This is why Killjoy's pick rate is higher than other agents

Fariha Bhatti Published 20/12/2020

When the best agents in Valorant are discussed, Killjoy is often disregarded. However, stats show that the genius of Germany is an underdog that is slowly making her way to the top.

Revealed in August, Killjoy is still relatively new to the game. The agent didn’t enjoy the hype that it deserved as Riot showered the game with significant updates that took away the spotlight from Valorant’s tech-savvy sentinel.

Valorant’s Act II update adds a new agent Killjoy

Despite the lack of attention, the agent is doing quite well among the Valorant players. In the Valorant First Strike tournament, 31% of professional players preferred Killjoy over Pheonix and Viper, according to vlr.gg. Beating the likes of Breach and Brimstone, Killjoy stands alongside the most picked agents. In higher ranks, the German sentinel is picked by 11% of the players, whereas Brimstone, who’s an older agent, sits at the bottom of the ranking with a 2.3% pick rate.

At lower ranks, Killjoy beats Cypher, who has a pick rate of 6.8%, according to blitz.gg. Both Brimstone and Cypher were part of the original Valorant clan that was released in the beta version. Despite being familiar and remaining efficient, the two agents are struggling behind Killjoy in the pick rate department.

What makes Killjoy good?

Donned up in bright colours and bold glasses, Killjoy’s kit is entirely opposite of her avatar. While the genius or Germany has a lively personality, her equipment is known to wreck the enemies in silence. Her ability to juggle between a passive and aggressive playstyle is precisely what makes her good.

Sage and Cypher, the other two Sentinels, lack everything that Killjoy has. The German agent has a unique kit that allows players to use her in innovative ways. Part of the reason her pick rate is improving is due to her ability to suit players with different play styles.

Her sentinel counterparts like to remain on the sidelines. Sage’s kit requires her to stay alive untill the very end of an engagement, and Cypher becomes useless as soon as he dies. Killjoy makes up for her weak points by being destructive throughout a round.

The Russian spy Cypher’s kit does a great job at gathering intel, but isn’t as strong when it comes to damaging enemies. Conversely, Killjoy’s kit does everything that Cypher’s does while also causing significant damage. For example, her turret watches flanks and rotations, allowing Killjoy to clear angles at the bomb point when needed.

Killjoy’s ultimate is also way different than the other two sentinels. It makes enemies vulnerable, which prevents them from entering the bomb point. In some way, Brimstone and Viper’s ultimates serve the same purpose, but lack other special abilities that Killjoy has to offer.

The German agent’s equipment is a mix of everything that you need to win in a game of Valorant. It’s her nature to adapt and destruct that is eventually making her the favourite agent of Valorant players.

Fariha Bhatti

About Fariha Bhatti

Fariha Bhatti is a long-time gaming writer who loves competitive FPS games and slots with particularly fun themes. She got her start playing classic games developed by SNK, from legendary fighting game series The King of Fighters to challenging platform franchise Metal Slug. She now spends most of her time playing Valorant and Counter-Strike 2 while working her way through new slot releases to find her next favorite. Fariha has been published at PCGamesN, TalkEsport and ONE Esports.

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