It looks like 2021 is going to be a great year for Riot Games and its tactical shooter, Valorant. This will be the first full year with the game, the esports scene is growing, which will even have an in-person LAN event in Iceland later this year, and players will get treated several new agents throughout the year. Since Riot is still committed to releasing a new agent with each new Act, there will be plenty of opportunity for new agents to stir up Valorant meta.
Now that Valorant's Episode 2 Act 2 is well underway, it will be interesting to look at how each agent stands with players. Both pick and win rates were averaged from competitive games from players ranked Gold 1 through Immortal. Both the highest tier and the lower tiers were excluded from averages to provide the most accuracy. A majority of players are around the Gold range, and the higher ranks starting from there will have more and more technical control over these agents. The following pick and win rates were collected on March 15, 2021 via Blitz.gg.
15 Yoru
- Average Pick Rate (Immortal - Gold 1): 0.78%
- Immortal Pick Rate: 0.6%
- Average Win Rate (Immortal - Gold 1): 49.6%
Unfortunately, Yoru comes in last with the lowest pick rate at 0.78%. This Japanese Duelist was introduced in Valorant's Episode 2, Act 1, but hasn't been able to make a huge mark. While he has some really interesting abilities with him being able to rip through reality, players are often able to find better utility with other agent's abilities. Yoru can bring plenty of value to a team, but is at a disadvantage when other Duelists like Phoenix and Reyna can heal themselves. Tweaks are definitely needed to help bring this agent back into the spotlight.
14 Viper
- Average Pick Rate (Immortal - Gold 1): 1.45%
- Immortal Pick Rate: 3.5%
- Average Win Rate (Immortal - Gold 1): 59.9%
American Controller Viper comes in next to last with a 1.45% pick rate, which is unfortunate for an agent that launched with the game. There have been some interesting line-ups and exploits for Viper before, but a player's absolute need to know proper line-ups can hinder them trying to get better as Viper. Her toxic kit can be really useful when toying with enemy teams, and her Snake Bite can deal some nasty damage to enemies who aren't paying attention. It is interesting though that Viper has a 59.9% win rate at the time, but players may just be hoping to play more reliable agents, so to speak.
13 Skye
- Average Pick Rate (Immortal - Gold 1): 1.54%
- Immortal Pick Rate: 3.5%
- Average Win Rate (Immortal - Gold 1): 51.8%
Skye has been in a bit of a weird place since she was introduced in Episode 1 Act 3, when the entire Valorant update had to be rolled back due to technical issues, and that is evidenced by her having an averaged 1.54% pick rate. This Initiator from Australia has an interesting kit consisting of a flash, a heal, a concuss, and a nearsighting ultimate. While Skye is the only other agent apart from Sage that can heal her teammates, the drawbacks from using some of her other abilities might be what is keeping Skye lower on the pick list. She ends up being a sitting duck when using Trailblazer, her tiger trinket, and even Guiding Light, her hawk trinket.
12 Astra
- Average Pick Rate (Immortal - Gold 1): 2.85%
- Immortal Pick Rate: 9.4%
- Average Win Rate (Immortal - Gold 1): 52.4%
Astra might be Valorant's newest agent, but that hasn't been enough to push this cosmic agent higher towards a higher pick rate. Even though she is sitting at a positive win rate right now, this Ghanaian Controller is very reliant on team communication. Coordinating pushes and relaying information is a necessity when Astra is on a player's team, but that can sometimes be tricky without a four or five-stack. It's also possible that players just don't want to risk encountering the game-ruining Astra bug, in which players get stuck going in or out of the agent's Astral Form. Things may change as players get more skilled with Astra, but that will come in time.
11 Breach
- Average Pick Rate (Immortal - Gold 1): 3.86%
- Immortal Pick Rate: 5.3%
- Average Win Rate (Immortal - Gold 1): 43.8%
Next up is the Swedish Initiator, Breach, sitting at a 3.86% pick rate. Unfortunately, Breach is also sitting at the lowest win rate out of all the agents at a measly 43.8%. While his unique abilities can be used through any map terrain, using them effectively requires a high level of map knowledge. Paired with the fact that enemies can generally escape Breach's abilities if they aren't focused on fighting other agents, and this bionic Swede can often fall flat.
10 Cypher
- Average Pick Rate (Immortal - Gold 1): 6.61%
- Immortal Pick Rate: 15.3%
- Average Win Rate (Immortal - Gold 1): 46.5%
Cypher is perhaps the agent that can gather the most information out of the entire group, but he still ends up in the lower half when it comes to pick rates. Cypher's Spycam and Neural Theft are very useful in locating enemy agents, and his Cyber Cage and Trapwire can help slow enemies down while still relaying information. Unfortunately, with a negative win rate, this Moroccan Sentinel could probably use some helpful adjustments.
9 Brimstone
- Average Pick Rate (Immortal - Gold 1): 7.41%
- Immortal Pick Rate: 13.5%
- Average Win Rate (Immortal - Gold 1): 47.8%
Ever since Brimstone received some decent buffs earlier in Episode 2, players have been able to use them to their advantage. With his versatile kit, Brimstone can damage enemies, augment teammates, and provide some much needed coverage with his smokes. This American Controller is a reliable addition to any team, but still has a slightly negative win rate.
