Valorant Agent Tier List: Best Characters For The Latest Patch 9.03
by Dana Sydorenko Last update: October 7, 2024
💡 Highlights
- The meta in Valorant changes from patch to patch.
- The abilities of each agent can be nerfed or buffed which influences their place in the tiers.
- There are five tiers overall in Valorant.
- The highest is the S-tier with the best agents in Valorant right now. It includes Jett, Reyna, Iso, Cypher, and Clove.
- Agents from the D-tier should not be picked for ranked games.
Valorant is a constantly evolving game with a serious eSports scene and high cash prizes. Like Apex Legends and other hero shooters, Valorant devs are always shaking things up, adding new content and making balance changes. Each season, some heroes get buffs and become meta, while others get nerfed and fall out of favor. With every new patch, the meta shifts. Therefore, the topic of meta will always be relevant on the Internet, and it’s crucial to know which heroes are top picks and which to avoid. That’s why I’ve put together this Valorant tier list for patch 9.03, highlighting the current must-play agents.
Valorant Agent Tier List For The 9.03 Patch
Tier | Agents |
---|---|
S | Jett, Reyna, Iso, Cypher, Clove |
A | Gekko, Sova, Omen, Sage, Raze, Neon |
B | Brimstone, Chamber, Yoru, Killjoy, Phoenix, Deadlock |
C | Skye, Viper, Fade, Breach |
D | Kay/O, Astra, Harbor |
Valorant Agent Tier List Breakdown
The Valorant tier list ranks agents based on their importance and usefulness during a specific period, usually between patch releases or sudden balance changes. It’s key to remember that a lower-tier agent isn’t useless; the Valorant agent tier list just shows which agents have higher win rates. Picking heroes from the top of the list is generally more profitable in a given season than choosing those from the bottom.
S-tier Agents
This Valorant tier list contains the best agents as of patch 9.03, and they are best suited to start ranking up.
Jett
Jett is an excellent agent duelist, ideal for those who love speed, mobility, and quick and unexpected attacks. Her abilities allow her to be practically elusive and effectively cause sabotage on the battlefield. Considered one of the best abilities in the game, her Tailwind allows her to quickly move and initiate or even avoid gunfights.
Tip:
Even though Jett is a very mobile duelist, she also can control thanks to the Cloudburst ability. It can create additional cover with smoke screens.
Reyna
Like Jett, Reyna is one of the best Valorant agents of the duelist type and my favorite pick. She has high mobility and an aggressive playing style, making her popular among solo players. However, this agent’s effectiveness depends on kills and the player’s mechanical skills. Also, her limited usefulness to the team makes her a difficult agent best suited to experienced players.
Tip:
Use the Dismiss ability to quickly get out of trouble or get into position for surprise attacks.
Iso
Iso was among the best agents in Valorant in the previous patch, and the developers agreed to lower some of his abilities after fans complained. However, even after Double Tap and Shield were nerfed a bit, Iso can still use Shield without killing first, which makes him very strong.
Tip:
When Iso uses Shield, his hitbox increases. You should remember this when hiding around the corner; otherwise, enemies will easily see you.
Cypher
Cypher is the best Valorant agent for monitoring the map and collecting information. His abilities allow him to block vision, inform your team about the enemy’s movements, and prevent enemies from flanking your team. In addition, Cypher has the extremely useful Neural Theft ability, thanks to which he can determine the exact location of enemies.
Tip:
When you place and use a camera, enemies can hear it and destroy it, especially if you place it in obvious places.
Clove
Clove is a versatile agent who can both aggressively attack and tactically cover their team. Clove has excellent abilities for controlling the map and supporting their team. Yet, they are not an easy agent to master as to effectively use their abilities, you need to master cooldowns.
Tip:
One of the features of Clove is that their smoke remains on the map even if the agent is dead.
A-tier Agents
This Valorant tier list includes agents who are highly performing and are almost always a good choice in any situation.
Gekko
Gekko is an interesting agent with unique abilities that help the team gain an advantage in various game situations. He is also a good choice for beginners not knowing much about the Valorant agents tier list, nerfs, buffs, and all that stuff. His ability to pick up his skills back after use makes him especially useful. Gekko is effective when interacting with agents that can increase the damage taken by enemies or slow down their movement speed.
Tip:
Remember that Gekko’s main role on the battlefield is to remain in the shadows of his team as long as possible, helping them gather information.
Sova
Sova is a versatile agent and excellent initiator with information-gathering abilities who performs well in all game modes. Mastering his abilities requires understanding the maps, but in experienced hands, this agent provides a serious advantage to his team. You should also remember that his reconnaissance devices are easy to destroy. For this reason, despite his other abilities and general usefulness, he is already slightly less popular than before.
