Dominate the Battlefield: The Ultimate Valorant Agent Tier List for Season 2025 Act 4

What are the best Valorant agents?

Wondering which Valorant agents will lead you to victory? This ultimate tier list ranks every agent for Season 2025 Act 4, focusing on their effectiveness in typical matches. We highlight those who excel independently while also synergizing brilliantly with teammates, making them perfect for intense Valorant gameplay.

As of Season 2025 Act 4, Valorant boasts 27 unique characters, but not all are equipped to handle the game’s fast-paced, competitive environment. With each new act, balance changes shift the spotlight, elevating certain agents above others. To discover who reigns supreme in our current Valorant tier list, keep reading! New to the game? We’ve also included expert recommendations for beginner-friendly agents further down this guide.

Valorant tier list

Here are the best Valorant agents for Season 2025 Act 4:

S-tier: The Elite Agents

S-tier proudly presents Valorant’s crème de la crème – the absolute best agents available. These top-tier agents are your ideal companions whether you’re battling to escape ELO hell or simply aiming for casual domination, offering the perfect tools to counter prevailing strategies and secure wins.

Yoru

Yoru’s journey on our Valorant tier list has been quite remarkable. Initially underwhelming, a significant rework didn’t immediately turn the tide for this Duelist. For a long time, Yoru was rarely seen in professional play, often considered a novelty pick – unless in the exceptionally skilled hands of players like Paper Rex’s Jason ‘f0rsakeN’ Susanto.

Today, Yoru is in a far stronger position, which is fantastic news given how enjoyable he is to play. This archetypal trickster can deploy clones to draw enemy fire, launch a tether to teleport across distances, and possesses a pair of flashes for strategic pushes or escapes.

His ultimate ability, Dimensional Drift, makes Yoru completely invisible, allowing him to traverse the map freely. In this state, you can pinpoint ideal positions for multi-kills and gather crucial intel for your team.

Jett

Jett is the agent of choice for players who embrace high-risk, high-reward plays and trust their aim implicitly. She’s incredibly fast, agile, and can escape nearly any tricky situation. The most skilled Jett players master her blade-throwing ultimate, navigate the map with lightning speed, and wield the Operator or Judge with deadly precision.

As a Duelist, Jett’s kit is entirely focused on mobility: she can hover, dash, launch into the air, and deploy smoke clouds to obstruct vision for a few precious seconds. In expert hands, Jett can swiftly enter a site, disrupting defenses and paving the way for her team to clean up. Her dash encourages aggressive, unconventional positioning, allowing you to take a shot and retreat instantly. Lastly, Jett’s ultimate is a game-changer for precise aimers, particularly potent during eco-rounds.

Raze

Raze often receives criticism for being overly simplistic, primarily focused on securing easy kills with her Paint Shells cluster grenades and rocket ultimate. However, she stands as one of Valorant’s most effective agents for clearing enemy utility. Her Paint Shells and Blast Packs can be expertly lobbed into common Tripwire and Nanoswarm placements, creating quick entry paths onto a site. On defense, these same abilities are invaluable for slowing down enemy pushes.

This Duelist’s Boom Bot can be deployed for intel gathering and clearing tight corners. It also serves as a simple yet effective distraction, allowing you to peek and secure an elimination. Raze’s Blast Packs are what truly differentiate a good Raze player from a great one. While these satchels are incredibly valuable, mastering their full potential is a challenge. Their most obvious use is to propel yourself to higher ground or quickly engage or escape an enemy. However, learning complex satchel maneuvers requires significant practice, leading many players to prefer simpler Duelists.

Vyse

Vyse brings a plethora of methods to make opponents’ lives difficult, solidifying her as a formidable Sentinel in the right hands. Her Shear ability – a concealed trap that erects an unbreakable wall behind an agent upon activation – is particularly potent on defense. It can completely isolate a rushing Duelist from their team, allowing for an unchallenged pick.

