Every Valorant Agent With Roles and Abilities Explained

By Nina Castelli · Fact-checked by Desmond Ayodele · Published November 12, 2026

VALORANT has 30 playable agents as of patch 13.10. Riot Games markets the newest one, Hush, as “Agent 31” because its count still includes an Agent 8 that was never released. This page lists every agent’s role, full ability kit, release date, origin and canon backstory. It also gives a short summary of the current ranked and pro meta and explains which agents to unlock first.

On this page

1. All 30 VALORANT agents (November 2026)
2. Agent numbers explained: why Hush is “Agent 31”
3. The four agent roles, with every agent’s full kit
4. Newest agents: Hush, Miks and Veto
5. Meta summary: ranked vs pro and tier snapshot
6. 2026 balance changes in brief
7. Starter agents and what to unlock first
8. Agent origins, home cities, real names and lore
9. FAQ
10. Where to start

All 30 VALORANT agents (November 2026)

The official agents page on playvalorant.com lists 30 agents: Astra, Breach, Brimstone, Chamber, Clove, Cypher, Deadlock, Fade, Gekko, Harbor, Hush, Iso, Jett, KAY/O, Killjoy, Miks, Neon, Omen, Phoenix, Raze, Reyna, Sage, Skye, Sova, Tejo, Veto, Viper, Vyse, Waylay and Yoru. Duelists are now the largest role at nine agents. Each of the other three roles has seven.

In the lore, these characters belong to the VALORANT Protocol, a secret group fighting over Radianite. That group is in conflict with the Kingdom Corporation, and Kingdom Credits, the free in-game currency, are named after it. In practice the lore matters less than the kit. Each agent has one signature ability (usually on E), two other basic abilities (C and Q) and an ultimate (X) that charges from kills, deaths, orbs and Spike plays. If you’re coming from hero shooters, know that every VALORANT agent buys the same guns and shares the same gunplay. Abilities support your aim. They don’t replace it.

Quick count by role

Role	Count	Agents
Duelist	9	Hush, Iso, Jett, Neon, Phoenix, Raze, Reyna, Waylay, Yoru
Controller	7	Astra, Brimstone, Clove, Harbor, Miks, Omen, Viper
Initiator	7	Breach, Fade, Gekko, KAY/O, Skye, Sova, Tejo
Sentinel	7	Chamber, Cypher, Deadlock, Killjoy, Sage, Veto, Vyse
Total	30

Master table: every agent, role, release and origin

The first 11 agents follow the familiar launch-roster order. Ten of them were in the April 2020 closed beta, and Reyna joined at launch on June 2, 2020. From Killjoy onward the list follows release order. The difficulty column is an editorial rating. It reflects how much mechanical skill, map knowledge and timing an agent needs before their utility pays off in a solo queue game.