Tip:
An aggressive playstyle and early duels are not the best tactics for this agent.
Omen
Omen is a versatile controller that has become more popular on the Valorant character tier list with recent patches. He has one of the best ultimates, allowing him to teleport quickly. A variety of skills allow Omen to play both aggressively and support the team, thanks to the ability to blind the enemy. Omen is an excellent agent for compositions aimed at gaining strategic advantages and opportunities to quickly push the enemy.
Tip:
Omen’s ability to destroy an entire enemy team is highly dependent on the skill of your whole squad and coordinated play.
Sage
Sage will always be among the most sought-after agents thanks to her healing abilities unless she is nerfed in future patches. Her Healing Sphere can heal any party member or Sage herself. Thanks to her ultimate, her healing capabilities become even wider since she can also resurrect teammates. In addition, she can create additional cover and slow down enemies.
Tip:
Sage is mainly a support agent. While she can heal herself, it is more effective in most cases to focus on healing team members.
Raze
Raze has undergone changes that have affected mobility. Her Blast Pack has reduced her ability to reposition and evade enemies. Despite this, Raze is still a master of explosions, but it may take some time to get used to her changes. Her ultimate still deals massive damage in the area, and her varied arsenal, whether it’s a Boom Bot (which explodes and provides information on enemy locations) or grenades, makes her an effective duelist.
Tip:
Use Blast Packs to penetrate locations. It’s also better to use shotguns in these situations, as they cover a larger area when fired and do more damage up close.
Neon
Neon was among the best Valorant agents in patch 8.11, and there have been no significant changes to her abilities in the current patch 9.03. She remains a good choice for players who can unleash the agent’s potential and can handle her speed and aggressive playstyle. She is one of the fastest agents in the game. Her High Gear ability, coupled with Fast Lane, which blocks the vision of everyone around her, makes Neon a dangerous duelist and a good pick.
Tip:
Use Relay Bolt on walls or ceilings, and it will always stun players on the ground. This technique will surprise enemies since they will not see where it is flying from.
B-tier Agents
These are reliable agents yet lacking the effectiveness and strength on the battlefield to rank higher. However, agents from this Valorant tier list can contribute to a productive match in the right hands and with skillful use.
Brimstone
Brimstone is a solid controller whose abilities have improved slightly in the new patch. Sky Smoke’s range has been increased, providing even better coverage of key areas of the map. Brimstone’s abilities are great for slowing down the enemy and for covering the team to safely capture a section of the map.
Tip:
Since Brimstone’s main feature is to block the enemy’s vision with his incredibly powerful smokes, you should smoke the most important areas of the plant site before your team starts pushing.
Chamber
Chamber is among the best Valorant agents of the sentinel type. When used correctly, he is a good defense against late flanks. Chamber is quite a complex agent and requires good mechanical skills from the player. Yet, he is very useful for the team due to his powerful ultimate ability. He can also quickly get out of firefights thanks to the ability to teleport.
Tip:
Use Trademarks in non-obvious places, and do not place them behind obstacles or boxes that may be shot.
Yoru
Yoru is a difficult duelist to master, though he can offer different ways to fight your opponent and turn the tide of battle in your favor. Yoru is a decoy specialist, thanks to his Fakeout ability, which creates a clone of himself and blinds the enemy if they shoot at it. Thanks to his teleport ability and his ultimate, which makes him invisible for a while, Yoru can sneak behind enemy lines and strike without being noticed.
Tip:
Fakeout is an incredibly useful ability if you learn how to use it well. For example, when simulating a push, forcing defenders to change positions or misleading attackers, making them wary of possible flanks.
Killjoy
Killjoy is an excellent choice from this Valorant tier list for defensive strategies. Even though her turret has been slightly weakened, it remains very effective, but you should consider that it takes time to install. Killjoy’s skills allow you to collect information about the enemy, deal good damage, and set up various traps to control the territory. The sentinel’s incredibly powerful ultimate can greatly slow down enemies for a while and prevent them from equipping items or interacting with anything, giving a huge advantage to your team.
Tip:
Remember that the main use of the turret is to gather information, not to cause damage.
Phoenix
Phoenix is not the strongest Valorant agent compared to other duelists, and many consider him to be quite predictable. Yet, he is a good choice for getting acquainted with the game’s mechanics. He can both blind opponents with Curveball and heal himself. You can also use Blaze and Hot Hands to deal damage and slow enemies.
Tip:
If you know that an enemy is not far from you, cast your ultimate further around the corner – this will prevent enemies from trying to push you and will not let you die twice.
