Best and worst VALORANT agents for each map

Riot Games’ tactical shooter VALORANT has so many agents to choose from, each one with their own unique abilities and synergy. The seven maps in the game add another dimension to this choice, encouraging players to use various skills to find success.

When you’re just starting the game, it can be tough to figure out which agents work the best on which maps. Thankfully, we’ve got you covered. Here is a list of the best agents to use on each of the maps currently playable in VALORANT.

Best VALORANT agents on Ascent

Ascent is a standard two-site map with three entry routes. The B site side of the map offers access through one small room, often resulting in the defending team keeping watch as the attackers push forward to get onto the site. A Site includes two long straights that connect onto the site and will see players take a slower approach to that of the B site. In the middle of the two sites, there is a third route that is a completely open middle section of the map, connecting both sites. This middle section is a key area of control on Ascent.

KAY/O

VALORANT’s robot initiator is a great choice on Ascent and has become a staple in the standard composition used by players at the very highest level. This map plays easier when you utilize a double initiator composition, and KAY/O’s information and flashes allow him to play the more aggressive role. If you’re used to playing Phoenix, for example, trying KAY/O out might be advantageous to your team. Just be mindful that his flashes utilize a different mechanic than any other initiator in the game—similar to fashes in Counter-Strike—so they may take time to get used to.

Sova

Sova’s bounceable Recon Dart doesn’t get any harder to counter than on the paper-thin Ascent map. He’s the best primary initiator to pick on this map, and if you can pair him with a KAY/O, you’ll be able to easily take either site or even control of the middle of the map.

Omen

With two rechargeable smokes, a potent near-sighting ability, and both short and long-range teleporting powers, Omen’s versatility on Ascent has been well-established since VALORANT’s release. While Astra’s also a great pick, nothing can beat the value Omen’s Dark Cover and his ability to keep enemies on their toes with his teleports can bring on Ascent.   

Killjoy

Want to ‘Lock Down’ Ascent’s B Site on defense? Killjoy’s Nanoswarms and Alarm Bot, coupled with an annoying Turret placement, is your best bet. The German engineer is phenomenal at anchoring sites and is a great pick on almost all maps currently in rotation. Yet, her best site in the entire game might just be Ascent B Site.

Worst VALORANT agents on Ascent

Yoru

Yoru is particularly disliked due to his difficult hit-or-miss kit. Ascent’s defense-heavy features require players to be in sync, but Yoru’s abilities are based greatly on independent execution. He can flash and teleport into a site, but his teammates may not get the opportunity to trade him. There aren’t many safe spots to Gatecrash into on Ascent, so he’s not a worthwhile pick on the floating island.  

Gekko

Gekko’s success is highly dependent on the number of times you can deploy his abilities to gather information and safely pick his globules back up to recharge his abilities. And Ascent isn’t the map for that. Of course, there are lineups for Dizzy, but our ranked games are usually very fast-paced, which doesn’t favor slow, thoughtful executions. As an attacker, sending in any of his abilities into either site will likely end up useless. Moreover, there are too many angles to clear on Ascent, and his abilities are quite easy to destroy or dodge.

Harbor

The range of Harbor’s kit makes it very difficult for him to place his utility helpfully on Ascent. His smokes and walls are not flexible enough on a map like this where rotation between several areas is the norm. While he can do well with another smoker to support him, your team will benefit more from independent controller agents like Omen or Astra.

Best VALORANT agents on Bind

Contrary to its original design, Bind is currently a bit more favorable toward attackers, although defenders continue to enjoy some of its iconic closely-spaced areas. To tackle its quirks on both sides, you’ll need a flexible and aggressive comp that can effectively enter sites with little or no casualties and play post-plant or retakes. Don’t skip on an initiator, and play double controllers if you can.

Raze

Raze’s bomb-heavy kit is perfect for closely-spaced maps like Bind, allowing her to deal catastrophic damage to enemies on attack or defense. When used efficiently, her Blast Packs offer excellent mobility, allowing Raze to enter sites and create crucial space. Though you can play whichever duelist you feel most comfortable on, Raze’s utility makes Bind her playground. Despite Episode Seven nerfs to her Boombot and Satchels, Bind is one of the only maps left where Raze shines as brightly as ever.

