VALORANT Episode 9 agent tier list: The Iso meta

VALORANT Episode 9 has just arrived alongside a new map, Abyss, and some adjustments in patch 9.0. With all of this in mind, here are our rankings of the best's our VALORANT agent tier list, covering the best and worst picks in the game this episode.

Disclaimer: Before getting too far into this tier list, it is important to note that this tier list is designed to apply, as best it can, to every rank of the game. We are taking professional team play and competitive ladder viability into account when ranking each agent. This author has played VALORANT since Beta, has worked with a professional team, and has competed at several different ranks of play. While each rank is inevitably very different, some agents can almost universally play better or worse based on balancing.

We feel like these agents can perform extremely well on just about any map, and can be staple picks in both pro and ranked play.

Iso is the most interesting of these, as many of the others have been quite strong for some time. However, even with Patch 9.0 slightly nerfing Iso's shield, he still has one without getting a kill first. This makes him simply too strong to rank any lower. Otherwise, you can't go wrong with any of these picks.

These agents also feel quite strong, but some can be a bit more situationally dependent or lack proper synergies.

After Raze's mobility has hit with a nerf, she has dropped here alongside the recently buffed Neon. Both of these Duelists are incredibly strong, but can't quite stack up to what Jett and Iso can provide right now. Otherwise, Gekko's utility recycling makes him a quality pick almost universally, and the same can be said for what Cypher and Breach both provide for their teams.

These picks all feel like they are on the cusp of being truly great, but are simply outclassed by other agents of their same class.

This feels the most true when looking at Clove and Astra as Controllers, who both are excellent and can do a lot in their own way. But, Viper and Omen are just too solid to pick against. Sage feels solid, but a bit one-dimensional as a Sentinel, and both Skye and KAY/O can be used as comfort picks, but seem to play a bit worse than Sova, Breach, and Gekko in most instances.

These agents are very situational but can provide flashes of greatness in their own way, perhaps at the cost of some superior synergies.

A great example of this is Yoru, who is the definition of a solo-play character and can struggle to find value when not making big teleport plays. Fade is an excellent info-gatherer and Harbor can be disruptive, but other choices seem better overall. To my Brimstone mains, I'm sorry, there are just too many other great Controllers right now.

Finally, in D-Tier, we have agents that you should probably avoid until they receive a buff or two, but can find their moments.

Chamber has been hard-countered by the recent Iso changes in a lot of ways but can be useful if you need a solid Operator user. Deadlock doesn't do enough to ever pick over a Killjoy, Cypher, or Sage, but has good area denial without a doubt. Phoenix just feels a bit lackluster overall, but can make big plays in the hands of the right player.

Overall, we hope you enjoyed this tier list, but we also challenge you to find your own way in Episode 9. Always be on the lookout for ways to get more value out of your picks, and stay tuned for more VALORANT coverage, here at esports.gg!