In Valorant the 10 current agents are not all equally good. Some perform better than others. To help you make the right choice among the heroes, we present here together with YouTuber aSmoogl our tier list of the best and worst characters in Valorant.
What are Tiers? Tier (English for “level”, “rank”) refers to a classification of abilities, weapons, or characters in certain games regarding their usefulness or strength. The classification ranges from the highest tier “S” down to “C” or even “D”. The lower something is ranked, the less useful it is. However, keep in mind that the classification can change with updates and shifts in the game meta.
Since you are allowed to have only one hero of each type on your team in Valorant, it is important that you choose the top agents in the game. Therefore, we have created a MeinMMO tier list based on our own experiences in the game and with the help of top player and YouTuber aSmoogl. The reasons for our selection will be evident in the respective agent descriptions.
Angelo Bülow, known online as aSmoogl, is a 30-year-old gamer, streamer and YouTuber from Berlin. He has over 31,000 subscribers on YouTube and is well-versed in Valorant and other competitive shooters. His videos regularly receive 20,000 or more views. Moreover, he was able to assist our colleague Petra Schmitz from GameStar with her test of Valorant (GameStar Plus article) due to his expertise in Valorant. So, the man knows his stuff.
Update: This article from April 14, 2020, was updated on August 28, 2020. It is currently up to date with version 1.6. However, we will make further adjustments soon when the new agent Killjoy is better integrated into the meta.
This is the MeinMMO tier list of all characters in Valorant
Here you will find the tier list of all currently available agents in Valorant created by us and aSmoogl. The list is designed for sensible team play.
| S-Tier | Cypher Brimstone Sage |
| A-Tier | Omen Sova Jett Raze Killjoy |
| B-Tier | Phoenix Breach |
| C-Tier | Reyna Viper |
| D-Tier |
But why did we classify the individual agents into these ranks? You will find out in the following paragraphs regarding the individual heroes in the game and their assessments.
S-Tier – Champions that are simply too good
What is the S-Tier? This tier contains the absolute elite of agents in Valorant. The heroes at this level are extremely good and could soon be nerfed as they regularly dominate the game.
Cypher – The Total Surveillance
What makes Cypher so good? Similar to Sova, you have an agent here who primarily provides useful intel. He plays a bit more complicated than Sova, but his long-term and extremely valuable recon data is worth it.
He can place traps that both reveal and hold enemies. Additionally, he can place cameras that permanently monitor an area. This way, you can also cover distant areas and regularly check for enemies. With his Cyber Cage, he also provides a pretty decent smoke, i.e., a smoke grenade that protects against snipers. His ultimate even allows you to extract the locations of all his teammates from a dead enemy.
If you use Cypher’s skills wisely, they can decide the game, as reconnaissance is essential in Valorant. Thus, Cypher can single-handedly hold a site or turn every push into a chaotic mess for the attackers with his tripwires. Therefore, Cypher is favored in almost every well-structured team and rightly so in S-Tier.
Brimstone – Maximum Team Value
What is special about Brimstone? This agent is for all players who like to direct their team and act tactically. He can deploy some of his skills anywhere on the map, thus establishing tactical superiority. When he deploys his smoke grenades, it usually signals the start of a good push.
The extra long-lasting smoke grenades that Brimstone calls down directly from orbit and can place almost anywhere on the map with his display are perfect for advancing orderly and effectively into areas secured by snipers. Especially in the current meta, which is dominated by deadly weapons like the Operator sniper rifle, a good Brimstone push is worth its weight in gold.
Moreover, Brimstone’s practical Molotov skill “Incendiary” is often placed in the smokes of other players or in corners to force enemies out of cover.
And when the enemy tries to defuse the bomb, his airstrike as an ultimate often works wonders. Nobody likes to stay still when everything suddenly explodes around them. All in all, Brimstone is a solid agent that tactically enriches any team.
Sage – The Useful Support
What is so good about Sage? Sage has firmly established herself in the S-Tier since the beta days and won’t let go despite many nerfs. The petite Chinese woman is still one of the most useful agents in the game and can turn the tide of rounds multiple times with her skills.
No matter what Sage does, it is always immensely useful:
- She can create a wall that is hard to destroy and reliably blocks attack paths.
- She can create a zone with a slowing effect that turns a push into a miserable “crawl”.
- She can heal injured heroes, for free and just with a cooldown!
- Her ultimate can even resurrect the dead.
Especially the last ability is often game-changing, as normally in Valorant no one can be revived.
