If you’re like me, who plays Valorant like their life depends on it, I’m sure you’re always looking for power picks that can help you climb the ranks. Combining my experience and knowledge with the community’s opinion, I’ve created a tier list of the best Valorant Agents for Patch 7.09.
| ICON | TIER | AGENT | ROLE | PICK RATE | DIFFICULTY LEVEL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | S | Killjoy | Sentinel | 5.0% | Medium |
 | S | Viper | Controller | 3.0% | Hard |
 | S | Cypher | Sentinel | 4.9% | Hard |
 | S | Sova | Initiator | 4.4% | Hard |
 | S | Jett | Duelist | 7.5% | Hard |
 | S | Raze | Duelist | 8.2% | Hard |
 | S | Skye | Initiator | 6.2% | Medium |
 | A | Fade | Initiator | 2.2% | Medium |
 | A | Reyna | Duelist | 11.8% | Easy |
 | A | Phoenix | Duelist | 3.6% | Easy |
 | A | Iso | Duelist | 0.8% | Medium |
 | A | Omen | Controler | 9.2% | Medium |
 | B | Gekko | Initiator | 2.9% | Medium |
 | B | Breach | Initiator | 2.5% | Hard |
 | B | Astra | Controller | 1.4% | Hard |
 | B | Yoru | Duelist | 2.2% | Hard |
 | C | Neon | Duelist | 2.1% | Medium |
 | C | Brimstone | Controller | 4.7% | Easy |
 | C | Sage | Sentinel | 8.5% | Easy |
 | C | Harbor | Controller | 1.0% | Medium |
 | C | Chamber | Sentinel | 4.4% | Easy |
 | C | KAY/O | Initiator | 2.2% | Medium |
 | D | Deadlock | Sentinel | 1.2% | Medium |
Killjoy
If you’re looking for a top-tier defensive anchor, Killjoy is your gal. She’s an insanely strong defender and can easily hold sites on her own. She’s a beast on maps like Ascent and Split, which are all part of the current map pool. The return of Breeze and addition of Sunset also solidify her place as a top Sentinel.
Killjoy is also great at watching flanks once you’re on the Attacker’s side. She can also help delay defuses using Nanoswarm lineups and can help you easily attack sites using Lockdown. She’s just so much better than the other Sentinel Agents in the game, and you simply can’t go wrong when choosing her.
Viper
Viper is another Agent who rose through the ranks because of how the current map pool favors her kit. She’s a top-tier Controller, especially on newer maps like Pearl and Lotus. Breeze also makes a comeback, which is another fantastic Viper map.
Her ability to defend sites like a Sentinel also provides insane value for her team. Her Viper’s Pit ultimate is also an insane ability for post plants or retakes, allowing for instant site control. Add her molly lineups and smoke decay, making Viper the ultimate lineup demon.
Cypher
Cypher is quickly challenging Killjoy for that top Sentinel spot in Valorant. The value he brings to a team is the ability to leave sites guarded using his Trapwires and Camera, something that KJ can’t do.
The buffs that Cypher received helped push him back into the meta. His Trapwires are his bread and butter, and now that they can’t easily be countered, Cypher can anchor sites effortlessly. Cypher can make maps like Breeze, Sunset, and Haven his playground.
Sova
Sova is by far the best Initiator in Valorant right now. He’s a valuable addition to any team because of his ability to clear corners and scan areas. A good Sova will make it feel like your team has wallhacks.
He also provides a great balance between offense and support abilities, making him a well-rounded Agent. Not to mention how well he delays defuses using his Shock Darts and ultimate. Sova will make the enemy team cry if you have the right lineups.
Raze
If you’re looking for damage, Raze is your gal. Her utility can easily clear corners, engage fights, and enter sites on Attack. While her recent nerfs in Patch 7.09 hurt her value a bit, she remains one of the premier Agents that Valorant has to offer.
Raze is hands-down one of the best Valorant agents you can use if you’re looking to rank up fast. She does a little bit of everything while damaging enemies in the process. She’s powerful enough to carry the team on Attack while also being a solid Defender, unlike the other Duelists.