#	Agent	Role	Origin	Signature / standout ability	Release (patch, date)	Difficulty
1	Brimstone	Controller	USA	Sky Smoke (E), map-placed smokes	1.0, June 2020	Easy
2	Jett	Duelist	South Korea	Tailwind (E) dash	1.0, June 2020	Hard
3	Sova	Initiator	Russia	Recon Bolt (E)	1.0, June 2020	Hard
4	Phoenix	Duelist	United Kingdom	Hot Hands (E), self-healing fire	1.0, June 2020	Easy
5	Sage	Sentinel	China	Healing Orb (E), Resurrection (X)	1.0, June 2020	Easy
6	Omen	Controller	Unknown	Dark Cover (E)	1.0, June 2020	Medium
7	Viper	Controller	USA	Toxic Screen (E) wall	1.0, June 2020	Hard
8	Raze	Duelist	Brazil	Blast Pack (Q) satchel	1.0, June 2020	Medium
9	Cypher	Sentinel	Morocco	Spycam (E)	1.0, June 2020	Medium
10	Breach	Initiator	Sweden	Fault Line (E)	1.0, June 2020	Medium
11	Reyna	Duelist	Mexico	Devour / Dismiss off kills	1.0, June 2020	Easy
12	Killjoy	Sentinel	Germany	Turret (E), Lockdown (X)	1.05, August 2020	Medium
13	Skye	Initiator	Australia	Guiding Light (E) flash	1.11, October 2020	Medium
14	Yoru	Duelist	Japan	Gatecrash (E) teleport	2.0, January 2021	Hard
15	Astra	Controller	Ghana	Stars placed from Astral Form	2.04, March 2021	Hard
16	KAY/O	Initiator	Alternate future	ZERO/point (E) suppression	3.0, June 2021	Easy
17	Chamber	Sentinel	France	Rendezvous (E), Tour De Force (X)	3.10, November 2021	Medium
18	Neon	Duelist	Philippines	High Gear (E) sprint	4.0, January 2022	Hard
19	Fade	Initiator	Turkey	Haunt (E)	4.08, April 2022	Medium
20	Harbor	Controller	India	Cove (E) water smoke (reworked in 11.10)	5.08, October 2022	Medium
21	Gekko	Initiator	USA	Dizzy (E), reclaimable creatures	6.04, March 2023	Easy
22	Deadlock	Sentinel	Norway	Barrier Mesh (E)	7.0, June 2023	Medium
23	Iso	Duelist	China	Double Tap (E) shield	7.09, October 2023	Medium
24	Clove	Controller	Scotland	Ruse (E) smokes, usable after death	8.05, March 2024	Easy
25	Vyse	Sentinel	Undisclosed	Arc Rose (E), Steel Garden (X)	9.04, August 2024	Medium
26	Tejo	Initiator	Colombia	Guided Salvo (E)	10.00, January 2025	Medium
27	Waylay	Duelist	Thailand	Refract (E) return beacon, Lightspeed dash	10.04, March 2025	Hard
28	Veto	Sentinel	Senegal	Interceptor (E), destroys incoming utility	11.08, October 7, 2025	Medium
29	Miks	Controller	Croatia	Waveform (E) smokes, M-Pulse heal/concuss	12.05, March 18, 2026	Medium
30	Hush	Duelist	China (Guangdong)	Displacement (E) pull	13.09, October 27, 2026	Hard

Riot has kept a steady pace of about two agents a year. Since 2024 that has been Clove and Vyse, then Tejo and Waylay, Veto in late 2025, and Miks and Hush in 2026.

Agent numbers explained: why Hush is “Agent 31” but the 30th agent

Hush is the 30th agent you can pick, but Riot calls her Agent 31. The difference comes from Agent 8, a concept Riot numbered but never shipped. Inven Global’s launch article on Hush confirms she is the 30th playable agent and that Riot still keeps the Agent 8 slot in its count.

Most confusion about agent numbers comes from this off-by-one gap. When a trailer, teaser or Riot post uses an agent number, add one to the playable count to get Riot’s designation. When a list ranks agents by release order, it is usually using the playable count.

Release order vs Riot designation (recent agents)

Playable #	Agent	Riot designation	Year
21	Gekko	Agent 22	2023
22	Deadlock	Agent 23	2023
23	Iso	Agent 24	2023
24	Clove	Agent 25	2024
25	Vyse	Agent 26	2024
26	Tejo	Agent 27	2025
27	Waylay	Agent 28	2025
28	Veto	Agent 29	2025
29	Miks	Agent 30	2026
30	Hush	Agent 31	2026

The anchors are the agents Riot and the press numbered at reveal. Waylay was covered as “Agent 28”. Veto was revealed as “Agent 29” at Champions 2025 in Paris. The Masters Santiago trailer teased Miks as “Agent 30”, and Hush is “Agent 31”. The rows in between follow the same +1 offset.

Who is agent 21, 26 and 30?

• Agent 21: Gekko is the 21st playable agent. Under Riot’s designation, “Agent 21” is Harbor, the 20th playable agent.
• Agent 26: Tejo is the 26th playable agent. Riot’s “Agent 26” is Vyse.
• Agent 30: Hush is the 30th playable agent. Riot’s “Agent 30” was the teaser name for Miks.