Brimstone

The founder of VALORANT Protocol, Brimstone has much to offer on Bind, with swiftly deployable Sky Smokes, a handy Stim Beacon offering combat support, a potent Molotov, and a colossal, deadly laser beam. He can be paired with a Viper or Harbor for a strong double controller comp or played as a solo smoker on the team since he has three long-lasting smokes—just don’t deploy them all at once.

Sage

Sage’s Barrier Orb makes up for the lack of other defensive utility in her kit. Her wall is excellent on Bind, allowing the team to go for a safe Spike plant or stop an aggressive push through the map’s narrow chokepoints. Her Slow Orb can be combined with deterrent utilities like Brimstone’s Incendiary or Raze’s Paint Shell grenade to deal lethal damage or even secure a kill.  

Worst VALORANT agents on Bind

Neon

Neon is not necessarily bad on Bind, but you have much better options in the form of Raze, Jett, and even Reyna, who can create space more effectively and get the team the entry they deserve. Neon’s kit is odd for Bind’s features; there are a lot of barriers and closely packed spaces that hinder movement, which is detrimental to her abilities.

Killjoy

Bind is one of the few maps Killjoy isn’t great on, unfortunately. While she can control the B Site quite effectively with microwave setups and annoying Turret placements, attackers can easily fake and rotate on this map using teleporters—and her abilities are ranged. You’d be better off with Cypher, Vyse, or even Chamber.

Best VALORANT agents on Abyss

The first VALORANT map to feature no outer boundaries and scary death drops, Abyss isn’t anyone’s cup of tea. It favors tactical aggression and mind games on attack, while on defense, calls for patience. Go for initiator-heavy compositions on this one. 

Astra

Abyss is a complicated defender-friendly VALORANT map, but Astra’s global control and high flank potential make things simpler. Not only does she offer the biggest smokes in the game, but she can also be a nuisance with her initiator-like pull and concuss abilities. The best part? You can pop fake smokes and a bullet-proof wall to confuse enemies all you want, that too, without using up your ability charges. 

Cypher

Cypher is a defensive master, and Abyss is just one of his playgrounds. His traps are great for denying enemies space as well as controlling mid flanks, both on offense and defense. Whether you go for funky traps to punish enemies for fooling around with death drops or just simple unpredictable placements, everything seems to work out if you’ve got the Moroccan spy on your team. Not to forget, his Spy Cam and ultimate, besides thoroughly annoying and distracting opponents, offer valuable intel for your team to capitalize on.

KAY/O

KAY/O is an excellent VALORANT agent to counter stubborn defenders or aggressive attackers on Abyss for obvious reasons. His ability to disable enemy abilities and provide valuable intel at the same time is something no other agent offers, giving the team he’s on a huge advantage already. Abyss also has a lot of corners and sneaky spots, and KAY/O’s flashes are perfect to clear those angles. Lastly, his ultimate is all you need when you desperately want to win a round on attack.  

Worst VALORANT agents on Abyss

Reyna

You need a duelist with effective space-taking capabilities when you’re tackling defensive maps like Abyss. Reyna has very little to offer to her team, thanks to her selfish kit, which may limit you on the quirky VALORANT map. 

Brimstone

Abyss isn’t as huge as Breeze, but it sure has a lot of open space and angles that you may seek to control. Brimstone has no rechargeable smokes, so you’ve got to make do with just the three he has. To top it off, he has to run around the map trying to drop smokes at choke points because of his bracer’s limited range. While he can be a beast in post-plant, if you know lineups, I’d rather have an Astra or Omen on my team any day.

Killjoy

As great as she is on certain maps, Killjoy isn’t a great choice for Abyss. The map promotes aast-paced gameplay and features huge sites, making it difficult for the German engineer to protect her setup and get value out of it. Her ultimate doesn’t cover sites effectively either, making retakes or attacking a site harder. 

Best VALORANT agents on Pearl

Pearl is huge, making it pretty hard to control. Rotation and global map control play crucial roles, so go for agents featuring mobile abilities with a larger range. Gathering intel periodically is non-negotiable. [Pearl is currently out of rotation from the ranked map pool.]

Astra

Whether you want to play defensively or go aggressive, Astra is perfectly knitted for Pearl’s design. Her kit offers global control, allowing her to drop smokes anywhere she wants regardless of where she is located on the map—and we all know how crucial that is on big maps. Not to forget, her supportive kit has a lot to offer, making site executions, retakes, and post-plant scenarios a breeze. 

