Everyone who picks up VALORANT for the first time is often met with the very same question: "Which agent should I main?" Well, just like with everything in life, it depends. Depending on your playstyle, the map you play in, your rank, your teammates, among others, picking the right agent can be a different experience for everyone.
In this article, we will go over all the agents and their strong points as of patch 3.04 so you can figure out what you want to play. It is crucial to understand the 4 types of agents before proceeding. These are Duelists, Controllers, Sentinels, and Initiators.
Duelists
If you've played ranked you will know the frustration of having your whole team instantly lock 2 or more duelists. This is because they are probably the most fun class to play and that is because they are designed to make first contact with the enemy.
Duelists are the type of agent you might want to use if you have a high mechanical skill (namely good aim) or you feel confident in your ability to open up and clear sites. Currently, there are 5 different duelists to pick from:
1. Jett
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Jett can use the wind to make her fly up or dash from one spot to another
Overview
According to Blitz.gg and VLR.gg, this Agent has the highest pick rate in the game by far and it's no surprise. It's so common to have that one guy on your team who instantly locks Jett and ends up bottom fragging, but truthfully her kit is exceptional, as it allows for fast repositioning as well as temporarily blocking lines of sight.
Because of her dash, missing your first shots with this agent is much more forgivable. Keep this in mind if you are playing this Agent, as being aware of your escape options is key if you want to master Jett.
Strengths:
Very fun to play
Extremely strong kit for getting frags
Easy to get away from sticky situations
One of the best Ultimates in the game
Pick Jett if:
You have good aim
You know how to play off angles
You have map awareness to know your escape options
2. Raze
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Raze's kit is centered around explosions to deal anywhere from lethal to chip damage.
Overview
If you come from casual shooters, this might be your go-to agent. Her kit is super easy to understand: an explosive scouting bot, two blast packs that somewhat function like your typical C4, a frag grenade, and a massive rocket launcher. Nevertheless, fully mastering her abilities is a challenge that few can overcome.
This agent can easily clear out and scout angles with abilities. Also, her blast packs allow her to quickly reposition on any map. Her ultimate ability, in the right hands, is a guaranteed kill which can quickly change the tide of the round or even the entire match.
Strengths:
Her abilities can deal damage and get you kills
Makes enemies reposition, losing their cover
Super fast at rotating
Pick Raze if:
You have good movement and know how to air-strafe
Know common angles that enemies hold
Don’t have much experience with tactical shooters
3. Reyna
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Reyna steals enemy souls in order to use them to her advantage
Overview
Reyna is the agent with the most selfish kit in the game, which adds little to no useful abilities for the team. However, her fragging potential makes her a force to be reckoned with in the right hands.
The downside of picking this Agent is that half of her kit can only be used after getting a kill. Only use this agent if you are confident in your abilities to get kills, as killing just one enemy gives you the possibility to steamroll the opposing team.
Strengths:
Can heal to practically full health after every kill
Can reposition after getting kills with no penalty
Has huge fragging potential
Useful for ranking up in the lower ranks
Pick Reyna if:
You are extremely confident with your aim and game sense
You know how to play off angles
You're on a good streak
Want to play an agent with easy-to-understand abilities
4. Phoenix
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Phoenix can manipulate fire to damage enemies, heal himself and provide support to the team
Overview
Being one of the most often overlooked duelists in the game, Phoenix is a character that, despite being a duelist, adds an incredible amount of useful abilities to the team. Having the same capabilities as many controllers in the game and being able to self-heal, Phoenix is a must-try if you feel like playing an aggressive, yet supportive role.
Strengths:
Adds useful utility to the team
Good as an entry-fragger and defensive controller
Can self-heal for 100 HP total
Has the best ultimate in the game for entry-fragging
Pick Phoenix if:
You want to try duelists coming from more supportive roles
Your team lacks utility for entering sites
You’re good at entry-fragging
5. Yoru
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Yoru is the master of deception, as his enemies can never truly know where he is
Overview
Possibly the most infamous agent, known for having one of the lowest win rates in the game (depending on the rank). Despite that fact, if you know what you’re doing, Yoru can be a very strong addition to your team. High-ranking players such as Red or ethos have proven that you can make very good plays with this agent, but you must know what you’re doing.
Only use this agent in ranked after having a lot of experience. It is advisable to watch videos and learn how to play this agent as, if used improperly, you can throw your matches.
Strengths:
One of the strongest flashes in the game
Very good for giving your opponents fake information
Strong ultimate that regenerates really fast
Repositions very quickly
Pick Yoru if:
You’ve practiced with him in Unrated
You know how his flash-teleport trick works
You know Blindside and Gatecrash lineups
Controllers
If you plan on climbing to the higher ranks, you should bear in mind that every team composition must have a controller. These agents have kits specialized in controlling where enemies can’t cross, blocking parts of the map and reducing angles enemies can hold. They aren’t expected to top-frag, because it’s vital for them to stay alive so that the team can make full use of their abilities.
