VALORANT's Top Agents for Ranked: Current Patch

Today there is a fairly wide selection of agents, all of which are popular on the pro scene to varying degrees. Based on classes and abilities, agents are selected based on the maps in play and the current meta, which changes with each patch.

In this content we offer a pick list of the best ranged agents in VALORANT. The overall list should be useful for all players competing alone or with a squad.

Agents on the current patch

S-Tier

Sova

At lower ranks, only a small fraction of players make use of Sova's abilities. This factor makes the agent's skills even more valuable. Furthermore, at higher ranks, Sova's abilities can easily be combined with duelists. The agent itself is very effective in duels and round endings, especially in the case of a cluttered plunger and a sparring penalty. His skill also has a big influence on team play.

Reyna

Every smurf's favourite agent. Reyna is designed to be selfish and play for herself, making her the consummate agent of choice in any solo match. When it comes to team play, Reyna's skills give her an added bonus in coordinated interactions and create some space.

Jett

An equally iconic agent, who is most useful both offensively and defensively. Jett can quickly clear space in the attack for the team and also remains the first choice among snipers. Combined with his aggressive style, his abilities allow him to dictate the outcome of the game, as well as single-handedly shut down rounds.

Killjoy

The most effective melee agent ever, with a broad range of skill sets for team play. Thanks to recent changes to the meta, Killjoy is now an even more finely tuned agent, capable of giving your team extra space. What's more, it's usable on all active pool maps, which only adds to its popularity and indispensability.

Raze

Raze is the only duelist capable of autonomously mining information, taking up space and giving extra spacing when played on defense. It is a highly versatile agent that can perform many solo actions thanks to its 'explosive' abilities. Despite its strong nerf, Raze still gives great potential and is highly mobile on all maps.

Viper

Viper is considered the default pick on certain maps and can be a bit of a stretch when it comes to spike situations. Furthermore, the agent is extremely effective against slow opponents who act from information. This style exposes the Viper to the max, allowing the player to utilise his full ability set.

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A-Tier

Gekko

Gekko has a very strong and versatile skill set, allowing him to take on the game in both solo and matched formation. Though he was significantly weakened in the last patch, Gekko is still an indispensable player on most maps.

Sage

Sage is an excellent choice to play on teams. Given the unique skill set an agent has to offer, most players tend to choose her, regardless of maps.

Omen

Omen is a great specialist with a cool set of abilities most suited to single player play. The agent can also explore space and test your opponent's fortifications while staying safe.

Skye

Recent changes to Skye have directed the agent towards teamwork. However, the agent now relies heavily on coordination and communication, as without this the player will struggle to reach the full potential of his skills.

Brimstone

Brimstone appears to be a very simple agent whose main function is to help the team get into position. He is also very effective in post-planning situations, such as holding down the spike or knocking attacking players out of position.

Phoenix

The recent changes to the Phoenix have added variation to the agent and given it an extra edge in duels. Given the ability set, the agent is more suited for solo play.

B-Tier

Cypher

After a small but effective change, and a major downgrade of the Chamber, Cypher has gained traction among professional players. Stretch now gives the player more abilities, while other modifications allow the Cypher to reach its full potential with each successive game.

Breach

Breach is a reasonably potent agent, but requires a great deal of coordination to play effectively. However, his usefulness becomes more noticeable with increasing rank, if we're talking about team play alone.

Fade

Fade's skill set is quite strong, and he's fairly easy to play with in teamwork, even with minimal communication and coordination. "Grab" is a very underrated ability, as it allows Fade to quickly cut off space and give extra time to rotate.

Astra

Another agent that requires more coordination with teammates. Also, Astra isn't suitable for single-player play as the player is heavily dependent on communication. Still, Astra is more popular as his rank increases.

Neon

As a duelist, Neon requires a lot of resources from teammates and cannot be used on most maps except Fracture and Pearl. Given its reliance on coordination and teammates, Neon is unlikely to be suitable for low ranked players.

C-Tier

Yoru

Despite recent tweaks and refinements, Yoru still struggles to find a place in the meta and maintains a low win percentage. Also not to be overlooked is the fact that it's very easy to pick up an algorithm against him, making him less effective at higher ranks.

KAY/O

KAY/O has a reasonably strong skill set and is generally a good solo player. However, it's also team dependent and not a popular choice amongst players.

Chamber

Chamber has quickly morphed from being the strongest to one of the weakest agents. Given the constant nerfs, the Chamber has lost a lot in popularity among both guards and snipers. Now the firepower of the agent is clearly not enough to compete with other spades.

Harbor

Since its introduction Harbor has struggled to find its place in the mété. While all other specialists offer obvious advantages on their strongest cards, Harbor is unable to replace them on any of them.

The best agent sets on popular maps

Ascent

• Sova, Omen, Killjoy, Jett, KAY/O

Fracture

• Fade, Killjoy, Brimstone, Raze, Breach

Haven

• Fade, Killjoy, Omen, Raze, Breach

Icebox

• Sova, Killjoy, Sage, Jett, Viper

Pearl

• Fade, Killjoy, KAY/O, Jett, Astra
• Killjoy, Sage, Jett, Omen, Fade