What happened to Agent 8

Agent 8 was a development concept that never shipped. Riot has not released it or published a kit. In 2021, around Astra’s release, Sportskeeda reported that developers had struggled to build a stable version of the agent. That is published reporting from a mainstream gaming outlet, not an official Riot post-mortem. No credible source has announced plans to bring Agent 8 back, so for now it only explains why the numbers don’t match.

The four agent roles and what each one does in a round

Each role does a different job: Duelists take space, Initiators gather information and clear angles, Controllers block sightlines with smokes and walls, and Sentinels hold ground and watch flanks. Most competitive teams run at least one Controller and one Initiator. The last slots go to a second Duelist, Initiator or Sentinel, depending on the map.

Pro teams almost never skip a Controller, and the reason is simple. Without smokes, an attacking team has to clear every defensive angle by gunfight alone. The Champions 2026 numbers further down show it: the most-present agent was a Controller.

The kit tables below list all four abilities for every agent in each role, with the signature ability in the E column. Ultimates are on X. Ability names match the agent pages on playvalorant.com.

Duelists (9)

Duelists take the first fight. On attack they enter the site first, using mobility or self-sufficient utility to win the opening duel or force defenders to reposition. On defense they take aggressive early fights and swing back onto retakes.

Agent	C	Q	E (signature)	X (ultimate)
Jett	Cloudburst	Updraft	Tailwind	Blade Storm
Phoenix	Blaze	Curveball	Hot Hands	Run It Back
Raze	Boom Bot	Blast Pack	Paint Shells	Showstopper
Reyna	Leer	Devour	Dismiss	Empress
Yoru	Fakeout	Blindside	Gatecrash	Dimensional Drift
Neon	Fast Lane	Relay Bolt	High Gear	Overdrive
Iso	Contingency	Undercut	Double Tap	Kill Contract
Waylay	Saturate	Lightspeed	Refract	Convergent Paths
Hush	Flow	Flashbulb	Displacement	Suspension

The nine split into three types:

• Mobility entries: Jett (Tailwind dash, Blade Storm knives), Neon (High Gear sprint, Overdrive beam), Waylay (Lightspeed dash, Refract to snap back) and now Hush (Flow anchor-dash).
• Self-sufficient fraggers: Reyna (heals or goes intangible off kills, Empress ult), Phoenix (flashes his own entry, heals in fire, Run It Back ult) and Iso (Double Tap shield, Kill Contract 1v1 arena).
• Utility-heavy Duelists: Raze (Blast Pack, Paint Shells, Showstopper rocket) and Yoru (Gatecrash teleport, Fakeout decoy, Dimensional Drift).

Jett and Phoenix are free on every account. Reyna is the usual first unlock for players who want to carry, because her kit rewards kills and little else.

Initiators (7)

Initiators set up the Duelist’s entry and tell the team where enemies are. On attack they scan, flash, stun or force defenders out of angles. On defense they gather information early and set up retakes.

Agent	C	Q	E (signature)	X (ultimate)
Sova	Owl Drone	Shock Bolt	Recon Bolt	Hunter’s Fury
Breach	Aftershock	Flashpoint	Fault Line	Rolling Thunder
Skye	Regrowth	Trailblazer	Guiding Light	Seekers
KAY/O	FRAG/ment	FLASH/drive	ZERO/point	NULL/cmd
Fade	Prowler	Seize	Haunt	Nightfall
Gekko	Mosh Pit	Wingman	Dizzy	Thrash
Tejo	Stealth Drone	Special Delivery	Guided Salvo	Armageddon

• Recon: Sova and Fade find enemies before anyone peeks.
• Crowd control: Breach (Fault Line stun, Rolling Thunder) and Tejo (Guided Salvo missiles, Armageddon) push enemies out of corners.
• Flash and suppression: Skye (Guiding Light, Seekers) and KAY/O. ZERO/point suppression stops enemies using abilities for a while.
• Beginner-friendly hybrid: Gekko’s creatures can be picked back up after use, and Wingman can even plant or defuse the Spike.

