In Valorant, the choice of which agents to include in your team is often difficult. However, when it comes to the professional player Hiko from 100 Thieves, the spy agent Cypher certainly deserves a place in any team.
Who is Hiko and what has he said? Spencer “Hiko” Martin is a pro gamer in Valorant and plays as team captain for the eSports team 100 Thieves. They hosted one of the first Valorant tournaments during the beta.
Hiko, who has previously commented on the advantages of Omen, has now presented another assessment for an agent. This time it is about the cunning spy Cypher. According to Hiko, he should really be in every team. But why is that?
That’s why Cypher belongs in every Valorant team
Who is Cypher? Cypher is an agent that comes across like an old-fashioned spy. His huge hat and gadgets are clear identifiers. Cypher uses recyclable cameras that he can control at any time to monitor areas on the map.
Furthermore, he can set tripwires that also send a warning when triggered. Lastly, he can place “Cyber Cages” as traps that slow down opponents and obstruct their vision. His ultimate, in turn, reveals the position of all enemies on the map.
So when it comes to reconnaissance and information, Cypher is the top agent in the game. And that is exactly what makes him so important for professionals.
This is what makes Cypher so good: According to Hiko, Cypher – alongside the immensely useful healer Sage – is an S-Tier hero, meaning an absolutely superior agent, whose choice is actually a no-brainer. This surprised some of his stream viewers. They found Cypher strong, but not “S-Tier Strong”.
However, Hiko explained in the Twitch stream how he came to this bold assessment. “Cypher was S-Tier during the beta.” Because Cypher brings invaluable features to the team. If someone doesn’t have a Cypher, they always have to secure their flanks and deploy players for that. But thanks to Cypher’s cameras and traps, the flanks are protected, allowing the entire team to focus on one thing in the game. The flanks are still secure, though.
Additionally, the Cyber Cage is a useful “smoke,” a type of smoke grenade that obstructs vision. Such effects are important in Valorant, as one can sneak up on snipers or prepare for attacks.
Moreover, Cypher is included in nearly all pro teams:
“Looking at Cypher’s pick rate this weekend, I believe literally 95 or 99% of all teams on all maps chose Cypher… His cameras, the amount of information he gives you, his cages that act like smoke… he really makes it very hard for your team as attackers to initiate a flank attack.”
Which agent is actually the best in Valorant? Is it the cunning Cypher, the dark Omen, the useful Sage, or the explosive Raze? Or a completely different champion? In our ranking, you can see which heroes are the best in Riot’s team shooter.
