like, prime aspas stuff.
Though he’s only played two agents – Yoru and Phoenix – marteen is the highest rated player in the world. He broke the VCT kill record, dropping 126 kills in a Best of 5. He then proceeded to drop a 1.41 average rating in VCT Masters Santiago. To put it into perspective, the second player averaged 1.24.
He has been out of this world, and if his teammates can give him some help, he might take Gentle Mates to the top.
Owen Harsono
Owen lives for competition, spending most of his gaming hours on Dota 2, CS2, and Valorant. A regular on the SEA Dota 2 leaderboards, he combines his first-hand experience with a deep passion for esports journalism, following the professional scenes of all three esports betting titles religiously.
View full profileRead Also
Counter-Strike
Valorant
League of Legends
Counter-Strike
Counter-Strike
Valorant
Counter-Strike