A common worry is that Sova is too hard for beginners because of lineups. He isn’t. You can freehand Recon Bolt and Shock Bolt into obvious angles from your first game and add lineups later. Gekko and KAY/O still give more value with less map knowledge.

Controllers (7)

Controllers cut the map into safe and unsafe space. They smoke defenders’ sightlines on attack and slow pushes on defense. Every serious team runs at least one.

Agent	C	Q	E (signature)	X (ultimate)
Brimstone	Stim Beacon	Incendiary	Sky Smoke	Orbital Strike
Omen	Shrouded Step	Paranoia	Dark Cover	From the Shadows
Viper	Snake Bite	Poison Cloud	Toxic Screen	Viper’s Pit
Astra	Gravity Well	Nova Pulse	Nebula / Dissipate	Astral Form / Cosmic Divide
Clove	Pick-me-up	Meddle	Ruse	Not Dead Yet
Harbor	Storm Surge	High Tide	Cove	Reckoning
Miks	M-Pulse	Harmonize	Waveform	Bassquake

Harbor’s row reflects his rework in patch 11.10 (November 2025). Cove became his rechargeable signature water smoke. High Tide now costs credits and slows everyone who crosses it, including allies. Storm Surge replaced Cascade with a whirlpool that nearsights and slows, and Reckoning now sends a forward surge that nearsights and slows rather than concussing. Patch 12.02 then cut Cove’s cooldown from 40 to 30 seconds and raised High Tide’s wall height from 6 to 8 meters.

• Classic smokers: Brimstone (Sky Smoke from the map) and Omen (Dark Cover, Paranoia blind, Shrouded Step teleport, From the Shadows global teleport).
• Wall and area denial: Viper (Toxic Screen, Poison Cloud, Viper’s Pit) and Harbor (High Tide wall, Storm Surge, Reckoning).
• Global planners: Astra places stars anywhere from Astral Form and splits the map with Cosmic Divide.
• Aggressive or support Controllers: Clove can smoke after dying and comes back with Not Dead Yet. Miks combines smokes with a heal-or-concuss device.

Controller is the safest main for solo queue. The role is almost always open, and Clove and Omen are both forgiving and in the meta.

Sentinels (7)

Sentinels anchor a site, catch flankers and slow retakes. On defense they hold a site alone with traps. On attack they lock down the flank and help hold the post-plant.

Agent	C	Q	E (signature)	X (ultimate)
Sage	Barrier Orb	Slow Orb	Healing Orb	Resurrection
Cypher	Trapwire	Cyber Cage	Spycam	Neural Theft
Killjoy	Nanoswarm	Alarmbot	Turret	Lockdown
Chamber	Trademark	Headhunter	Rendezvous	Tour De Force
Deadlock	GravNet	Sonic Sensor	Barrier Mesh	Annihilation
Vyse	Razorvine	Shear	Arc Rose	Steel Garden
Veto	Crosscut	Chokehold	Interceptor	Evolution

• Trap setters: Cypher, Killjoy and Vyse. Vyse’s Steel Garden jams primary weapons.
• Barrier and support: Sage (wall, heal, revive) and Deadlock (Barrier Mesh, GravNet, Sonic Sensor, Annihilation).
• Operator anchor: Chamber (Rendezvous teleport, Headhunter pistol, Tour De Force sniper).
• Anti-utility: Veto, whose Interceptor destroys incoming enemy utility.

Newest agents: Hush, Miks and Veto

The three newest agents are Hush (Duelist, October 2026), Miks (Controller, March 2026) and Veto (Sentinel, October 2025). Hush matters most this month because she is still new and her recruitment event is running.

Hush (Duelist, October 2026): full kit

Hush is a telekinesis Duelist from Guangdong, China, and VALORANT’s first agent built around telekinesis. She is the ninth Duelist and the third agent from China, after Sage and Iso. Riot revealed her during the Champions 2026 Grand Final in Shanghai on October 18, 2026. She went live with patch 13.09 on October 27 in the Americas and October 28 in other regions.