Controllers are the perfect pick for players that have good map awareness and strategic prowess, as their kit usually consists of smokes and AoE abilities. Knowing the best spots to deploy said abilities can add an insane amount of value to the team.
6. Astra
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Astra must activate her astral form to place her abilities
Overview
If you’re new to VALORANT you might have never gotten queued with an Astra. This is no surprise, as she is arguably the agent with the highest skill floor in the game. That said, all it takes is learning how to use her kit to be an unstoppable force, as all her abilities are extremely useful and can fully shut down any enemy push.
Having the possibility to use 5 smokes in a single round is a feat no other agent in the game can accomplish. Bear in mind that using this agent with pre-mades is a really good idea because good communication makes Astra much more dangerous.
Strengths:
Can stop any push in its tracks
Extremely strong in post-plant scenarios
Has a whopping 5 smokes
Pick Astra if:
You have good map awareness
You have good team coordination
You’ve practiced and fully understand her kit
7. Brimstone
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Brimstone's Ultimate can stop any plant or defuse with a simple click!
Overview
Brimstone is probably the easiest controller to understand and get used to. His smokes last an insane amount of time, and if all three are used in the same spot, you can block an angle for 58 seconds! Nevertheless, his kit in the last updates has gotten really expensive and it’s kind of underwhelming compared to other controllers. That said, Brimstone really shines on smaller maps like Bind and Split.
Strengths:
Very easy to use
Long-lasting molotov
Great at blocking enemy vision
Has some decent post-plant lineups
Pick Brimstone if:
You are playing small maps
You’re learning how to use controllers
You know your lineups
8. Viper
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Viper uses her toxins to block enemy vision and she punishes agression
Overview
If you watch professional matches, you may have realized that Viper is almost always present, especially on Breeze and Icebox. Having the ability to raise a wall that can block off multiple angles, as well as a normal smoke makes Viper the ultimate agent for map control.
Her ult can easily lock down a site, and, on top of that, lineups with her snakebite ability can secure almost any round that reaches a post-plant scenario. She may very well be one of the strongest agents in the game if you know your lineups.
Strengths:
Can secure many rounds because of her powerful lineups
Can block off an insane amount of angles per round
Her ultimate ability can easily lock down sites
Is always valuable to the team as long as you know lineups
Pick Viper if:
You are playing large maps
You know your lineups
You know where to set up your Toxic Screens
9. Omen
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Omen is a phantom that uses his dark powers to quickly teleport and reposition, while also providing support for his team
Overview
Omen is an agent that is all-around very powerful. His smokes are amazing, his Shrouded Step makes it easy to get to unexpected angles, and, according to fnatic Boaster Omen has one of the strongest flashes in the game. Add an ultimate that is excellent at creating pressure and you have a controller that is very well rounded and great for both newer and more advanced players, especially for solo-queuing.
Strengths:
Is very well-rounded
One of the strongest flashes in the game
Can quickly reposition and get to unexpected angles
Strong for executes
Plays really well inside his smokes
Pick Omen if:
You’re creative with your Shrouded Steps
Your team is missing smokes and a flash
You are solo-queueing
Sentinels
This type of agent is designed to stop enemy aggression in its tracks. Though these agents are usually more useful on the defending side, they are still a threat to consider when on the attacking side. Whether it’s by preventing enemy flanks or stopping enemies from entering a site, Sentinels are usually considered necessary for winning your matches.
Sentinels are usually expected to bottom-frag, as they have the most passive roles in the game. If you have bad aim, you might want to consider using these agents because landing your shots is nowhere near as important as adding value to the team with your utility.
10. Sage
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Sage uses her powers to aid her teammates and delay enemies
Overview
Sage is one of the most picked agents in the game according to Blitz.gg, only beaten by Jett and Reyna, depending on the rank. The reason this is the case is because her utility is insanely useful, no matter the map. Whether it's closing mid on Split, Bind, or Haven, Sage's wall is an incredible asset to have on the team. That, coupled with her ability to revive and heal players makes her the best supportive agent in the game (as of patch 3.04).
Strengths:
Currently the best support Agent.
Her walls and slows can delay a push for a long time
Can boost herself to unexpected angles with her wall
Pick Sage if:
You’re okay with being a support player
Your team lacks utility to stop pushes
You pay attention to your teammates HP and use your res often
11. Killjoy
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Killjoy is an expert in robotics that uses her technology to severely punish enemy agression
Overview
Give an agent a sentry gun, two grenades that function like molotovs, and essentially a mine that reveals enemy positions and you have an agent that turns the game into easy mode. If you're looking to rank up quickly, Killjoy might be the right pick for you. She has a super defensive playstyle, a turret that gathers info and allows for easy trades, and is even super useful for post-plant.