While her other two basic abilities, Razorvine and Arc Rose, aren’t quite as impactful in our assessment, her ultimate, Steel Garden, completely disables the primary weapons of any players caught in its effect. This is a massive advantage during your team’s eco-rounds, denying the opposition the use of their recently purchased rifles – truly devastating. Beyond her kit, Vyse boasts one of our favorite agent designs, and her visual effects are stunning.

Sova

Sova is a dedicated reconnaissance agent, though his ultimate also offers opportunities for free eliminations. Mastering Sova requires countless hours in the practice range to perfect lineups. However, with precise angles, you can gain critical information on enemy stacking at specific sites.

As another Initiator, Sova’s Shock Bolts are excellent for clearing traps, dealing chip damage to enemies, and halting pushes. His Owl Drone can then follow up on Recon Bolt intel, scouting areas the bolt couldn’t reach. All these tools make Sova equally effective on attack and defense, establishing him as the game’s premier agent for supporting a site push.

Finally, Sova’s ultimate can be combined with map pings to deliver lethal strikes to crucial map positions like ‘heaven’ or ‘window’. Even if you don’t secure a kill with his three arrows, you should at least displace enemies from their positions, enabling your team to finish them off.

A-tier: Strong & Versatile Agents

A-tier agents are those who just barely missed the top spot but remain exceptionally viable. Players who may not fully grasp S-tier agents can still climb the ranks with ease using our A-tier selections.

Clove

Clove defies conventional Controller roles. While they possess smokes, Clove’s toolkit is far more diverse than agents like Brimstone or Viper, allowing them to function as a hybrid Duelist. Beyond their Ruse (smokes), Clove can throw a fragment that temporarily applies a decay effect to enemies, making takedowns easier.

Furthermore, upon an enemy’s death, Clove can absorb their life essence, gaining movement speed and temporary health, similar to Reyna. And if you fall with your ultimate charged, simply activate it to resurrect. Be warned, however, you’ll need to secure another kill to make your return permanent.

Cypher

Cypher’s reconnaissance utility can be a bit too predictable and easily destroyed if you don’t constantly vary your placements. Nevertheless, in the right hands, he’s a potent agent, often outperforming other Sentinels on this list.

Cypher’s ultimate ability is a ‘feast or famine’ tool, requiring him to be near a fallen enemy. That said, it can be a round-saving ability if it confirms a site is clear for planting the Spike, or if it exposes the final lurking enemies before you push.

Iso

Iso is an outstanding Duelist who brings valuable utility to team play. With his bullet-blocking Contingency wall and fragile-inflicting Undercut orb, Iso’s adaptability is a significant tactical advantage.

But that doesn’t mean he lacks the tools to dominate 1v1 engagements. His Double Tap ability, though situationally strong, can empower him to go on rampages, shrugging off hit after hit. Moreover, his ultimate, Kill Contract, allows him to isolate a key target and pull them into a decisive duel, truly embodying the ‘Iso’ in ‘isolation.’

Neon

While Neon has the potential to be an exceptional Duelist, her toolkit is a double-edged sword demanding finesse and skill. High Gear offers sonic speed, but requires crisp aim to engage an enemy immediately after pausing. Fast Lane is another fantastic ability for creating clear pathways or isolating an enemy agent for a 1v1 duel. Her other two abilities are less about speed and more about disruption.

Relay Bolt is great for breaking enemy formations and creating openings for her team, while her ultimate can either supercharge her speed to eleven or condense it into a lightning bolt attack, making you feel like Emperor Palpatine.

However, Neon comes with risks. She isn’t exceptionally hard-hitting and requires support to avoid getting caught in positions from which she can’t zoom away.

Gekko

This green-haired agent earns a very respectable spot on our list thanks to his Wingman and Mosh Pit. From intel gathering and planting/defusing the Spike, to blinding enemies – Gekko can do it all, and he’s a master of everything Spike-related.

Gekko is a great pick for his reusability potential. While other agents are strong, no one can reuse their abilities as frequently as Gekko. With him, you’ll get multiple flashes in a single round and a loyal sidekick willing to go the extra mile to plant that Spike. This Initiator is perfectly self-sufficient, but his viability skyrockets in a coordinated team setting.