Key	Ability	What it does
Passive	Telekinesis	Picks up weapons and the Spike, and uses switches, from range
C	Flow	Places an anchor, then launches Hush toward it after a short delay; used in the air, she hovers briefly first
Q	Flashbulb	A flash she guides toward her crosshair and detonates herself
E (signature)	Displacement	Pulls nearby players toward its center; anyone pulled into a wall or another player is concussed. Recharges after kills (guides cite every two kills)
X (ultimate)	Suspension	An orb steered with the crosshair; reactivating it lifts every enemy inside into the air

The kit is built to drag defenders out of their angles instead of fighting them where they stand. Here is a typical entry. You send Displacement into a tight corner like a default box on a small site. Two defenders get pulled together and concussed. You follow with Flashbulb curved around the corner and Flow onto the site. Displacement recharges after kills, so a good first fight sets up the next one.

Hush’s kit is strong on paper, but two weeks of data can’t confirm it yet. Few Duelists can pull enemies out of position, which gives her a real niche. She also has a high skill floor: the flash is manual, Flow has a delay, and a mistimed pull can drag enemies into your teammates. Expect a learning curve before her ranked results settle.

Counterplay follows from how the kit works:

• Spread out from teammates and back off walls when you hear Displacement. The concuss only triggers when pulled players hit a surface or each other.
• Flashbulb is steered and detonated by hand, so turning away the moment you see it beats trying to out-react it.
• Telekinesis lets her collect a dropped Spike or a dead teammate’s rifle from cover. A dropped Spike isn’t safe just because nobody can walk to it.

How to unlock Hush before the recruitment event ends

You have three ways to unlock Hush right now: finish the 200,000 XP recruitment event, pay 1,000 VP, or link Xbox Game Pass. The event started on October 27 and runs for about 28 days, so it should close around November 24, 2026. Check the timer in the client to be sure.

Grinding the event only makes sense if you play most days. 200,000 XP over 28 days works out to a little over 7,100 XP a day, which is easy with daily play and very hard if you leave it to the last weekend. If you’ve fallen far behind and want her now, 1,000 VP is the quick route. If you can wait, she becomes a Kingdom Credit unlock after her restricted period. Reported KC prices differ between 8,000 and 10,000, so check the price in the client before you save up.

Miks (Controller, 2026): full kit

Miks is a Controller from Croatia whose real name is Adrijan Vidović. He came out with patch 12.05 on March 18, 2026, at the start of Season 2026 Act 2. His kit is sound-themed, and The Spike’s launch breakdown and other guides agree on the key layout.

Key	Ability	What it does
C	M-Pulse	A thrown device you toggle between concussing enemies and healing allies; two rifle bullets destroy it
Q	Harmonize	A combat stim for Miks alone or Miks plus one teammate
E (signature)	Waveform	Fire to mark locations, alt-fire to drop smokes on them (about 16 seconds each)
X (ultimate)	Bassquake	After a windup, a forward sonic wave that knocks back, deafens and slows enemies

Launch coverage called him the first Controller who can heal allies. The same patch shortened Clove’s Ruse smokes cast after death and shrank the area of Meddle, so Riot toned down the dominant ranked Controller while adding a new one. Miks fits players who like Clove’s support-heavy style but want reliable smokes while they’re still alive. Expect less raw smoke value than Omen: his strength is that his kit does a little of everything.

Veto (Sentinel, October 2025): full kit

Veto is a Sentinel from Senegal, revealed as Agent 29 at Champions 2025 in Paris. He released with patch 11.08 on October 7, 2025, alongside the Skirmish game mode. His kit is built to shut down enemy utility rather than to anchor a site with traps.

