There are some massive changes to agents in Patch 3.0 in Valorant. The meta is sure to change, so take a look at our Patch 3.0 Valorant Agent tier list.
Riot Games changed a lot of things for Patch 3.0. The Episode 3, Act 1 changes are among some of the biggest yet among all of the Valorant patches. They changed everything from weapons, agents, the UI, and even some competitive updates.
Riot even added a new agent that silences the abilities of your enemies, which promotes a focus on gunplay. All of the changes point towards Riot finally listening to the player base and emphasizing more gunplay and less ability impact.
Thanks to all the different changes, the Valorant meta is shifting. New agents are rising to the top, while some fall down the tiers. Take a look at our patch 3.0 Valorant Agent tier list.
Valorant Agent Tier List for Patch 3.0 Episode 3, Act 1
We decided to group the agents into 5 different tiers, S, A, B, C, and D. S tier will be the best to play and use during this patch, and D being the worst or hardest to play during this patch.
These tiers and purely our own opinion and are based on the changes they received during patch 3.0. Feel free to disagree with our picks in the comments.
S Tier Agents – Jett, Cypher, and Breach
Jett
Jett has always been in the meta ever since her release. She’s always been one of the fan favorites, thanks to her charming personality and excellent abilities. Unfortunately, she received a few nerfs this patch, including an increased cost to her Updraft and her Cloudburst.
Her Bladestorm ability also received a nerf, and she can no longer dash to break Cypher’s Trapwires. Even though Jett received a lot of nerfs, her Tailwind didn’t receive a hard nerf. It’s still the best ability in her kit since it allows her to peek dangerous angles with little consequences.
The price changes to the Operator also helps solidify her as an S Tier Agent since Jett is still the best Valorant Agent to pair with the weapon.
Cypher
Cypher received some decent buffs with his ultimate going down from 7 required points to 6. This makes it easier for him to use his ultimate and help his team find information more often. Plus, the changes to Jett’s Tailwind means that there’s one less skill that can counter his Trapwires.
Breach
Breach is one of the Agents that received some pretty insane changes. First, his Flashpoint received a cost increase and charge decrease but has a faster projectile speed. I personally think this is a buff for Breach since it makes his flash harder to dodge.
Both Breach’s Fault Line and Rolling Thunder had their width increased with his After Shock receiving a larger explosion radius and 2 more blasts. They also got other changes, but, overall they were still buffed.
These new changes to Breach make him one of the top Initiators and Agents in the game.
A Tier Agents – KAY/O, Reyna, Skye, Viper
KAY/O
KAY/O is the newest addition to the expanding Valorant Agent roster. It is a robot built to neutralize radiants. He is an Initiator in Valorant and can silence or suppress enemies within a certain area. Suppressed enemies cannot use their abilities until the effect ends.
It is a powerful Agent early on in the meta. Its ability to suppress enemies partnered with his flash make a very deadly combo. Its strength may just come from players not yet knowing how to counter and play around it. Nevertheless, KAY/O is near the top of the Valorant Agent tier list and is a good pick overall.
Reyna
The only thing that changed in Reyna’s kit was her Leer ability. It now costs 250 credits instead of 200, which means you’ll just have to better manage your money. Overall, this isn’t a huge change since her power still comes from her Dismiss and Devour abilities.
If you have good aim, Reyna is still one of the best agents to single-handedly carry a game. Her abilities are just insane if you can get kills and use them effectively in the game.
Skye
Her Trailblazer skill received a decent buff. Its vision got increased as well as the concussion duration making it an overall better intel ability. Skye’s Guiding Light is why I think she’s A tier at the moment.
Guiding Light had its charges reduced down to 2, and its price increased to 250. However, it now replenishes on a 40-second cooldown, has a softer audio volume, and can be popped without re-equipping your gun.
These are pretty great changes to Skye’s blind ability and allows her to use multiple Guiding Lights in a long round. It also makes the ability way better and more usable than before, especially since she can pop the flash while holding her gun. Overall, I think Skye is in a good position right now and hopefully, she stays that way in the future.
Viper
Viper received some additional nerfs this patch. I guess her insane buffs during Patch 2.06 just made her way too powerful, and Riot is slowly bringing her down. Viper’s Snakebite now only lasts 6.5 seconds instead of 8, making her stalling ability a bit lower.
I still think that Viper is a really good Controller since she can also act as a semi-Sentinel. As long as her Toxin passive still inflicts instant decay once you touch them, she’s a threat. I personally think she’s still better when matched with another Controller but can also work alone.
Viper is probably borderline A tier at the moment since she just two straight nerfs. One more nerf, and she’ll probably drop down the tiers, but for now, I still think she’s A tier.
B Tier Agents – Sova, Phoenix, Brimstone, Killjoy
Sova
Sova is an excellent Valorant Agent if you know how to properly use him. He essentially offers free wallhacks if you have the right lineups. Unfortunately, all of his abilities got hit with some really harsh nerfs in Patch 3.0.
Even though Sova is still a good pick, other Initiators like Breach, Skye, and KAY/O simply outshine him thanks to their buffs. However, Sova is still a good pick if you have the right lineups, just like Average Jonas.