Strengths:
Extremely strong for passive play
Takes care of enemy flanks on attacking side
Easy to use
Pick Killjoy if:
You want to rank up fast on solo-queue
You like playing defensively
12. Cypher
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Cypher has an eye on every corner of the map. No enemies are safe from him!
Overview
Next on the list is the information master Cypher. With this agent, no enemy will ever catch you off guard, because all 4 of his abilities can be used to spot enemies, whether it’s nearby or on the other side of the map. Getting through Cypher’s defences can be extremely annoying, which makes him an excellent site anchor.
Cypher is also incredible at stopping enemy flanks on the attacking side, making him equally powerful on attacking and on defence. Just bear in mind that some maps like Icebox aren’t very compatible with his abilities.
Strengths:
Gathers a lot of valuable information for the team
Is equally good on offence and defence
Pick Cypher if:
You like gathering information for the team
You want to ensure you don’t get flanked
You want to hold down sites on defence
Initiators
Whether it’s by blinding your opponents, revealing their positions or disabling their abilities, Initiators are designed around enabling a site to push in with your team. Their kits offer supportive abilities, but these agents can be as lethal as duelists. You don’t necessarily need initiators on your team to win, but someone who has mastered an initiator can potentially be very dangerous.
This is the type of agent you want to play if you are used to the aggressive support playstyle. Being able to get frags and, at the same time, using your abilities to enable sites is something Initiators excel at. Keep in mind, Initiators should usually never lurk, they should be on the execute with the team.
13. Skye
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Skye uses nature's powers to help her team by making enemies vulnerable to attacks
Overview
If you have trouble entering sites, consider Skye’s kit, which makes going into sites super easy. She has a tiger that can clear corners, and insanely strong flashes that tell you when somebody has been blinded. This means that your team will have all the information needed to clear a site. On top of that, she is one of two agents in the game that have a healing ability, which can be super useful, especially on pistol rounds.
Strengths:
Can be used to gather information
Can be used as an entry-fragger
Some of the best flashes in the game
Pick Skye if:
You like to play aggressively, yet, having the possibility to stay back if needed
You have enough map awareness to know where to use your abilities
14. Kay/O
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Kay/O's origin is not very clear... all that is known is that he can be very deadly
Overview
Despite being amazing on paper, Kay/O has been rather underwhelming since his release. Maybe it’s the fact that he hasn’t been out for long and hasn’t seen much play, because his kit can surely be very strong.
Being able to disable your opponent’s abilities while keeping yours puts your enemies at a huge disadvantage. Couple that with the rest of Kay/O’s abilities (which are very reminiscent of Counter Strike grenades) and your matches with this agent make it seem more like you’re playing CS:GO.
Strengths:
His disabling knife can reveal enemy locations
Can force the enemies to dry peek
A really strong pop-flash
Can instantly disable Jett and Raze Ults
Pick Kay/O if:
You’re playing closed maps like Bind or Haven
You come from CS:GO
15. Breach
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Breach can cause tremors that stun enemies
Overview
Similarly to Kay/O, Breach has been rather underwhelming in the most recent patches, despite the buffs. However, by no means is he weak, as he has an over-powered ultimate that essentially makes entering sites free.
Also, having a strong pop-flash and a stun ability that was recently buffed makes him really powerful for enabling sites. Many players are expecting this agent to get buffs, which, already having a kit with a lot of potential, might make him a must-pick in the future.
Strengths:
Extremely strong pop-flash
Decent abilities for clearing corridors
Exceptional ultimate ability
Pick Breach if:
You’re playing maps with small corridors like Hookah on Bind
You have good team coordination to peek with your flashes
16. Sova
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Sova can spot enemies from one side of the map to the other
Overview
Sova is considered, by many players, the best agent in the game. He has the highest pick rate in pro play by far and his abilities easily provide the most value in the game. In order to be a good Sova though, you need to know dozens, if not hundreds of lineups for each situation.
Sova is the only agent that can reveal and damage enemies from one side of the map to the other. Overall, his kit is extremely powerful at revealing enemy positions, preventing plants, and dealing massive damage with his Shock Darts and ultimate ability.
Strengths:
Can stop plants with Shock Dart lineups
Can reveal enemies from anywhere in the map (as long you find the lineup)
His ultimate ability can ensure a kill or two if preceded by his Owl Drone
Even without good aim, provides a lot of value with lineups
Pick Sova if:
You have good team coordination to play with on your information
I've been visiting digital worlds since my youth, researched countless tomes and practiced for hours upon hours... But I'm still bad at League of Legends
Gamer Since:
2006
Currently Playing:
VALORANT
Top 3 Favorite Games:
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, Borderlands 2, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
