Are you wondering how to choose the right Valorant agent? All Valorant characters are viable, but not all of them work for every player. If you’re hard stuck in Silver for over a month, there are high chances you’ve committed to the wrong guy (or an agent in this scenario). It’s worth mixing things up and finding the right match for your unique play style. Who knows, it might help you break the monotony in Riot’s FPS game and bring you closer to the coveted red badge!
Valorant has a loaded roster of 21 agents, but who is “the one” for you? We’ve spent hands-on time with the full list of agents, and we’ve got the step-by-step instructions on how to find the one you’ll gel the most with.
Find your Valorant play style
Valorant has 21 agents distributed into four classes. Each class suits four different types of play styles. If you already know what player type you are, you’re halfway there. But if you’re new to FPS, dive into unranked to explore your urges. Let me explain.
You can only find out what works for you when you know what doesn’t. So start unranked and observe small habits. When you’re in a duel, do you get an urge to pick the fight head-on, or does your mind instantly starts strategizing? For example, do you think about rotating toward the other side and planting the Spike instead of pushing in? This could speak volumes about the type of player you are.
Delve into your unique play style and observe your innate instincts through several unranked test matches, in order to select your optimal category.
Which Valorant agent category do I choose?
There’s a right Valorant agent for everyone. If you’re confident in your aim, opt for Jett or Chamber. But, if you’re a master of strategy and cunning, Cypher or Killjoy will let your genius shine through.
If you’ve observed your play style, you can now move on to deciding a category. Here are some signs you should be looking for during your unranked game:
Duelist
If you often catch yourself wondering why your team isn’t playing aggressively enough or picking faults in Jett or Reyna’s play style, chances are you want to play their roles. You should pick a duelist if you find yourself at the center of most gunfights and are typically the first one to die. Another sign is your teammates always wait for you to draw first blood before taking the next step.
Controller
Controllers are wiser older siblings who would take a risk, but only when it’s absolutely necessary. In all scenarios, their priority is safety, meaning planting covers.
So, if you are okay with a teammate pushing in but want to protect them, you’re intrinsically a controller. Controller players are often highly responsible as well and may find themselves running back to the spawn to pick up the Spike. If that’s you, it’s your sign to opt for a controller in Valorant.
Initiator
Initiators serve as the ideal alternative to duelists, catering to players who may be apprehensive about assuming the primary shooter role, yet still aspire to lead the charge. Most players would opt for an initiator like Breach to fulfill their duelist dream from safety.
Sentinel
If you ever find yourself on the opposite side of duels where silence is so loud you could hear the crickets, you’re a sentinel. It’s not a bad thing; you can be an excellent lurker without abandoning your teammates. As a sentinel, your job is to gather secondary information and lock flanks.
Which Valorant agent suits you the best?
Finally, if you have narrowed it down to a category, it’s time to find the perfect agent. Valorant has classes, but some agents don’t fit into one mold—for example, Raze, Chamber, and Sage.
If you’re an uber-aggressive, all-guns-blazing duelist going into a solo-ranked game, pick Phoenix or Reyna. Both are self-sufficient and deadly. Raze and Yoru are better choices for passive duelists who like to make elaborate moves. Finally, pick Jett or Neon if you’re absolutely confident in your aim.
In the controller category, hybrid players should opt for Harbor or Viper, who are much more than just sight-blockers. If you’re entirely new to FPS, pick Brimstone to play it safe. Finally, Astra and Omen are the best controllers if you’re willing to commit to this category in the long run.
Initiators are all first intel-gatherers besides Breach. Only pick Breach if you can handle fast-paced Valorant and flash-entry into the side. If you can’t do that, go for Kay/O instead. The war machine is a jack of all trades. Sova and Fade, however, are purely for those who want to stay in the backlines and break crucial intel.
The sentinel category doesn’t have a single bad agent, but if you spend most of your time lurking, avoid picking Chamber. The suave Frenchman can be invaluable in the line of fire. For serial lurkers, Cypher or Killjoy are ideal picks. Like Brimstone, Sage is a safe pick for green Valorant players until they can master her trick barriers.
If you’re unsure which agent to go for, check out our Valorant agent tier list to run only the best of both worlds during your ranked Valorant games. Combine that with our testing of Valorant’s best guns and you’ll soon have a strong loadout to dive in with.