Valorant Agent Tier List — V26 Act 5 (August 2026)
Primary high-elo read = Esports Tales Radiant pick rate, August 2026 (page dated Aug 11). Tiers are popularity clusters at Radiant — the source says win rate does not set the letter; we print WR in the row anyway. Patch truth = official Riot notes: 13.04 (Aug 18, V26 Act 5) is live and changes the Competitive map pool, not kits. Last kit pass = 13.00 (Jun 23) plus 13.01 Iso/Yoru and 13.02 Phoenix ult 6→7. Sibling fact page: Valorant rank distribution.
JettDuelist · S · #1 · 19.8% Radiant
CloveController · S · #2 · 18.8% Radiant
SovaInitiator · A · #3 · 10.0% Radiant
ChamberSentinel · A · #5 · 8.4% RadiantEditor note: Esports Tales last updated this table on August 11, 2026 — a week before Act 5 / patch 13.04 (Abyss in, Breeze out). 13.04 did not change any kit, so the power list is still the right one; the map rotation is unmeasured in this Radiant sample. MetaBot (all ranks, 29 agents) letters Jett C on a 13.6% pick / 50.0% WR; we keep her S because the primary question is who Radiant locks, and that number is 19.8%. 
Waylay is 8th all-ranks (4.0%) and missing from the Radiant table — mid-ladder, not high elo. Valking.gg named Radiant rows = missing-evidence (the scrape had no agent names).
All 29 Agents Ranked, S to C
All 29 playable agents, one row each. Filter chips jump by role or letter. S–B letters follow Esports Tales Radiant clusters (Tier 1–3). C holds everyone with a published Radiant pick under 2%, plus agents the Radiant table left as a dash or omitted. Where only MetaBot all-ranks pick% exists, the row says so.
| Tier | Agent | Role | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| S | Jett | Duelist | Radiant #1 — 19.8% pick / 51.0% WR (Esports Tales, August 2026). The only Duelist in Tier 1. |
| S | Clove | Controller | Radiant #2 — 18.8% pick / 52.0% WR. The only Controller in Tier 1, and #1 at Immortal 3. |
| A | Sova | Initiator | Radiant #3 — 10.0% pick / 50.3% WR. Highest Initiator pick at Radiant; default dart info. |
| A |  Reyna | Duelist | Radiant #4 — 8.6% pick / 51.2% WR. #1 at Bronze 3; self-sufficient frag, not a site-take kit. |
| A | Chamber | Sentinel | Radiant #5 — 8.4% pick / 50.0% WR. Highest Sentinel pick at Radiant. MetaBot all-ranks has him #3 (10.4%) — more popular below Radiant. |
| A |  Neon | Duelist | Radiant #6 — 8.4% pick / 53.1% WR. Best win rate in the A band. Tied with Chamber on pick. |
| B |  Cypher | Sentinel | Radiant #7 — 5.8% pick / 49.6% WR. 13.00 Trapwire windup 0.9s→0.7s; still well behind Chamber at the top. |
| B |  Fade | Initiator | Radiant #8 — 5.3% pick / 49.9% WR. Second Initiator at Radiant after Sova. 13.00 signature CD 60s→50s. |
| B |  Phoenix | Duelist | Radiant #9 — 4.7% pick / 52.8% WR. 13.02 raised Run it Back from 6 to 7 ult points (Jul 28). WR still holds; pick is mid-board. |
| B |  Raze | Duelist | Radiant #10 — 4.0% pick / 50.8% WR. Site-break Duelist; not in the Radiant top 6. |
| C |  Skye | Initiator | 1.3% pick / 53.4% WR at Radiant. High WR, low lock. 13.00 signature CD 60s→50s. |
| C |  Viper | Controller | 1.3% pick / 46.3% WR at Radiant — weakest published Radiant win rate among named rows. Map-dependent, not a default Controller. |
| C |  Vyse | Sentinel | 1.1% pick / 53.3% WR at Radiant. Quiet overperformer on WR; not a default lock. |
| C |  Killjoy | Sentinel | 0.8% pick / 54.4% WR. 13.00 buffed turret RoF +50%, Nanoswarm 4s→5s, Alarmbot move +50%. WR is strong; Radiant pick did not follow. |
| C |  Sage | Sentinel | 0.7% pick / 55.6% WR at Radiant — #1 at Iron 3. 13.00 self-heal 50→100. The climb pick is not the Radiant pick. |