8 Phoenix
- Average Pick Rate (Immortal - Gold 1): 7.66%
- Immortal Pick Rate: 13.5%
- Average Win Rate (Immortal - Gold 1): 52%
Though this British Duelist is one of Valorant's main title stars, he is currently coming in at the middle of the pack when it comes to pick rate. Phoenix is one of the most self-sufficient agents in the roster, and with enough practice can often carry. While Phoenix has a positive win rate, some players might just be looking to other Duelist options.
7 Sova
- Average Pick Rate (Immortal - Gold 1): 10.34%
- Immortal Pick Rate: 26.5%
- Average Win Rate (Immortal - Gold 1): 51.5%
Sova is the only free Initiator, which may be one of the reasons this Russian agent is picked more than agents like Breach and Skye. Plus, his Recon Bolt is one of the best abilities in the game, and is often a team's major intel-gathering source.
6 Killjoy
- Average Pick Rate (Immortal - Gold 1): 11.47%
- Immortal Pick Rate: 25.9%
- Average Win Rate (Immortal - Gold 1): 50.7%
Even though Killjoy's abilities can be glitchy at times, that hasn't stopped players from making her the second highest picked Sentinel. Much to the annoyance of enemy agents, the Alarmbots and Turret from this German Sentinel are often incredibly useful in Valorant. She is also one of two agents with the closest to even win rate, so there hopefully won't be any major nerfs that would disappoint Killjoy players.
5 Raze
- Average Pick Rate (Immortal - Gold 1): 12.96%
- Immortal Pick Rate: 28.2%
- Average Win Rate (Immortal - Gold 1): 52%
Raze is an explosive agent, much to the dismay of some players. All of Raze's abilities can deal damage, and even kill, enemy agents, so it's no wonder that this Brazilian Duelist is in the top five. She doesn't have a drastically high or low win rate, but players will likely encounter a Raze in most games.
4 Omen
- Average Pick Rate (Immortal - Gold 1): 15.2%
- Immortal Pick Rate: 34.1%
- Average Win Rate (Immortal - Gold 1): 47.2%
Omen is a shadowy and mysterious agent, so that alone can make any Valorant player interested in trying him out. Plus, Omen's Dark Cover is the only smoke ability in the game that can recharge, which might be helping him be the most picked Controller in the game. No doubt Omen players want a few buffs to head his way, as unfortunately he sits at a 47.2% win rate.
3 Reyna
- Average Pick Rate (Immortal - Gold 1): 17.77%
- Immortal Pick Rate: 38.2%
- Average Win Rate (Immortal - Gold 1): 51.4%
Since Reyna was released alongside the launch of Valorant, she constantly been one of the most picked agents in the game. Even though this Mexican Duelist has been hit with a sizeable nerf recently, that hasn't caused her pick rate or win rate to drop too harshly. Reyna is one of the most self-sufficient agents in the game, and can often hard carry teams to victory, especially when using her Empress ultimate.
2 Sage
- Average Pick Rate (Immortal - Gold 1): 18.02%
- Immortal Pick Rate: 38.8%
- Average Win Rate (Immortal - Gold 1): 51.5%
Hailing from China, Sage is the most picked Sentinel in the game. Even though Sage has been hit harder with nerfs since the game's launch, her kit is incredibly useful. Her Healing Orb can bring back teammates from the brink of death, and her Resurrection can literally bring back teammates from the dead. She is definitely the go-to support for the game, and deserves her spot as the second highest picked agent.
1 Jett
- Average Pick Rate (Immortal - Gold 1): 19.75%
- Immortal Pick Rate: 48.2%
- Average Win Rate (Immortal - Gold 1): 50.4%
In all honesty, it's not a surprise that Jett currently has the highest pick rate at 19.75%, jumping up to a whopping 48.2% in Immortal rank alone. This South Korean Duelist has is all, and is highly rewarding for players that are able to master her kit. She is great at both closing distance between enemies and escaping at the last second, and he Blade Storm ultimate is vastly deadly. Interestingly enough, Jett is the Valorant agent with the win rate closest to an even 50%, too.
It is obvious that some agents are more popular than others, whether it is due to their designs, utility, or skill caps. Some agents also work better on certain maps over others. Riot Games has addressed the possibility of adding map-specific queues into Valorant, but it is a long ways off at the least. It's possible that if certain maps can be selected, players might try out certain agents more without the risk of getting a bad map. For example, Viper and Astra can often do better on Icebox than other agents.
In any case, statistics like these are important to consider when thinking of the long-term quality of the game. For agents that have paltry win rates, Riot can be expected to look into buffing them sometime in the future. For agents that almost never get selected, like Yoru, Riot might want to address why that might be the case. However the game progresses, it will be interesting to see whether any new agents can eventually knock Reyna, Sage, and Jett from their top 3 spots.
Valorant is available now on PC.