Key	Ability	What it does
C	Crosscut	Places portals so Veto can teleport between set points
Q	Chokehold	A trap that immobilizes and deafens enemies and deals decay damage; it can be shot before it triggers
E (signature)	Interceptor	A device that destroys incoming projectile utility such as flashes and mollies; enemies can shoot it
X (ultimate)	Evolution	Grants a combat stim and health regeneration, and makes Veto immune to enemy debuffs

That makes him a counterpick against teams that lean on Initiator flashes and Controller mollies. He’s less of a solo trap anchor than Killjoy or Cypher, and because Interceptor’s value depends on reading what the enemy throws, he rewards experience more than most Sentinels.

Meta summary: ranked vs pro, plus tier snapshot

Clove leads ranked with a 48.90% pick rate in V26 Act 6 (patch 13.09), according to Metabot’s ranked stats. Omen led at Champions 2026 with 77% presence across 86 maps on VALORANT Spind’s Champions tracker, ahead of Neon at 65% and Chamber at 52%. Ranked and pro play reward different things, which is why the two leaders differ.

Agent	Role	Headline number	Where measured	Trend after 13.09 / 13.10
Clove	Controller	48.90% pick rate	Ranked, V26 Act 6 (Metabot)	Nerfed in 13.09, still the most-picked agent
Omen	Controller	77% presence (86 maps)	Champions 2026 (VALORANT Spind)	Pro staple heading into the off-season
Neon	Duelist	65% presence	Champions 2026 (VALORANT Spind)	Top pro Duelist; Hush is the new rival
Chamber	Sentinel	52% presence	Champions 2026 (VALORANT Spind)	Leading pro Sentinel
Fade	Initiator	51% presence	Champions 2026 (VALORANT Spind)	Top pro Initiator
Sova	Initiator	40% presence	Champions 2026 (VALORANT Spind)	Second recon option
Cypher, Killjoy, Vyse	Sentinel	Rebuild cooldown 60s → 45s	Patch 13.10	Buffed
Hush	Duelist	Released Oct 27, 2026	Patch 13.09	Too new for stable data

Trackers count differently, so treat these as rankings rather than exact shares. The Spike’s Champions Shanghai stats page counts 212 compositions and gives lower figures, with Neon at 52.36% and Chamber at 41.98%. Both trackers agree on the order: Neon ahead of Chamber, and Chamber narrowly ahead of Fade.

The split has a structural cause. Pro teams coordinate, so a Controller who plans smokes, like Omen, beats one who is forgiving, and dedicated Operator players keep Chamber high. In solo queue nobody calls smokes for you, so Clove’s ability to smoke after dying wins the pick-rate race. To beat her, trade fast: Not Dead Yet only keeps her alive if she gets a kill or assist soon after reviving.

Tier snapshot (patch 13.10)

Placements weigh verified usage first (ranked pick rate and Champions 2026 presence), then the direction of patches 13.09 and 13.10, then how well an agent fills a role solo queue teams usually lack. Omen, Clove, Neon and Chamber form S tier on 13.10. The full reasoning for every agent belongs in a dedicated tier list that’s updated each patch.

Tier	Agents	Why they sit here
S	Omen, Clove, Neon, Chamber	Lead ranked pick rate or Champions 2026 presence, and fit almost every map
A	Fade, Killjoy, Cypher, Vyse, Sova, Jett, Hush, Raze, Viper	Strong pro presence or buffed in 2026; Hush is provisional until her data settles
B	Astra, Brimstone, Harbor, Miks, Breach, Gekko, KAY/O, Skye, Tejo, Deadlock, Sage, Veto, Iso, Phoenix, Reyna, Waylay, Yoru	Playable and often map-specific or counterpick tools, but behind the meta picks on 13.10

B tier doesn’t mean bad. Reyna is still the easiest first Duelist unlock for raw aim, and Gekko and KAY/O are the best Initiators to learn with.

2026 balance changes in brief

The 2026 patches mostly strengthened Sentinels, slowed down Phoenix’s ultimate and toned down Clove. Each value below comes from Riot’s official patch notes for that version. A full patch-by-patch log fits better on a dedicated patch notes page.