| C |  Yoru | Duelist | 0.4% pick / 44.4% WR at Radiant. 13.01 Gatecrash 15s→20s and Fakeout clones hold last gun. Still a specialist. |
| C |  Omen | Controller | 0.4% pick / 50.8% WR at Radiant. Clove took the Controller slot. 13.00 only changed Shrouded Step audio. |
| C |  Iso | Duelist | 0.1% pick / 60.0% WR at Radiant. 13.01 made Double Tap→gun instant. WR is on a tiny sample — too thin to promote. |
| C |  Tejo | Initiator | No published Radiant pick% (dash) on Esports Tales August 2026. MetaBot all-ranks: 0.9% pick / 50.1% WR. |
| C |  Brimstone | Controller | No published Radiant pick% (dash). MetaBot all-ranks: 0.7% pick / 50.0% WR. Iron-table presence, not a Radiant lock. |
| C |  Astra | Controller | No published Radiant pick% (dash). MetaBot all-ranks: 1.3% pick / 48.3% WR. |
| C |  Miks | Controller | No published Radiant pick% (dash). #6 at Iron 3 on the same Esports Tales rank table. MetaBot all-ranks: 1.0% pick / 47.2% WR. |
| C |  KAY/O | Initiator | No published Radiant pick% (dash). 13.00 signature CD 60s→50s. MetaBot all-ranks: 0.4% pick / 48.0% WR. |
| C |  Veto | Sentinel | No published Radiant pick% (dash). 13.00 Interceptor reclaim 30s→20s, Crosscut 24m→30m, arm 1.5s→0.75s. MetaBot all-ranks: 0.6% pick / 49.7% WR. |
| C |  Deadlock | Sentinel | No published Radiant pick% (dash). 13.00 GravNet 60s→50s. MetaBot all-ranks: 0.6% pick / 49.5% WR. |
| C |  Harbor | Controller | No published Radiant pick% (dash). MetaBot all-ranks: 0.3% pick / 46.6% WR. |
| C | Waylay | Duelist | Absent from the Esports Tales Radiant August table (not in top 20, not in Tier 4). MetaBot all-ranks: 4.0% pick / 50.0% WR — 8th overall, a mid-ladder Duelist, not a Radiant lock. |
| C |  Gekko | Initiator | Absent from the Radiant August pick table. #9 at Iron 3. 13.00 reclaim CD 20s→15s. MetaBot all-ranks: 0.2% pick / 48.8% WR. |
| C |  Breach | Initiator | Absent from the Radiant August pick table. 13.00 signature CD 60s→50s. MetaBot all-ranks: 0.6% pick / 44.7% WR. |
How to read the letters: they are Radiant pick clusters, not a hidden skill ranking. A 55% win rate on a 0.7% pick (Sage) does not make her S at Radiant; it makes her the Iron climb. A 50% win rate on a 19.8% pick (Jett) is the lobby.
Best Valorant Agents by Role
Same Radiant letters, split by official role (valorant-api.com, 29 playable).
- Duelist (8): S Jett (19.8%). A Reyna (8.6%), Neon (8.4%). B Phoenix (4.7%), Raze (4.0%). C Yoru, Iso, Waylay (Waylay is all-ranks popular, not Radiant).
- Controller (7): S Clove (18.8%) — the only Controller above 2% at Radiant. Everyone else is C: Viper, Omen, Brimstone, Astra, Miks, Harbor.
- Initiator (7): A Sova (10.0%). B Fade (5.3%). C Skye, Tejo, KAY/O, Gekko, Breach. No Initiator is S at Radiant this month.
- Sentinel (7): A Chamber (8.4%). B Cypher (5.8%). C Vyse, Killjoy, Sage, Veto, Deadlock. No Sentinel is S at Radiant this month.
Who Is #1 at Your Rank (Iron → Radiant)
Esports Tales publishes the #1 agent at each rank band for August 2026. That is the only rank-split we have names for. A flat S–C column would tell an Iron player to lock Jett and a Radiant player to lock Sage. Both would be wrong.
| Rank (division 3) | #1 | #2 | #3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Iron 3 | Sage | Reyna | Phoenix |
| Bronze 3 | Reyna | Sage | Jett |
| Silver 3 | Jett | Reyna | Clove |
| Gold 3 | Jett | Reyna | Clove |
| Platinum 3 | Jett | Clove | Reyna |
| Diamond 3 | Jett | Clove | Chamber |
| Ascendant 3 | Jett | Clove | Sova |
| Immortal 3 | Clove | Jett | Sova |
| Radiant | Jett | Clove | Sova |
Pattern: Iron/Bronze climb on Sage and Reyna. Jett takes #1 from Silver through Ascendant and again at Radiant. Clove is the only rank where a Controller is #1 (Immortal 3).