Killjoy

Killjoy is one of the best Valorant agents due to her low learning curve and high effectiveness. Her straightforward toolkit punishes aggressive pushes, sloppy default plants, and deals damage. The Sentinel’s primary advantage is her ability to gather information without risking her own safety, and her powers are central to Valorant’s potent post-plant meta – a strategy so effective it’s become infamous.

On larger maps like Ascent, Killjoy is a formidable presence, her Turret acting like a sixth operator on the squad. Even new players can fully leverage Killjoy’s toolkit without extensive practice. Furthermore, her ultimate ability – Lockdown – can be lethal. Locking down an area can either doom a well-timed enemy push or help your team retake the site and defuse the Spike.

Omen

Omen’s deceptive maneuvers and ability to traverse the battlefield unseen make him incredibly difficult to read, forcing enemies to second-guess his every move. He can quickly reposition behind cover in the heat of battle without exposing himself, blind and deafen vast areas with his flashes, and cut off critical Operator angles with precise smoke placement.

The main challenge with Omen nowadays is that he can be anticipated and managed, especially since many standard strategies with this character are widely known. He’s still a blast for new players, but as you encounter more veteran players in ranked matches, you’ll find it increasingly difficult to surprise them.

Brimstone

Though not Valorant’s flashiest Controller, Brimstone’s impact is undeniable. The team leader brings a unique Stim Beacon to Valorant, crucial for breaching sites, especially after recent buffs. Attackers can push onto a bomb site from behind the Stim Beacon, gaining a powerful speed and fire rate boost.

Brimstone excels with smokes that last an eternity – Valorant’s longest-lasting, remaining active for almost 20 seconds. That’s a significant portion of a round if you deploy all three smokes in one area. His incendiary grenade and ultimate further enhance his reputation. While initially considered boring, his utility now outweighs any perceived dullness.

Phoenix

A true jack-of-all-trades Duelist, Phoenix is one of the best agents for quickly climbing the ranked ladder and escaping ELO stagnation. He doesn’t require heavy team support, making him perfect for those days when you’re matched with uncommunicative teammates.

From his Hot Hands ability, which heals him while burning enemies, to his ultimate that lets him charge in, wreak havoc, and then safely return to his starting position as if nothing happened, Phoenix can do a little bit of everything.

Sage

Not only is Sage Valorant’s only dedicated healer, but she can also resurrect fallen teammates with her ultimate, capable of instantly swinging the momentum of a match.

Her signature orbs have additional uses. She can deploy a wall with the Wall Orb to block off a path, and her Slow Orb can impede enemy agents caught in its area. While enemies can destroy these abilities, doing so reveals their position, offering your team a tactical advantage. Sage pairs well with specific agents, so consider team composition carefully when picking her.

B-tier: Useful but Niche Agents

B-tier agents are useful but might not align perfectly with the current game meta. However, they can still help you climb to a certain rank before high-skilled enemies truly challenge your resolve.

Viper

Viper’s unparalleled mastery of the post-plant meta enables her to secure vast areas and defend against aggressive enemy pushes. For those aiming to rapidly ascend the ranks in the Controller category, this poison-wielding agent is an excellent choice. Difficult to master, Viper demands precision. However, in the hands of a skilled player, she can lockdown an entire site solo.

Most of her abilities deal chip damage rather than lethal blows, so she thrives with good team support to capitalize on weakened opponents. The addition of the ‘fragile’ debuff to Viper’s Snakebite forces players to avoid her molotovs unless they want to suffer double damage, making it considerably more effective during eco rounds.

Deadlock

Deadlock is the perfect teammate. Her defensive abilities could be game-changing in the right hands but require strong team communication to be most effective. This is particularly true for her wrangling skills like Annihilation (the ability to pull a captured enemy towards your location) and Barrier Mesh, which can trap an opponent when placed correctly. Sonic Sensor is Deadlock’s strongest ability, not only detecting nearby enemies but also concussing opposing players in its radius.

Breach

Like many agents in Valorant, Breach can be a powerhouse in the right hands. In the wrong hands, however, he’s just as much a detriment to his own team as he is to the enemy – and often, he’s in the wrong hands.