Jett
No matter how hard Riot nerfs Jett, she always finds a way back into the meta. Her pick rate suffered a bit during the early days of her major nerfs, but players quickly went back to her when things got rough. Jett can still work as a fast-paced Duelist; you just have to be more cautious with your steps.
Jett remains the prime Operator Agent in Valorant – sorry, Chamber. Her ability to take weird angles is just unmatched. You know what they say: “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.” Go ahead and continue to instalock Jett.
Skye
Skye has seen a slight resurgence. I guess the rise of double Initiators in pro play has finally started to dwindle into Competitive matchmaking. It might also have to do with Sage’s fall. It’s only natural to replace a mediocre healer with a better one.
Overall, Skye is one of the more flexible Initiators. She offers a bit of everything, making her an incredibly strong pick as a secondary Initiator. Her Seekers, Guiding Light, and Trailblazer are efficient ways to engage in fights or gather information before your Duelists kick the doors down. When everything’s said and done, group up and heal back up with Regrowth.
Fade
If you want to instill fear into your opponents, then Fade is the best Valorant Agent for you. Fade is a solid Initiator option that does a bit of everything. She can scan enemies, clear corners, drag enemies out of cover, and has a large AOE ultimate.
Fade can provide various tools to her team and create unique opportunities. She also pairs well with top-tier agents like Raze and Jett, making her fit in most team comps. She’s an excellent choice and will work well on most maps, even without any lineups. In the current meta, a Sova or Fade on your team makes winning easier.
Reyna
Reyna has always been a carrying machine, and she’s the best Valorant Agent to carry with. Her simple abilities, combined with an independent and self-healing kit, result in an insanely strong Agent as long as you’ve got the aim to back it up.
The thing with Reyna is that you need to get kills. You’re useless if you aren’t getting kills and will probably be flamed by your team. So, if you’re the type of player who’s always worried about your combat score, then Reyna is the Agent for you. Just make sure to always keep your aim training on point.
Phoenix
The introduction of the new Duelist hurt the play rate of less-popular Agents like Phoenix. Despite lower pick rates, Phoenix remains a solid option that fits within most team compositions and works on any Valorant map.
He’s an excellent all-around Agent who can single-handedly enter a site. Need some cover? No problem, I’ve got Blaze. Need to entry? Flashes for days. When he finally gets control of the site and gets damaged, he can throw Hot Hands and prepare for the next duel. Phoenix has got you covered.
Iso
Now that Iso has been out a while, we’re already starting to see how powerful the new Valorant Agent is. Right now, I believe Iso is in a powerful position because most players don’t know how to counter him yet. He’s no S-tier by any means, but he’s OP when placed in the right hands.
He’s perfect for demon aimers and provides more teamplay opportunities than someone like Reyna. I’m sure all the hype will die down eventually, so take advantage of Iso now before everyone knows how to counter him.
Omen
Omen is perfect for players who have an aggressive or lurking playstyle but still want to help their team out. His long-range smokes are perfect for those lurks while still helping your team on the other side. The current pool also works in Omen’s favor. He can pretty much work on any given map with a few adjustments to your game.
Omen’s From the Shadows also allows you to teleport anywhere on the map, resulting in unique opportunities that no other Agent can perform. He can also easily perform outplays and baits with his abilities when needed. He’s one of the best Valorant Agents right now because of how well his abilities work with different playstyles.
Gekko
Upon first release, Gekko was the talk of the town. He was quite powerful at first, but once players knew how to counter him, he slowly fell off the charts. Don’t get me wrong, he’s still a decent pick and can actually be OP on some of the more open maps.
He has a flash, a molly, a lil buddy that can plant or defuse, and a detaining roaming ultimate. Because of his unique abilities, he easily fits most team comps without much conflict.
Breach
Breach has the Initiator role in Valorant. His kit is mainly composed of stuns, concusses, and flashes that put the enemy team in a dazed and confused state. He’s one of the agents who greatly benefited from the current map pool, which helped increase his effectiveness and popularity.
He can be quite tricky to use, which is mainly why he isn’t exactly S-tier material. However, a good Breach player is definitely one of the most annoying ones to go up against.