Killjoy

Killjoy manages to effectively control a crucial amount of space on Pearl, which is a boon on an attacker-friendly map. For example, you can put a Turret in B Link to detect a sneaky enemy flanking through Mid Doors and place your Alarmbot and Nanoswarms in a microwave setup to deny or delay a B Site execution. As an attacker, you can efficiently control flanks with her Turret, all while playing post-plant. An all-rounder you’d always want on your team.

Gekko

I love the flexibility Gekko offers on Pearl, especially with his adorable Wingman. Planting the Spike as soon as possible and running back to play post-plant with deterrent abilities is the most popular strategy if you’re trying to execute an attack on B Site. Having Wingman on your side makes it so much easier; he can clear angles and punish enemies with a stun, too. Not to forget, his pickable flash, highly potent molotov, and rechargeable ultimate are all incredibly strong abilities on offense and defense. 

Worst VALORANT agents on Pearl

Brimstone

While his Stim Beacon may give an aggressive team composition a crucial edge, Brimstone’s smokes and range simply aren’t enough to control such a huge map featuring several possibilities. Again, he can be strong in certain post-plant scenarios, but what’s the point if you can’t enter a site or take space in the first place? 

Sova

Pearl has a lot of intricate features, which isn’t fit for Sova’s kit. Enemies can easily dodge his Recon Bolt’s range and sneak into the space that was just cleared. There are simply too many angles for his Owl Drone to clear effectively. Go for Gekko, Fade, KAY/O, or even Skye instead.

Best VALORANT agents on Haven

An iconic VALORANT location, Haven is one of the easiest maps to master. It features three sites and is fairly attacker-friendly. Initiators are a must on your team, and so is an agile duelist. If you can, go for agents with blinding abilities for easier executions.

Raze

Raze has always been the best duelist to pick on Haven, thanks to her potent abilities, which easily flush stubborn enemies out of their hideouts. Her satchels, although slightly hard to master, offer excellent mobility and quite a bit of advantage in close-range fights. We suggest mastering shotguns or the Phantom to complement her bombastic style. 

Vyse

Vyse is excellent on all tightly-packed maps. Whether it’s Haven’s garage or any of the plant sites, her kit can effectively stall a push, isolate fights, and force enemies to abort their mission. To top it off, her flash placement is quite hard to predict. Deploy it in a timely manner, and you can pick a quick headshot on an unsuspecting enemy. Competitive and fun, right? Her weapon-disabling ultimate covers a huge amount of space, making it a great tool for taking space.

Worst VALORANT agents on Haven

Yoru

Except for his ultimate, Yoru doesn’t field abilities to clear angles effectively, which is a huge disadvantage on a packed map like Haven. While his unpredictable flashes can be very effective in certain cases, those rarely help your teammates. Haven’s site entrances are narrow, making it hard for you to pop a flash while avoiding death by spam. Plus, you may struggle to find overall value in the match if you’re the only duelist on the team. Haven favors agile duelists like Jett and Raze, so sit Yoru out for this one. 

Harbor

Unless you’re in a team with pro-game-like coordination and are experimenting with double controllers, Harbor is a no-no on Haven. His kit is very limited and leaves a lot of sneaky spaces unattended for enemies to take advantage of. Yes, it’s fun to watch creators make ratty corners with Harbor’s flexible walls and take their enemies by surprise by popping out of his Cove, but mind you, thousands of players are watching those videos. In most cases, those imported tricks aren’t going to work. Omen or Astra, it is.

Best VALORANT agents on Lotus

Lotus is the only other VALORANT map like Haven, featuring three sites instead of just two. Two big, loud spinning doors can be activated by a button and a destructible door that links A Main to the B Site, adding another twist. Rotation and fake strategies play important roles. Also, watch out for flanking enemies.

Omen

Lotus’ three sites all have some aspect of verticality, making Omen a perfect choice because of the flexibility of his teleport. Instead of rotating around to get on higher ground, he can simply look up and lift himself there from the shadows. His precise smoke placements also allow him to get creative, with a variety of one-ways and other sneaky tricks Omen mains are known for.