Patch	Date	Agent	Change (old → new)	Source
13.00	June 23, 2026	Cypher	Trapwire windup 0.9s → 0.7s	Riot patch notes 13.00
13.00	June 23, 2026	Killjoy	Turret rate of fire +50%	Riot patch notes 13.00
13.02	July 28, 2026	Phoenix	Ultimate cost 6 → 7 points	Riot patch notes 13.02
13.09	October 27, 2026	Clove	Pick-me-up bonus move speed 15% → 10%; Not Dead Yet nerfed	Riot patch notes 13.09
13.09	October 27, 2026	Hush	Released	Riot patch notes 13.09
13.10	November 10, 2026	Cypher	Spycam rebuild 60s → 45s; reclaim cooldown 15s → 20s	Riot patch notes 13.10
13.10	November 10, 2026	Killjoy	Turret rebuild 60s → 45s	Riot patch notes 13.10
13.10	November 10, 2026	Vyse	Arc Rose rebuild 60s → 45s	Riot patch notes 13.10

The change that matters most right now is 13.10. A Turret, Spycam or Arc Rose destroyed early in a round can now come back for the retake. VALORANT Spind noted that 45 seconds sits just under the 50-second cooldown on Initiator signature abilities. Riot framed the change as one step in a wider review of Sentinel cooldowns, so expect more. Patch 13.09 also buffed the Warden’s recoil, and 13.00 added the Summit map.

Starter agents and what to unlock first

Every new account starts with five agents: Brimstone, Jett, Phoenix, Sage and Sova. That covers all four roles, with two Duelists. You can unlock the rest with Kingdom Credits, VP, recruitment events or an Xbox Game Pass link.

The 5 agents you start with

Agent	Role	Why it’s a good starter
Brimstone	Controller	Smokes placed from the map, easy to learn
Jett	Duelist	Highest-ceiling Duelist; dash plus Operator
Phoenix	Duelist	Flashes and heals himself; very self-sufficient
Sage	Sentinel	Wall, slows, heal and a revive
Sova	Initiator	Information gathering that scales with lineups

Kingdom Credits vs VP vs recruitment events

Route	Cost	Best for
Kingdom Credits	Free currency earned by playing (8,000–10,000 KC reported for Hush; check in game)	Older agents, patient players
VP	1,000 VP for a new agent	Getting a new agent right away
Recruitment event	200,000 XP within the event window	New agents, free, if you play daily
Xbox Game Pass	Link a Game Pass subscription	Players who already subscribe

The 28-day rule is what trips up new players. For its first 28 days, a newly released agent can’t be bought with Kingdom Credits or unlocked with a token. In that window, the only routes are the recruitment event, VP or Game Pass.

Best first unlock for each role

Which agent should you unlock first as a new player? Pick one that fills a role your free roster covers poorly. Your free Controller (Brimstone) and Sentinel (Sage) are the weakest of the starters in the current meta, so start there.

Role	First unlock	Why	Difficulty
Controller	Omen or Clove	#1 pro pick and #1 ranked pick respectively	Medium / Easy
Sentinel	Killjoy	Buffed in both 13.00 and 13.10; holds a site alone	Medium
Initiator	Fade, or Gekko / KAY/O for beginners	Fade is the top pro Initiator; Gekko and KAY/O give value with little map knowledge	Medium / Easy
Duelist	Reyna	Pure aim-reward kit; Jett and Phoenix are already free	Easy

For the long term, Omen or Killjoy gives you the most for one unlock. Both are meta in pro play and on the upswing in ranked, and neither depends on a specific map. If you’re a beginner who just wants to win games this week, take Clove. The case against her: her forgiving kit can hide bad positioning habits that will cost you later as a Controller.

Once you’ve settled on a main, tune your Valorant crosshair to match. Operator-heavy agents like Chamber and Jett benefit from a smaller, cleaner crosshair than spray-heavy entry play does.

Agent origins, home cities, real names and lore

Most agents come from a named country, and many have a canon real name and a short backstory in Riot’s lore. The home cities below come from Riot’s agent bios and published lore coverage from Hotspawn and Sportskeeda. Entries appear only where a city or region has been named. Lore notes stick to each agent’s power source, Protocol role or best-documented relationship.