This Initiator is a highly complex agent to pilot, meaning he’s very difficult to master. You need a profound understanding of his abilities and how they interact if you want to play him effectively. Otherwise, you might find yourself blinding your teammates more often than your enemies. You’ve been warned!

Tejo

Tejo launched as a monstrously powerful Initiator, offering effortless ways to clear even the trickiest corners, isolate picks, and breach sites. His primary weakness is a lack of flashes, though this is easily mitigated by pairing him in a double Initiator setup with agents like Breach or KAY/O, or even as a solo Initiator if a teammate brings an agent like Yoru. However, after a long-overdue series of nerfs, including the removal of his Guided Salvo’s rechargability, Tejo has dropped significantly in the tier list.

Fade

The Turkish bounty hunter is a certified hit in Valorant, and it’s easy to see why – she’s simply that good. While she might not be Valorant’s absolute best intel-gatherer in the current meta, she offers distinct advantages, as her Haunt ability can spot enemies in tight corners unreachable by agents like Sova’s dart. Typically, Initiators prefer to stay in the backlines, but Fade can use her Seize to pull enemies directly into her crosshairs.

Fade’s Nightfall is an excellent tool for asserting control over defender-heavy areas. Marked by terror trails, and deafened and blinded, enemies are completely vulnerable under Fade’s influence. In such moments, combining Fade’s ultimate with her Prowler can yield astonishing results.

Astra

Astra fundamentally reshaped the game upon her introduction, and it’s no surprise given her potent cosmic abilities, which set her apart from other agents. This Controller can, by definition, provide crowd control with her Gravity Well or concuss enemies with Nova Pulse. She also offers smokescreens for emergency line-of-sight blocks. However, her entire themed ability set is built around the need to enter an astral form to place ‘stars’ that fuel her other abilities. Be cautious not to be mesmerized by the beauty of this form – while cool, you are completely vulnerable and unarmed in astral form.

The astral form is also where Astra activates her ultimate, Cosmic Divide. This ability creates a massive wall across the map, blocking bullets and dampening sound, providing your team crucial breathing room to regroup or plan an ambush. She’s certainly not easy to master, but a skilled Astra player can be invaluable in high ELO games.

Reyna

There are many compelling arguments for Reyna’s potential and versatile kit, but she remains a ‘feast or famine’ agent, meaning her effectiveness is entirely dependent on the player controlling her. In the hands of the right player, especially when solo-queueing, she can easily be S-tier. However, for this list, she struggles to stay in B-tier due to her less impactful team play.

To her credit, Reyna’s flashes are powerful for peeking and aggressive pushes, and her ability to chain eliminations makes her the ultimate agent for clutching rounds. This is incredibly potent against less skilled teams, but Reyna’s abilities simply aren’t as strong against equally matched opposition, as she can’t secure kills as easily.

KAY/O

As Riot continues to introduce more ability-heavy agents, KAY/O’s relevance grows. This war machine is equipped with a crucial suppressor, ideal for neutralizing agents with aggravating utility like Gekko and Chamber. KAY/O can shut down formidable heavy-hitters with just a small holographic dagger.

Once again, KAY/O features a low learning curve but a high mastery ceiling, making him accessible for new players to begin their rank grind, while seasoned veterans can execute wild tricks with his deceptively simple toolkit.

C-tier: Situational Agents

C-tier agents may struggle to hold their own against most Valorant agents, but players might still deploy them on specific maps or in particular situations. These agents possess valuable skills that often demand a significant time investment to master, which may not be worthwhile given their generally lower effectiveness.

Chamber

If this list were ranked by sartorial elegance, Chamber would undeniably be God tier. Regrettably, it’s about agent performance, and while the impeccably dressed Frenchman is in a much better state than before, he’ll never quite reclaim the dominance he enjoyed at his launch.

Chamber excels in eco rounds and offers some mobility with his Rendezvous ability. However, most of his lethality hinges on the player’s shooting prowess. His ultimate ability summons an Operator, so unless you’re particularly skilled with this sniper rifle, Chamber will be about as useful as a fine suit in a firefight.