Phoenix
Phoenix’s Curveball received a little increase in price. This was the only thing that changed in Phoenix’s kit, making him a good pick in the current meta. Phoenix is a reliable Agent and is perfect as a secondary Duelist in a team.
He offers a reliable flash, self-healing, and can block vision with his wall. His Run It Back is also a great ability to get some information or peek at unusual angles without consequences.
Brimstone
Brimstone started out slow and was usually outshined by other Controllers in the game. However, thanks to the nerfs to Omen, Astra, and Viper, Brimstone is slowly rising in the tiers. Simply put, Brimstone is a good and straightforward Controller that gets the job done.
The only change to Brim was a 50 cost increase to his Incendiary, which is nothing compared to his other Controller co-Agents. Brimstone is still the best quick execute Controller, thanks to his ability to drop three smokes at a time. This is great since we are moving towards a more gunplay reliant meta, where Brimstone can quickly deny vision.
Killjoy
Killjoy is one of the very few Valorant Agents whose abilities didn’t increase in price. Unfortunately, Killjoy was given nerfs to her Alarmbot and Turret instead. Their cooldown after pickup was increased, making her drop down to B tier instead of her being somewhere between S and A tier.
Cypher is currently better than her in most situations which is one of the reasons she dropped down a bit. Killjoy is still better at covering a wider area and holding it down by herself, but she can’t easily move her gadgets anymore.
C Tier Agents – Omen, Sage, Raze, Astra
Omen
Omen used to be one of the best Controllers in the game. Recently, Controllers like Viper and Astra are taking over the meta and replacing Omen. With the nerfs to him in Patch 3.0, it looks like Omen will become a C tier Valorant Agent.
His Paranoia and Shrouded Step both received a cost increase. While Omen’s Dark Cover now has a 40-second cooldown, and you have to buy the second smoke for 100 credits. These are massive changes because you’ll have to manage your economy better when playing as Omen.
Omen could still work depending on the situation. He’s a better long-range smoker than the other controllers and can be a great flanker when utilized correctly. Just be smart about using your abilities and spending your money when using Omen.
Sage
Sage also received a fairly huge nerf. Her Slow Orb and Barrier Orb now cost 100 credits more, while her ultimate requires one more point. This makes it even harder and longer for Sage to get her Resurrection up and ready. Sage is usually a support type of Agent and doesn’t get too many kills, meaning she’ll have to rely on Ultimate Orbs and plants or defuses to get 8 points.
In the early days of Valorant, Sage used to dominate the meta since she was the only one who could heal allies and deny entry using her wall. At this point, Killjoy and Cypher are better than Sage at holding a site or delaying enemies. Skye can also replace Sage as a healer, so there are other options now.
Sage’s most valuable ability is her Resurrection Ultimate, which can turn a round upside down. No one can revive other Agents aside from sage, which is why she is in the C tier and not lower.
Raze
Raze is an annoying enemy to deal with. All of her abilities can be used to do some damage and is one of the main arguments against the “precise gunplay” statement. In this patch, the number of ultimate points required for Showstopper increased from 7 to 8, and her Boombot doubled in price.
These changes are enough to bring Raze down a bit and allow other Duelists to shine in the current meta. She just doesn’t have the same vision denying utility like flashes or smokes that are useful when taking a site.
Astra
Astra has a very high pick rate and is incredibly strong in high elo. She’s a little bit harder to use than other Controllers like Brimstone or Omen, but she’s powerful if you know how to use her properly. Her stars can be picked up, re-used, and can’t be destroyed by enemies, making them have little to no counterplay.
Riot finally nerfed her and took her power down a few notches. Her Nova Pulse and Gravity Well had their cooldown increased from 12 seconds up to a whopping 25 seconds. Astra’s Stars need to charge for 1.4 seconds after the buy phase, the recall down increased up to 15, and the free charges are down to 1.
Overall, Riot really hit her hard. From one of the best Controllers in the game, she’s down to one of the worst. It’s definitely bad news for Astra mains, but it’s great not having to deal with her stars every single match.
D Tier Agent – Yoru
Yoru
We’re finally down to the D tier Agents, where Yoru is the lone occupant. Yoru’s buffs back in Patch 2.06 finally helped him get to see some decent play rates. He became usable and helpful in the game and wasn’t just powerful in the right hands.
Unfortunately, he received a minor nerf in Patch 3.0. Gatecrash’s cooldown has been increased from 35 to 40 seconds, and his blind was increased by 50 credits in cost. These changes are enough to bring him down again. Yoru is powerful in his own right, but his role as a “lurker” can be done by other Agents who can offer something other than lurking for their team.
Patch 3.0 Valorant Agent Tier List Conlcusion
The meta in Valorant is versatile and always changing. One patch an Agent is the most powerful one in the game, the next, he’s the worst. Often, the best Agent to plays is the one you are most comfortable with.
That concludes the Patch 3.0 Valorant Agent tier list. These are my own personal opinions, and you are free to agree or disagree with any of them. Please leave a comment below if you think an Agent should be higher or lower in the list.
Use this Valorant Agent tier list for Patch 3.0 to find out the best Agents that can help you climb the ranks for this new Valorant Episode.
