What is Valorant?
Valorant has come a long way since it launched in the summer of 2020. Riot’s hit tactical shooter pits teams of 5 against each other in a tense matchup of strategy and precision.
While there are multiple modes, the primary game mode in Valorant involves one team planting a bomb and the opposing team trying to kill them or diffuse it. Over the course of several rounds, you buy weapons and abilities to increase the overall strength of your character.
Since its debut, Riot has released several new characters to the game, changing the meta and the way the game is played. Some of the originals remain strong and other newcomers have entered the top tiers of play!
Check out the best Valorant agents to play in this current season!
Best Recon Agent in Valorant – Sova
Information is power, and Sova is the king of information in Valorant. His owl drone and recon bolt both provide an insane amount of data to your teammates. This lets you choose which areas to avoid as well as the best approach to a specific site.
Additionally, his ult is basically Hanzo’s Dragonstrike from Overwatch. It’s a great tool for zoning enemy agents out of cover, and you can even secure some cheeky kills if they don’t rotate quickly.
Sova’s kit is strong on practically every Valorant map. If you main him, you will get a good amount of value and climb quickly up the ranked ladder as you master his abilities.
One of Two Great Controllers – Astra
There are two great Controller agents in Valorant’s current meta. Astra benefits from being able to use her abilities from anywhere on the map, a borderline-OP phenomenon. Additionally, her utility can be placed in any location. This versatility makes Astra one of the best agents for controlling the flow of a round.
Her Gravity Well is similar to Ash’s Arc Snare from Apex Legends. You can use it to set up easy kills or force enemies out from hiding. To make matters worse for her opponents, Astra also has a smoke and a concussion ability!
Her kit is fairly straightforward and can contribute at all points in a round. She’s probably the one agent you should learn if you haven’t already picked a primary agent this season.
The Other of Two Great Controllers – Viper
Viper is the queen of poison in Valorant, giving Vy a run for her money in Rogue Company. Given the low time-to-kill in Valorant, blocking off sightlines and corners is one of the best ways to prevent your team from dying early. Viper provides this benefit in a big way, adding poison damage with her gas cloud.
Her kit lets you stall any pushes from the opposing team, giving your squad time to set up in better positions. Viper is uniquely suited to block off many areas where other agents fail to fully cover.
You’ll need at least one Controller agent on your team, and Viper is a solid pick this season!
Best Duelist in Valorant – Jett
Jett has been strong for years now and continues to be a great pick in the current season. She has incredible mobility with her dash and can quickly surprise enemies by taking the high ground.
Her smokes are versatile and fast-acting, allowing her to cut off enemy sightlines to maneuver around the map. With a deadly ultimate ability, it’s no surprise that Jett mains can be seen wiping the entire enemy squad in highlight reels!
This has been the common thread for Jett for a long time. She has a very high skill ceiling and can also have the biggest impact on a match.
An Honorable Mention this Season – Sage
Sage is a great Sentinel agent to use in Valorant. She is the one character who can revive fallen teammates and her wall literally stops incoming damage! Attackers will either be forced to focus-fire the ice blocks or choose an alternative route to circumvent this ability.
Sage has received some nerfs to her kit over the last couple of years, but she remains one of the most unique agents in Valorant. It’s common to see a Sage on both teams given her high-impact, easy-to-use set of abilities.
Winning More Rounds in Valorant
There are plenty of things that need to go right in order to win a round in Valorant. Choosing one of these top-tier agents is a great start, but you should also learn:
- Map callouts
- Wall bang spots
- Counterplay to each agent
- AND a hundred other details about the game
The best way to do this is to practice. Feel free to check out our guide on Improving at Video Games to really take your Valorant play to the next level!
Who do you think are the strongest agents in Valorant? Is there anyone you would remove from this list? Join the conversation in the comments section!