Deadlock
Deadlock is a fairly balanced guardian agent and has received minor improvements. Still, she requires further balancing to become more competitive and rank higher on the Valorant agent tier list. One of the significant changes was made to her Gravnet ability – now, players caught in the net need to manually remove it, which slightly increases the time of this action. In addition, the developers increased the range and durability of some of her abilities. In general, she can cope well with her role – she can easily block one of the entrances to the location. Thanks to the Sonic Sensor ability of Deadlock, it won’t be a surprise for your team if they try to flank you.
Tip:
To play Deadlock effectively, you must learn to correctly use the Annihilation ultimate on each map.
C-tier Agents
These are also good agents, but they have limited utility to the team or lack power compared to the other heroes from the Valorant agent tier lists above.
Skye
Skye has been very popular for the last few patches. She was a formidable opponent on the battlefield as she provided strong support to the team and could heal allies and effectively hunt down enemies. That is why she was recently weakened in the agent tier list in Valorant, and now she does not have as much of an impact on the battlefield as before. However, she can still provide support to her team. Her current weakness is that she is unable to handle most situations without the support of her teammates. I look forward to seeing how she will be balanced in future patches.
Tip:
A popular way to play as Skye is to use fake flash. Opponents tend to look away if they see or hear her hawk to avoid being blinded. This can be used for quick reconnaissance or to kill an enemy: launch the hawk, but don’t blow it up.
Viper
Viper is one of the best agents in Valorant and can deal massive damage, but a recent patch has nerfed her. In general, she remains a rather difficult agent to master. Viper is good at area blocking and control, using her powerful, toxic abilities to dominate. Her ultimate, Viper’s Pit, creates a chemical cloud and deals damage to everyone within its radius.
Tip:
Toxic Screen is one of Viper’s key abilities, and you need to learn how to use it well to create safe passages for your team, especially in open areas, or to prevent an enemy’s push.
Fade
Fade is a good initiator but very specific, not as strong when compared to other agents on the Valorant tier list, and quite difficult to master. However, Fade is a good addition to any team with the ability to stun targets and take their vision away. Thanks to her Seize ability, she can highlight enemies for a few seconds, and Prowler will chase nearby enemies, revealing their location. Her ultimate will scan the area, deal additional damage, and help the team quickly clear and control the space.
Tip:
Place the Haunt as high as possible, as it reveals everyone within its line of sight. To make it more difficult for the enemy to hide from it, throw it onto the roofs of buildings, windows, hills, etc.
Breach
Breach has not undergone any changes in the latest patch and remains a strong choice for team play. His abilities allow him to deal good damage and blind opponents, making it difficult for them to hold positions. Breach is most effective when paired with duelists or agents with a control focus.
Tip:
Breach’s abilities are loud and destructive, which can be useful for fake site hits. Also, don’t be afraid to use an item to check that the corner is clean.
D-tier Agents
In this Valorant tier list, there are agents who are not very suitable for ranked games in this patch due to some restrictions or balance changes.
KAY/O
KAY/O is a good initiator with excellent neutralizing abilities that will help the team cope with breaking through the enemy’s defense. His grenades and flash cards provide good support to push duelists. His ult and ZERO/POINT abilities suppress the enemy’s abilities, thus opening the window for a successful attack for his team. KAY/O is a unique agent who can provide significant support, but he also needs cover since he is quite vulnerable when he needs to escape from the enemy.
Tip:
Always coordinate with your team when using a flash so you don’t waste flashes on the same corner as your teammates. Make sure your flashbang doesn’t blind your teammates.
Astra
Astra, once a very popular and strong controller, is now weakened. She’s still a good agent but quite difficult to master. It’s especially difficult to get used to her movement around the map in Astral Form. Astra can control large areas well, but using her effectively requires good teamplay and synchronization of her abilities with the team’s actions. If you don’t have a well-organized team, you can assemble one using GameTree and play all matches with the same composition. Then, you will develop the ability to work together and use Astra in the most beneficial way.
Tip:
Plan in advance with your team to place Stars earlier for a quick push or later so as not to give away information about yourself. You can also use them for fake sites and confuse the enemy.
Harbor
Harbor has not received any changes in the Valorant tier list in the current patch. He can provide reliable cover for the team, and his abilities allow him to both slow down opponents and block vision. However, his effectiveness and popularity are not as great as those of many other agents. Still, everything can change if the developers make significant changes to his balance.
Tip:
Harbor is most effective when he uses his abilities from a distance. Don’t rush or be in the first line, quickly leading to your death at the beginning of the round.
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Final Thoughts
Hope my Valorant tier list helped you get a grip on the meta and top heroes in patch 9.03. Remember, improving the MMR and getting better isn’t just about picking the right heroes. It’s all about practice, experimenting, and, most importantly, team play. The Valorant meta just shows general stats. Your B-tier hero can play like an S-tier if you master them and make them work for your team. Good luck!