Cypher was the most played agent in VALORANT PAX Arena Invitational, followed by Sage and Sova

It seems like VALORANT’s one-man surveillance network is Mr. Popular.

Cypher was the most played agent during last week’s PAX Arena Invitational, according to VLR.gg. The surveillant was found in a whopping 92 percent of team comps, followed by Sage (77 percent) and Sova (65 percent).

It appears the intel and anti-flank presence Cypher offers proved invaluable throughout the competition. The surveillant was picked 96 percent of the time on Haven, likely because of how great he is at stopping the enemy flank on a three-site map. He’s also capable of holding a site on his own, allowing players to double up on other locations.

And Sage, who’s the only agent that can heal and resurrect teammates, came in at a distant second place. Surprisingly, competitors opted not to use the healer on Ascent 50 percent of the time. The Italian-themed map offers long sightlines and plenty of corners, potentially making it more difficult for Sage to heal or revive allies. Running two smokers may be a better strategy to block Operators and help take or retake sites easier.

Sova, another agent who provides plenty of intel on the enemies’ whereabouts, rounded out the top three. It appears the recent Viper buffs weren’t enough to get the attention of the participants. The toxic agent was the least used at four percent, with Breach (seven percent) and Reyna (11 percent) close behind.

Sentinels dominated throughout the PAX Invitational, eventually defeating Cloud9 in the finals 3-1.