Valorant Ep 2 Act 3 Agent tier list - ranking the game's Agents from best to worst

A new Act in Valorant means a new Agent and a shaking up of the meta.

Unlike many other updates though, v2.04 the launch patch for Act 3, only introduced Astra and made no buffs or nerfs to the game's fourteen other Agents.

Does that mean their place in the meta hasn't shifted - not quite. Compared to our v2.03 Agent tier list, Yoru has fallen further, initial hopes that his kit just hadn't been fully explored have proved not exactly the case and Riot has come out to say that buffing him, as well as Viper, are top priorities.

Yoru hasn't impressed since his arrival in Ep 2 Act 2. (Picture: Riot Games)

Then of course there is Astra, the Controller's kit, is certainly beautiful to look at but does it pack a punch? Find out what we think below.

Description of the tiers

We have opted for a standard five-tier system, S to D.

(Picture: Tiermaker)

S-Tier: Must pick for every team and any map.

A-Tier: Important for any well-functioning team, don't make S-Tier because of certain maps or player's ability.

B-Tier: In the right hands or select maps are viable Agents.

C-Tier: Some players depending on their play style will be able to make these Agents exceed their potential.

D-Tier: Viper.

Remember tier lists are not an exact science so if you feel your ability to play Viper makes her an S-tier agent -- good! (In fact, at high ELOs, Viper is a very proficient Agent but for the vast majority...No)

This list is designed to give you a general idea of the power of Agents as they stand in the game as of Episode 2 Act 3.

Valorant Episode 2 Act 3 Agent tier list

(Picture: Tiermaker)

S-Tier

(Picture: Riot Games)

• Jett: There is a reason Jett is still the best option for a team's main AWPer. Her Tailwind allows her to play it aggressively which no other Agent can compete with. Updraft and Blade Storm give her yet more offensive potential. Her smokes, though the subject to recent nerf, still allow her and her teammates to escape a tricky spot.
• Sova: No Agent gives teams and players more reliable intelligence gathering than Sova. His Recon Bolt when taking or re-taking a site is invaluable, and well-placed Shock Bolts have the potential to chip away at defences. Players are still learning of his true potential with new line-ups being discovered all the time. His Ult ain't bad either.

A-Tier

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• Breach: This Initiator has gone from dog-tier to a near must-pick, helped in no small part from his v1.07 buffs that not only improved his flashes but gave him more of them. His Concussion is the most powerful anti-Operator ability and for that alone, he is high on this list.
• Brimstone: From a great early start to a slow drift down the meta until he was one of the most unloved Agents in the game, it's been tough for Brimstone. But times are a-changing with the release of Episode 2 Act 1 heralding a change in Brimstones kit, including increased smoke range, cheaper mollies, and an insta-Stim Beacon. Bag 'em and tag 'em.
• Raze: This explosive expert has been a thorn in many a side since she entered the game and not much has changed. Her ability to inflict damage with her Showstopper, Boombot, and Cluster Grenades, is unrivalled. 
  On Bind, where she can use the Teleports to send her munitions even further puts her in the S-Tier.

B-Tier

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• Cypher: Great at holding down a site and for that reason alone he finds himself in the B-Tier.  It's the power of other Agents, namely Sova and Killjoy, that doesn't put him higher on this list. His post-death nerfs that see his equipment become deactivated also doesn't help.
• Killjoy: Killjoy is a tricky one, originally the no.1 for defending a site all on her own, she is now the queen of holding a post-plant. A very powerful Agent and can be an absolute pain to play against.
• Omen: It's been a tough couple of weeks for Omen mains as what had been the ultimate Controller has found his abilities nerfed in both intended and unintended ways. Still powerful in the right hands but the days of this reality shifting Agent being a must-pick are over.
• Sage: The original healer and the original must-pick. Sage was hit with nerf, after nerf, as she proved both effective as an attacking force, as well as her original intention as a purely defensive one. Her Ult, even at its increased cost, is unrivalled.
• Reyna: There was a lot of debate about whether Reyna was buffed or nerfed in the most recent balance patch. And after some hands-on time, it goes like this. At lower ELOs her pub stomping ability has been curbed, but at higher ELOs where teams are more coordinated, she is definitely a much better Agent now. Thanks, in no small part, to the fact that she now gains Orbs for dealing damage on eliminated opponents and not just those that she got the final shot on.
• Skye: One of the newest Agents and one still finding her place. Skye is most definitely a team player and she needs solid teamwork to get the best out of her multi-faceted kit. She can heal, scout, and flash - is she actually S-Tier in disguise? Even without any buffs as players get more hands-on time with her, she may slowly climb the ranks.

C-Tier

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• Pheonix: There is nothing necessarily bad about Pheonix's kit but in a world of Breach and Reyn, he seems slightly redundant. His self-heal and mollies can still make him effective, especially at lower ELOs.
• Astra: As beautiful as Astra's abilities are to look at it is very hard to find a reason to pick her - yet.
  There are caveats here but we have been stung before with an Agent seemingly having much potential but in reality making it difficult to translate those supposed powers to the real world. Both her opponents and her team can see the stars she places in anticipation of using one of the abilities. She also is extremely vulnerable in her Astral Form. Though her Ult, Cosmic Divide, is nutty throwing up a wall similar to Viper's Toxic Screen but impenetrable to fire and blocking all sound off from the other side. Some Ult's such as Sova's Hunter Fury can damage those on the other side but it still has the potential to be a game-changer.

D-Tier

(Picture: Riot Games)

• Viper: She's been the subject of buffs and more have been promised but it's safe to say that Viper has yet to make a real impact. Her potential as a controller is in dispute as Brimstone and Omen's smokes are far more effective. Her post-plant potential is such a one-trick pony move that its hard to ever find a reason to pick her.
• Yoru: Changes to Yoru's kit in v2.03 have increased his intelligence-gathering abilities but he still seems weak, and in comparison to Agents that perform similar functions he is positively dog-tier. Riot promise buffs in the near future, but for the moment stay away.

So that's our Valorant Episode 2 Act 3 tier list. Feel that we have besmirched your Agent's good name? Then you can let us know your thoughts in the comments below.