Valorant agent tier list: The best picks for patch 2.08

Fariha Bhatti Published 08/05/2021

Riot Games’ shooter has evolved into a cutthroat game that has players spending hours in practice servers to get better. Even with good aim, some players still struggle to gain Rank Rating. The race to climb the ladder is difficult, but can be made easier by picking the best agents.

In Counter-Strike, gaining rank relies heavily on aim but that’s not the case in Valorant. The ability to effectively use a character’s abilities is just as important as being able to hit a sick flick. And it’s important to remember that not all agents are created equal.

With that in mind, here are the best agents in Valorant. The rankings are based on agent pick rate, professional tournaments, the current meta, and overall agent viability.

Here’s a quick peek at the tiers the Valorant agents currently belong in patch 2.08:

Top-tier agents: Jett, Sova, Raze, Viper
Viable options: Omen, Sage, Reyna, Killjoy, Cypher, Astra
Situational choices: Pheonix, Brimstone, Skye, Breach, Yoru

Top-tier agents in Valorant

Jett

Swift as the wind and super agile, Jett sits at the top of the agent rankings. Her compelling ultimate has made her the number-one pick of Valorant pros like Matthew “Wardell” Yu, Tyson “TenZ” Ngo, and many more. A Jett main has a higher chance of bagging kills, grabbing game MVPs, and ultimately boosting Valorant MMR. Her ability to reach elevated areas and hike around the map makes her one of the most formidable agents to play against.

Sova

Sova is the only agent who can make a case for being Jett’s equal. His versatile kit allows him to frag out or be a key team player, and be a force on both offense and defense. If you’re rolling in a five-man lobby, picking Sova greatly boosts your odds of winning. Sova’s steep learning curve has made him a rare pick in lower-rank lobbies, but by learning the tips and tricks for each map a player can be a serious force for their team.

Raze

Simple to use but highly viable, Raze works wonders in both high and low-ranked lobbies. There’s no rocket science to her kit as she carries destructive items that allow her to deal in damage while staying in the backlines. As with Sova, her kit is flexible in a way that lets her make her presence felt in any situation and at any stage in the game.

Viper

Patch 2.08 pulled Viper from the bottom of the picklist and put her right near the top. The addition of new map Breeze combined with the boosted potency of her toxins makes her a deadly agent. The controller can lock down half the map and her smoke ensures that enemies don’t set foot into a site.

Viable Valorant agents in most comps

Omen

The mysterious smoker is your safest bet on any large map. It’s essential to have a versatile smoker on your side to bag more rounds on the attacker side, and Omen’s map control makes him one of the best. The agent also sees a high pick rate in professional games due to his ability to smoke through walls.

Sage

One of the early favorites remains a good pick today. Sage is worth picking if your team likes to execute hard pushes and pick duels. The healer can restore health, throw up walls, and buy time for their teammates in all sorts of situations.

Reyna

Reyna has lost some of her popularity as Valorant’s meta has evolved. However, the duelist remains dominant in public matchmaking’s fast-paced games. If you’re a fragger who has sharp aim and doesn’t want to bother with things like teamwork and coordination, Reyna is the best option there is.

Killjoy

Killjoy is viable thanks to her high-damage kit. The Sentinel can effectively watch backlines, deny Spike plants, and cover a large area on the map with her skills. Her ability to turn the game around without directly engaging in duels makes her a strong pick in almost every comp.

Cypher

Casual players still struggle to comprehend Cypher’s kit, but this agent is a steady presence in high-rank games. His information-gathering abilities earned him some nerfs, but that hasn’t hurt his popularity among high MMR players.

Astra

While Astra is still relatively a fresh face, her map control tools have put her in a good place with skilled players. The controller is particularly strong thanks to her ability to help seal up rounds for her team with her abilities. Thanks to the addition of maps like Breeze, Astra may even ladder up to the top tier in the near future.

Situational options and counter-plays

Phoenix

Phoenix is essentially a pure duelist, but his ultimate allows him to make initiation plays and gather intel. His kit has a high pop-off potential since he can flash in, deal damage, and quickly heal himself in the process. However, the agent lacks efficacy compared with other duelists like Reyna and Jett.

Brimstone

Brimstone is most certainly still a top agent, but a change in the meta has pushed him down the tier list. His giant globes of smoke still make him useful on large maps, but he doesn’t really have anything that makes him a go-to choice relative to other controllers.

Skye

Skye has failed to really stand out relative to other initiators. She still has one of the best flashes in the game and can do some work as a result, but her other abilities aren’t really good enough to make her a strong choice outside of specific circumstances.

Breach

Despite a boost to his flash kit, Breach fails to contribute much in lower-ranked solo games. His equipment shines the most in high-ranked lobby-style games where he can put his flashes and concusses to good use. Opening a site becomes a cakewalk with Breach when he’s on a coordinated team, but for the purposes of a public matchmaking environment, he’s not the best choice.

Yoru

Yoru received some significant buffs to his whole kit in recent patches, but he’s still one of the worst duelists in Valorant. Yoru can be a strong initiator with his teleport and flash, but his kill potential is low in both solo and team games.

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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