Killjoy

Killjoy’s kit fits well with Lotus’ features, allowing her to defend sites and stall her enemies’ moves effectively. From her supportive Turret to her threatening Lockdown, Killjoy is the perfect defender you want on your side when you load into Lotus.

Skye

Skye received some hefty nerfs in Episode Eight, but if there’s one map she can still find value on, it’s Lotus. With flexible flashes, a telekinetic Tasmanian Tiger, and three seekers that can blind and slow down enemies, Skye makes an excellent initiator on Lotus. Combine her with another initiator like Breach or Fade, and you’ll have a flawless team. There are also a few secret spots on Lotus that allow Skye to guide her bird flashes in through windows or other openings without peeking herself.

Worst VALORANT agents on Lotus

Sova

Like his situation on Fracture, Sova’s kit cannot bring much value to Lotus due to the map’s crowded geometry. He is more suited to maps with openly-spaced sites like Breeze, Haven, and Ascent. Some lineups can be effective, but when there are better alternatives like Skye, Breach, and Fade, you don’t need to force a Sova pick. 

Sage

There can be too many possibilities for rotations and flanks on the Lotus map, and you don’t want to waste a spot on your team with Sage. If you use her wall at the wrong time, it is a complete waste of credits that the opposing team can likely easily find a way to flank around. On Lotus, Sage’s wall is more of an inconvenience than a complete barrier.

Best VALORANT agents on Sunset

Beautiful and chaotic are the best two words to describe Sunset. While its sites are tightly packed with structures and small details, the map also offers an open mid-section, which is crucial to take control of no matter the side you’re on.

Cypher

Cypher is arguably the strongest sentinel agent in the game and excels in almost every map, but you just can’t do without him on Sunset. He can single-handedly lock down a site with his annoying intel-gathering abilities, letting his team focus on the rest of the map. No other sentinel can deal with Sunset’s flank-friendly features as efficiently as him.

Omen

Be it one-way smokes or teleporting to quirky angles on top of boxes, Omen can do it all on Sunset. He can successfully keep his enemies on their toes, thanks to how unpredictable he can be with his play style.

Neon

Sunset is a big, if not huge map, and Neon’s speedy kit is a boon on it. Well, that’s only if you master her slides and stun placements and have an agent like Sova to break Cypher’s trips for you. Whether you’re flanking on the enemy team or rotating to a different site, nobody does it better than our confident Filipino.

Worst VALORANT agents on Sunset

Phoenix

Phoenix isn’t necessarily bad on Sunset, but there isn’t a strong reason to choose him over any of the other five duelists. His quick, curved flashes are too weak for the map’s detailed and expansive environment, which lets your enemies dodge the flashes very easily. Even Yoru—possibly the game’s most undervalued agent—can offer more than Phoenix on Sunset.

Sage

Sage’s lackluster kit isn’t meta on any of the maps, although she can be a fair addition on Bind and Split. On Sunset, she’s not a viable pick because her strongest ability, her wall, will get very little value—unless you’re Grim.

Clove

While being a flexible controller with aggressive features sounds great on paper, Clove’s kit feels pretty restrictive on most maps, and Sunset is one of them. For starters, you always have to be near and around the midsection to smoke both sites as a defender. Other controller agents like Omen and Astra have multiple abilities that can help with retakes and aggression, while Clove has nothing team-based to offer.

Best VALORANT agents on Icebox

The snowy and icy Icebox went through multiple changes throughout its existence. Compared to its initial design, the map has become more open and less condensed, giving certain agents a huge advantage over others.

Viper

Viper was always a great choice for Icebox and, despite all the nerfs she went through, still retains her position. Her Toxic Screen can stretch across either A or B sites to divide the area into smaller, more digestible areas for your team to take control of. In addition, both sites have excellent opportunities for Viper to line up her Snake Bite to delay a spike plant or defuse.

Jett

Though Jett shines through as a top choice on almost all of VALORANT’s maps, she stands out as the best choice for a duelist on Icebox. She can capitalize on the map’s verticality, propelling herself into places that other agents can’t reach so easily. Her speed also enables her to quickly cross and close gaps to reach her enemies.

Sage

Icebox has a few very narrow chokepoints that can only be avoided by utilizing verticality to get around them (see: Jett). But for agents without an updraft or teleport, a well-placed Radianite Sage wall can render one area of the map completely useless. Build a wall in mid, in the tunnel towards Kitchen, or even in the narrow choke on A site to reroute your enemies.

