The best agents in competitive VALORANT Pre-Masters

Among the high flying VALORANT stars in Europe and North America, the foundation of a player’s success rests in the agents they pilot. 

Riot Games’ first person shooter has opened up new avenues for creativity with a diverse cast of distinct agents. With the first international VALORANT event on the horizon, Upcomer spoke with several professional players and coaches from North America and Europe. This was to determine which agents are generally the most useful. 

However, it’s important to note a few caveats. Generally, each agent in VALORANT is catered toward a different map. For example, Viper is much more useful on maps like Icebox. Also, the meta may shift in the future as different agents will receive nerfs and buffs. This will likely change the agents that are selected in professional play.

The best agents in competitive VALORANT

Upcomer’s research found that there are three agents considered to be the best for competition: Astra, Viper and Sova. These agents were picked by the majority of interview subjects; Astra being chosen as the best agent overall for competitive play. 

The players and coaches allocated each agent in a tier list. This was done to determine which agents are the best and worst for competitive play. Upcomer found the average of each agent in order to determine the placement for the final tier list. 

According to the tier list, Yoru is considered to be the worst agent pick in professional play. Although he has a powerful ultimate, which allows him to change position with ease, his kit doesn’t offer much for the team other than a flash. 

Yoru is an agent that relies on self-sufficiency, yet there are other VALORANT agents that outperform him with impactful kits. For example, Jett is highly regarded by the professionals, as she can almost guarantee a kill with an Operator and can reposition immediately. Raze, on the other hand, can deal the most amount of damage with her kit. 

Due to her site taking ability, Viper was placed in the highest tier by most professionals. Her ultimate, Viper’s Pit, allows her to close off an entire bombsite. This essentially earns her team the round win, as her Decay harms enemies that enter the toxic mist. Additionally, in late March of 2021, Patch 2.06 buffed the potency of Viper’s toxins.

Furthermore, both healers in VALORANT, Skye and Sage, were praised by the professionals. The latter has the ability to revive dead teammates, making her one of the best agents for both defense and offense. Skye, on the other hand, has been utilized in Europe. She offers an area of effect heal and multiple flashes.

VALORANT agents in Stage 2 Masters

The VALORANT Stage 2 Masters begins on May 24 and will likely utilize the best agents.

The players and coaches that contributed to this article include: 

• Gen.G player Danny “huynh” Huynh
• Team Liquid player Dom “soulcas” Sulcas
• TSM coach Chet Singh
• Former Team Liquid player Adam “ec1s” Eccles
• Ghost Gaming coach Adam Kaplan
• Guild player Saif “Sayf” Jibraeel
• OG coach Julien “daemoN” Ducros
• FunPlus Phoenix coach Erik “d00mbr0s” Sandgren