A-Tier – These characters are always a good choice
What is the A-Tier? This tier includes well-balanced, useful agents. The heroes presented here are suitable in many situations and are therefore always a good choice when the S-Tier is already filled or if you prefer their playstyle.
Omen – From Underdog to A-Tier Killer
What can Omen actually do? Omen looks like a super edgelord agent and has a number of nasty skills. He can blind and confuse enemies. Additionally, he has two teleport abilities that allow him to appear almost anywhere on the map. Due to some sensible buffs, Omen has gone from the worst agent of the beta to the top pick of the current meta.
Omen is particularly good in the current sniper meta, as he has particularly large and useful “smokes”. This way, he obscures the enemies’ vision and protects his team from the deadly bullets of the Operator sniper rifle.
Moreover, Omen can take away the enemies’ vision and quickly reposition himself via teleport. Watching a well-played Omen lead opponents around by the nose and then appear in a totally unexpected place is simply an art form.
Also cool: His ultimate allows him to appear anywhere on the map. But you can also cancel it before arriving completely at the destination. This allows for valuable reconnaissance in enemy territory. So, Omen is always a good choice and can sometimes replace Brimstone from S-Tier.
Sova – Agent for Practical Recon
What makes Sova so good? Sova looks a bit like the Valorant version of Hanzo from Overwatch with his bow and is a reconnaissance expert. He can easily locate the position of enemies with two of his abilities and even get kills around corners with his shock arrows.
Reconnaissance is a good thing in Valorant, if only to ruin the fun of campers. And with Sova’s “sonar arrows,” you have a regular and reliable way to scout the enemy even around corners.
Previously, Sova’s teammates would drive enemies out of cover, but now a playstyle has established where Sova makes those plays himself with his shock shots. A particularly impressive example of this can be seen in this article, where a player gets a victory with shock arrows at death.
Moreover, Sova’s ultimate grills every enemy in cover if he knows where they have tucked away. Like some of Breach’s abilities, Sova’s ultimate also goes through walls.
Killjoy – Reconnaissance and Defense in One
What makes Killjoy so good? Killjoy was introduced with Update 1.5 and she is a German engineer who can make every attack a frustrating affair with her turrets and traps.
In the current meta of Valorant, reconnaissance is essential, and pro teams often rely on a setup that includes two recon agents. This generally means Cypher and often Sova for tactical adjustments in recon.
Killjoy could also shine here because her alarm bot provides a deadly way to surprise careless enemies and get information about their position. Additionally, her ability to secure areas with the turret and hinder enemies with the nano grenade is also valuable.
However, Killjoy needs a team that watches over her and secures her gadgets. Because the turret is only really dangerous for the enemy if it can fire unhindered for as long as possible, which works best if it is not visible due to smokes and such.
Killjoy’s ultimate, which disarms all opponents, can be a game-changer if used properly. Since Killjoy has a lot of potential and might influence the recon meta, we have placed the new agent in the promising A-Tier. However, since the agent has only been in the game for 2 weeks at the time of this article, we will make a new classification soon.
A guide on how to play Killjoy can be found here.
Raze – The Powerful Demolitionist
What is so good about Raze? Raze was new at the start of the closed beta and caused quite a stir. Unlike the other heroes whose skills are at least partially designed for pure support and utility, Raze only offers abilities that deal damage.
She can throw grenades, unleash a killer bot, plant bombs that she can also jump with, and as an ultimate, she has a rocket that kills everything in the area of effect. All of this makes Raze an optimal damage dealer, and the top streamer Summit1g had even called for her complete removal in the beta.
However, Raze is not as dominant as she seems. Because although she deals good damage and can even wipe out entire teams with it, she is ultimately rather lacking in utility for her team.
If a situation arises where she faces overwhelming odds alone, she can turn the tide successfully with her explosives. Especially her ultimate almost guarantees at least one kill.
Moreover, her bombs and grenades are quite good at destroying Cypher’s spy gadgets. Therefore, Raze also serves as a counter to the S-Tier spy. Additionally, her explosive package reliably dismantles Sage’s wall. On maps like Bind and Split, Raze can particularly excel.
Jett – Champion for Those Who Find Valorant Too Slow
What is so good about Jett? Valorant is a rather slow-paced tactical game where players advance cautiously while always being wary of campers. But if this pace feels too sluggish, Jett can pull off cool movement stunts.
The agile agent has two skills with which she can propel herself through the air. Additionally, she can glide longer through the air, easily reaching spots that other agents cannot access. So, if you prefer a faster and more mobile playstyle, Jett is the agent for you.