Worst VALORANT agents on Icebox

Neon

Neon is a great duelist, but she struggles on Icebox because of the map’s convoluted sites with lots of corners and structures built around the plant area. She can’t sprint out into the open and take down a whole team on Icebox; it’s just too risky. You’re better off using Neon on Fracture when it returns to the map rotation.

Breach

Icebox is all about gathering valuable intel and flushing enemies out of corners. While Breach does quite well with the second requirement, he isn’t the man for times you seek information. Go for Sova or Gekko instead.

Best VALORANT agents on Split

Split was initially incredibly defender-friendly, but that has shifted significantly with changes over the years. Its packed sites and hard-to-execute mid-section call for a double-duelist team composition for obvious reasons. [Split is currently out of rotation from the ranked map pool.]

Raze

Raze, our chaotic bomb expert, is also excellent on Split. Whether it’s to flush enemies out of hiding spots, jump into the site, or blast a huge rocket launcher at her foes, her kit is perfectly curated for Split’s tight lanes. Once again, her kit on this map can also help on defense, making her an ideal duelist choice.

Sage

Though after the map’s rework, many players stopped using Sage on Split, we think she still gets tons of value here. On this map, there are only two ways to get onto each site, and Sage can nullify one route on each side with just one ability. Yes, the Sage wall in mid might get boring round after round, but it sure is effective.

Omen

If you’re looking for the best solo controller on Split, it has to be Omen. Not only is he good for deploying cover, but he is also great for set plays with his Paranoia (blind) and Shrouded Step (teleport). You can also keep your enemies guessing with Omen’s From the Shadows ultimate, and there are plenty of sneaky places he can hide.

Worst VALORANT agents on Split

Sova

Sova has long been known as one of the worst agents you could lock in on Split. The main reason why he isn’t effective is he takes a big risk every time he uses his utility and doesn’t get much of a reward for it. Since the entry points onto each site on Split are decently far away from where your teammate plants the spike, the range of Sova’s drone doesn’t go far enough to get value. In addition, the only way to get his recon darts in a good spot is to risk his own life by peeking around a corner.

Chamber

If you’re playing a sentinel on Split, pick one like Killjoy, Cypher, or even Sage, who can lock down sites and deny space with their utilities. Picking Chamber will only add a pseudo-duelist to your team. Split is mostly closely spaced, and with Chamber’s long-ranged kit, you’ll have a hard time finding value in most of your games on this map.

Best VALORANT agents on Breeze

Breeze has to be the most tactical of all VALORANT maps so far. Its mid-section is where all the magic happens, although the sites are quite interestingly designed. The map promotes slow-paced and unpredictable playstyles and is heavily based on the team’s post-plant performance and picking off enemies. (Breeze is currently out of rotation from the ranked map pool.)

Jett

Despite her nerfs in patch 7.04 and Breeze’s latest rework, Jett continues to dominate in the Breeze meta—as always. Her wind-driven mobility is excellent for taking map control and escaping threats on a map with massive sites and many angles to keep track of.

Viper

Viper has always been the queen of Breeze, thanks to her poison-laden wall and massive ultimate that helps establish control like no other smoker in VALORANT. Despite nerfs, she remains the best controller on the map.

Due to the prevailing double controller meta, however, the presence of another controller like Omen or Astra can benefit her, taking the pressure off her on defense.  

Chamber

Breeze remains one of the few maps where Chamber can see substantial value. His strong pistol and dominant sniper will cut to the chase despite the map’s large areas, making him a great asset. Though his teleport now has reduced range, he can still surprise his enemies by quickly escaping to the opposite side of a site.

Worst VALORANT agents on Breeze

Raze

After Raze’s Episode Seven nerf, she is even worse on Breeze than she was before. As a rule of thumb, the more open spaces there are, the worse Raze’s kit is, and you can’t get more space between your teammates than on Breeze.

Breach

Breach’s stuns and flashes can devastate enemies on closely spaced maps like Bind, Haven, Fracture, and Lotus. But he is the worst initiator you can pick on Breeze, thanks to its wide-open characteristics. Although his Flashpoint and Aftershock can bring some value, his Fault Line and Rolling Thunder can’t account for the huge plant sites and will often miss their targets.

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