Astra
Astra has quietly seen a resurgence in Valorant play. She’s a favorite among pro players because of her versatile kit and insane utility. With the recent buffs to her abilities in Patch 7.04, I look forward to an increase in her pick rate across Valorant-ranked games.
Overall, Astra has the skillset to become one of the top Valorant Agents. The thing that hinders her most is her difficulty to use. Most players can’t effectively take advantage of Astra’s kit because she requires a ton of game and map knowledge.
Yoru
Yoru being played again is one of the biggest plot twists of 2023. He’s been so bad for so long that I sometimes forget he’s even in the game. However, Yoru Gatecrashed his way into B-Tier with a few tweaks to his kit and maps favoring more lurks. It also helps that TenZ started using him a lot recently.
There are still times when you’ll see Yoru players inadvertently flash teammates, teleport to death, and fail at lurking. He’s still not the best Duelist in town, but he’s definitely usable. Yoru requires the right player to be at his peak, which is why he’s in B-Tier for now.
Neon
If you’re looking for speed on your team, Neon is the Agent to play. Like Jett, she enters sites with a burst of speed. She also has walls to cover vision, a bouncing stun, and finger guns for an ultimate.
Neon is definitely one of the more enjoyable Agents to play in Valorant. But her lackluster ult and reliance on good Initiators to succeed is what brings her down to our C in our Valorant tier list. Just don’t forget to use a Valorant mouse that can keep up with your speed.
Brimstone
Brimstone is one of the best Valorant Agents for beginners because of how easy deploying his smokes are. But that’s also the reason why he’s not that great. Unlike other Controllers with reusable smokes, once Brim’s smokes expire, that’s it.
His Stim Beacon can definitely be useful in rushes and in certain situations. Brim’s Incendiary and Orbital Strike are great tools to delay defuses. Overall, he’s decent and can still work as a substitute or backup Agent.
Sage
It probably comes as a huge shock that Sage is low on our list of the best Valorant Agents. Despite her relatively high pick rate, she’s just not as powerful as she used to be.
Sage can still be a pretty decent pick because of her healing and revive ability. However, she lacks the site anchoring power needed in the current meta. This is the primary reason why she’s in our C-Tier.
Harbor
Harbor offers decent zoning abilities and opens up opportunities for unique plays. Unfortunately, he requires the perfect mix of aggressiveness and passiveness to be successful. That’s a feat that’s rarely achievable by most players.
He can also be a bit difficult to use, especially compared to other Controllers. Most players also prefer Viper because of the stronger ultimate and the defuse delay potential with lineups.
Chamber
Unsurprisingly, we see the revival of the other Operator-based Agent in the game. Chamber has been pretty much left untouched since Patch 5.12, so he still isn’t S-Tier material. However, he does have better value in today’s game, especially with the Breeze rework in play.
Chamber is primarily excellent as an alternative OP user. Unfortunately, that might be all that he is suitable for. His coverage will always be worse than other Sentinels, and with the rise of the Cyphers and KJs of the world, Chamber just starts to fall deeper into the hole.
KAY/O
KAY/O is one of the top Agents in professional Valorant. He provides a ton of utility within his kit and a valuable NULL/CMD ultimate that prevents enemies from using their abilities. To become truly effective, KAY/O requires a ton of coordination – something you’ll rarely see in your ranked games.
When put in the right hands, KAY/O is an angle-clearing expert who can sometimes replace Duelists as entry fraggers. But due to the nature of Competitive games, KAY/O just doesn’t work as well as he does in pro play. However, I do recommend trying him out if you’re playing with a group to rank up.
Deadlock
The D in D-Tier Valorant Agents stands for “Deadlock.” She was quite decent at first release, primarily because most players didn’t know how to play around her kit yet. Unfortunately, she quickly fell off because of her evident inferiority to the other Sentinels.
Deadlock’s best ability is her Annihilation ultimate. Her Barrier Mesh is also decent, but the rest are just trash. Even the best Valorant players don’t know what to do with her since she’s the only Valorant Agent who didn’t get played during Valorant Champions 2023. Yikes.