What Patches 13.00–13.04 Actually Changed
What is live (Aug 29, 2026): V26 Act 5, patch 13.04 (official notes Aug 18). Premier Stage V26A5 also started Aug 18 (five-week stage, playoffs Sep 20). No 13.05 notes exist on playvalorant.com as of this page.
- 13.04 (Aug 18) — no kit changes. Competitive + Deathmatch: Abyss IN, Breeze OUT. Agent work is bug fixes only (Cypher Spycam minimap icon, Viper Snake Bite enemy-POV equip, Deadlock GravNet VFX after reconnect, Clove Meddle/Ruse freeze). Official 13.04.
- 13.02 (Jul 28) — Phoenix. Run it Back ult points 6→7. Riot: frequency of the ult was out of line with other agents. Official 13.02.
- 13.01 (Jul 14) — Iso + Yoru. Iso Double Tap→gun equip is now instant. Yoru Gatecrash beacon 15s→20s; Fakeout clones hold last equipped weapon. Official 13.01.
- 13.00 (Jun 23) — last structural pass, V26 Act 4. Sentinel buffs: Cypher Trapwire 0.9s→0.7s; Killjoy turret RoF +50%, Nanoswarm 4s→5s, Alarmbot move +50%; Veto Interceptor reclaim 30s→20s, Crosscut 24m→30m / arm 1.5s→0.75s; Sage self-heal 50→100; Deadlock GravNet 60s→50s. Initiator signatures (Sova, Fade, Skye, Breach, KAY/O) 60s→50s; Gekko reclaim 20s→15s. Summit entered Competitive. Official 13.00.
13.00’s Sentinel/Initiator buffs are still the last time most kits moved. They did not dethrone Jett/Clove at Radiant in the August table — Chamber and Cypher rose into A/B; Sage/Killjoy kept high WR and low Radiant pick.
How We Rank (Methodology)
This page is a consensus ranked list, not a vibes chart.
- Primary: Esports Tales Radiant pick-rate clusters, August 2026 (tier list + most-played by rank). Published / last modified August 11, 2026. The source places agents by Radiant popularity only; WR is printed, not used to set the letter.
- All-ranks cross-check: MetaBot competitive pick rates across 29 agents (metabot.gg pick-rate table). Used when an agent is missing or dashed at Radiant, and to name disagreements (Jett letter, Waylay).
- Patch truth: official Riot notes 13.00 / 13.01 / 13.02 / 13.04. Every number in the patch section is from those pages.
- Roles: official playable roster from valorant-api.com (29 agents).
- What we do not do: we do not invent a third letter from win rate, we do not use pro-match drafts, and we do not print a price on a slider offer.
Honest caveat: the Radiant sample closed before Act 5’s map swap. Re-check this page after the next kit patch, or if a September tracker republishes Radiant picks with Abyss in the pool.
Sources
Consolidated from:
- VALORANT Patch Notes 13.04 (Aug 18, 2026) — current patch, Act 5, Abyss/Breeze.
- VALORANT Patch Notes 13.02 (Jul 28, 2026) — Phoenix ult 6→7.
- VALORANT Patch Notes 13.01 (Jul 14, 2026) — Iso / Yoru.
- VALORANT Patch Notes 13.00 (Jun 23, 2026) — last structural kit pass, Act 4, Summit.
- Esports Tales — Valorant tier list and most played agents, August 2026 (dated Aug 11, 2026).
- MetaBot — Valorant agents by pick rate (all ranks, 29 agents; scraped Aug 29, 2026).
- Official agent portraits: valorant-api.com
displayIcon, mirrored under/Images/guides/icons/valorant-tier-list/.
Valking.gg named Radiant rows = missing-evidence. Live LFCarry Valorant offers exist at /valorant; every SKU we opened is info.type === editor (a slider floor, not a checkout charge), so this page does not print a price.