Also, her throwing knives serve as an ultimate that she can use while running without compromising her accuracy. They hit as hitscan weapons instantly and are deadly as headshots. Since the knives don’t cost credits, they are optimal for eco rounds where the team is saving money. Moreover, they even give players like Ninja nightmares now, as she’s become notorious for her speed and agility.
Thanks to a buff, her small smoke grenades last a bit longer now. This makes Jett attractive in the current meta, as one must constantly watch out for deadly snipers. However, what one cannot see is also difficult to shoot. A guide to Jett can be found here.
B-Tier – These Heroes Are Fine
What is the B-Tier? Here you will find characters that are solid on their own and can shine in specific situations.
Breach – Good Attacker Hero
What makes Breach so good? Here you have a strong agent with whom you can effectively conquer enemy territory and initiate pushes. Breach can pierce walls with some of his skills and thus mix it up with the enemies behind cover while stunning them.
Who enjoys playing offensively and likes well-planned pushes will love Breach. The rough Swedish agent with cyber arms exclusively has control skills, i.e., abilities to hinder and control the enemy.
No matter what Breach does, his attacks rumble through solid cover as shockwaves, leaving enemies behind bewildered and blind. This makes them easy prey for the rest of the team.
However, Breach is not easy to play and requires a lot of skill and timing. Moreover, his attacks are predictable and can be countered by clever players. Thus, Breach is currently played less often at higher levels.
Phoenix – Good Allrounder for Every Situation
What makes Phoenix so good? This hero is, alongside Jett, the “poster boy” of Valorant and has a good selection of skills. He is basically a Counter-Strike character equipped with useful items.
Phoenix is an ideal allrounder and belongs to the top tier of duelists in the game. He is simply useful. His fire wall hides the team from shots. Furthermore, he can heal himself in it.
Additionally, he has a fireball that drives enemies out of cover and a slightly unreliable flash attack that often blinds his own team.
His ultimate is very powerful, as it essentially gives Phoenix an extra life, allowing him to teleport back to the starting point of activation with full health after his death. All of this makes Phoenix a good choice. A detailed guide to Phoenix can be found here.
C-Tier – These Agents Are Only Useful When the Situation and Teamplay Are Right
What is the C-Tier? These agents are still okay, but they need the right situations and teamwork to truly shine. Otherwise, they tend to lag behind expectations with their skills and are just waiting for buffs.
Viper – Optimal for Tricksters, but Too Specialized
What is special about Viper? Viper is a nasty agent who can theoretically snatch victory from the opponent at the last moment. Her ultimate creates a toxic gas cloud in which you can hardly see anything and take damage. If the spike is covered with that, it may well be that the opposing team can’t defuse it in time.
There’s also a toxic cloud, a gas wall, and a toxic puddle that serve as smokes and control skills. And even though the wall is now more usable and can be turned on and off as needed, Viper’s utility still falls short compared to other control agents.
Currently, there is hardly any reason why one should pick Viper instead of Brimstone or Omen when wanting to obscure vision and restrict opponents’ actions.
Reyna – Strong Only in Lower Ranks
What is special about Reyna? Reyna entered the character selection as a new heroine after the game’s release. She is a duelist who unlocks particularly strong skills with kills. This makes her a real beast in the right hands, but if she misses, she becomes a real brake for the team.
Because apart from her – admittedly very useful – flash ability, Reyna’s skills absolutely require that you get kills yourself (no assists!). Only then can you receive a soul orb from the opponent and either become briefly invulnerable or gain massive healing.
So, if you score well, you can become a real killer with Reyna. This occurs more frequently when playing at lower ranks. In the top tiers, teamwork is vital, and Reyna does not automatically lead the kill board. Then you find yourself in a position where you only have one skill that you can reliably use.
If the Reyna trick works, you can indeed become an almost invulnerable killing machine that tears everything apart. Nonetheless, her unreliability makes it difficult for her to hold her ground in higher tiers.
Which heroes should beginners choose? Since not all 12 heroes are easy to play, we have compiled a list of the optimal heroes for beginners in Valorant.
This is the ranking of the agents among MeinMMO readers: If you want to know how Valorant fans at MeinMMO view the agents in the game, take a look here:
I want the optimal weapon! If you want to know which weapons are particularly strong in Valorant right now, take a look at our tier list of weapons:
The most important thing in Valorant, however, is not the heroes, but practice and routine. Furthermore, it is always beneficial if you know a few useful tricks and tips that can give you an advantage in-game. For that, it is best to read our guide with 11 tips and tricks that you should know right from the start in Valorant. This might give you the decisive edge over your opponents in the game.