Waylay

Season 2025 Act 2 debutant Waylay has been more about flash than substance since her in-game arrival. Lacking the self-sufficiency of other Duelists, Waylay isn’t an ideal entry fragger in a solo queue environment and needs coordinated utility to safely enter a site. In higher ELOs, when played in pre-made teams, and certainly on the professional stage, this will likely be a different story. But for now, we’ve placed her in C-tier.

Skye

Skye is a fantastic Initiator capable of both creating space and generating vital intel for her team. Guiding Light can blind enemies with its flash effect, while Trailblazer or her ultimate, Seekers, can help flush enemies out of cover and deal damage.

Skye’s pick rate dramatically improves on smaller maps for both offense and defense, thanks to her impressive utility options. She even offers some light healing, though she shouldn’t be considered a direct replacement for Sage in that regard.

D-tier: Requires Significant Investment

Harbor

When Harbor launched with his water shield, the hype was immense. However, like many new additions to Valorant, Harbor proved to be somewhat of a letdown. Some players still champion his toolkit, but his Cascade and High Tide abilities offer little unique value. These water screens slow enemies and create new angles – tasks that many other agents perform far more effectively.

Harbor’s smoke might be unique and potentially valuable, but it’s easily countered. While Cove blocks bullets, a mere seven Vandal shots will expose a defuser, leaving them vulnerable. Compared to other ultimates in Valorant, Reckoning feels like a waste of seven points, especially at higher ranks. The concuss is weak, and the sky wisps are notoriously difficult to track amidst chaotic battles.

How this Valorant tier list was created

This Valorant tier list is meticulously crafted to reflect the current meta. We acknowledge that some lower-tier agents might be powerful on paper, but their abilities can be challenging to utilize effectively due to prevalent team strategies. To determine each agent’s ranking, we considered their overall viability, success and pick rates, and how well their skills align with the current meta and popular playstyles.

It’s important to remember that no Valorant agent is inherently ‘bad’. You might observe players effortlessly climbing ranks with a C-tier agent, while others struggle at the bottom with a ‘God-tier’ character. Ultimately, success boils down to personal playstyle, consistent practice, and strategic tactics. While some agents are classified as S-tier, they may not be the perfect fit for everyone.

If your team is trying to figure out what composition to run in ranked, we hope our Valorant tier list proves helpful. We’ve conducted extensive research, tuning into pro streams and enduring countless deaths in ranked play, so you don’t have to.

Best Valorant agents for beginners

Here are the best Valorant agents for beginners:

• Brimstone
• Clove
• Gekko
• Killjoy
• Reyna
• Sage

These agents all feature relatively simple kits to grasp, yet offer ample room for skill expression as you invest more time. Brimstone, for instance, provides smokes, a movement stim, a Molotov, and a potent death laser. His kit is easy for anyone to pick up, but mastering smoke spots, one-ways, and Molotov lineups can turn skilled Brimstone players into absolute forces.

Clove is similar in their smoke deployment – smokes that can even be used after they’ve fallen. Additionally, their ability to ‘yoink’ life essence, much like Reyna, means two core parts of their kit are directly borrowed from some of the game’s most beginner-friendly agents. Add a simple timed decay orb and a self-revive mechanic, and Clove emerges as the perfect modern agent for newcomers.

Speaking of Reyna, this Duelist acts as the ultimate one-woman army thanks to her ability to heal from defeated enemies. Her ultimate itself is a massive combat stim, so there’s little complexity to learn. Gekko is a fantastic agent for beginners because he can send one of his loyal buddies to plant the Spike for him, allowing you to focus on refining your aim and crosshair placement. Plus, his rechargeable utility makes it forgiving to misuse abilities, especially early in your Valorant journey.

Similarly to Brimstone, Sage has a low skill floor. Packing slow orbs, a wall, a heal, and a revive, her mechanics are straightforward. However, between clever wall placements and game-changing clutch revives, proficient Sage players can become absolute menaces on the server.

Now armed with our Valorant tier list for ranked play, you should have no trouble blasting through enemies with a solid team of our top picks. Good luck, and have fun.