Agent	Real name	Country	Home city or region	Lore note
Brimstone	Liam Byrne	USA	Baltimore	Leads the Protocol’s field team; his past ties to Kingdom are a sore point with Breach
Phoenix	Jamie Adeyemi	United Kingdom	London	Radiant who generates and controls fire
Sage	Wei Ling Ying	China	Xi’an region	Radiant monk whose power can heal and resurrect
Sova	Sasha Novikov	Russia	Severomorsk (Murmansk Oblast)	Tracker and scout from Russia’s far north, known for patience and discipline
Viper	Sabine Callas	USA	Seattle	Chemist who turns her own toxins into weapons
Cypher	Amir El Amari	Morocco	Rabat	Information broker who runs the Protocol’s surveillance
Reyna	Zyanya Mondragón	Mexico	Not stated	Radiant who feeds on the souls of fallen enemies
Killjoy	Klara Böhringer	Germany	Not stated	Nicknamed “the Genius of Germany”; builds her own gadgets
Breach	Erik Torsten	Sweden	Not stated	Congenital amputee who built his own Radianite-powered arms, later upgraded by Raze
Jett	Sunwoo Han	South Korea	Seoul	Radiant who controls wind
Raze	Tayane Alves	Brazil	Salvador, Bahia	Engineer who builds her own explosives; works closely with Breach
Skye	Kirra Foster	Australia	New South Wales	Radiant who heals and fights through creatures she summons
Yoru	Ryo Kiritani	Japan	Not stated	Radiant who tears rifts between dimensions
Astra	Efia Danso	Ghana	Not stated	Radiant who harnesses cosmic energy
Chamber	Vincent Fabron	France	Not stated	Weapons designer who arms himself with his own guns
Neon	Tala Nicole Dimaapi Valdez	Philippines	Manila	Radiant who generates bioelectricity
Fade	Hazal Eyletmez	Turkey	Not stated	Bounty hunter who turns enemies’ nightmares into weapons
Harbor	Varun Batra	India	Indian coast	Wields water
Gekko	Mateo Armendáriz de la Fuente	USA	Los Angeles	Leads a crew of Radianite creatures
Deadlock	Iselin	Norway	Not stated	Operative who fights with nanowire technology
Iso	Li Zhao Yu	China	Chongqing	Radiant mercenary hired to kill Omen; joined the Protocol for protection from his old employer
Clove	Not disclosed	Scotland	Not stated	Radiant who uses they/them pronouns and fights on after death
Tejo	Not disclosed	Colombia	Not stated	Veteran intelligence consultant with a ballistic guidance system
Waylay	Ariya Saengkaew	Thailand	Not stated	Radiant who moves as light
Veto	Not disclosed	Senegal	Not stated	Sentinel whose kit consumes enemy technology
Miks	Adrijan Vidović	Croatia	Not stated	Fights with sound-based tech
Hush	Not disclosed	China	Guangdong	VALORANT’s first telekinesis agent

Three agents are deliberate mysteries and don’t appear above. Omen has lost his original identity. KAY/O is a war machine from an alternate future, built to neutralize Radiants. Vyse’s origin is undisclosed.

China and the USA are tied as the most-represented countries, with three agents each: Sage, Iso and Hush for China, and Brimstone, Viper and Gekko for the USA. The three Americans come from opposite corners of the country in the lore, from Baltimore on the East Coast to Seattle and Los Angeles on the West Coast. The three Chinese agents are just as spread out: Sage from the Xi’an region in the northwest, Iso from Chongqing in the southwest and Hush from Guangdong in the south.

FAQ

How many agents are in VALORANT?

VALORANT has 30 playable agents as of patch 13.10 (November 2026). The split is 9 Duelists, 7 Controllers, 7 Initiators and 7 Sentinels.

Who is the newest VALORANT agent?

Hush, a telekinesis Duelist from Guangdong, China. She released with patch 13.09 on October 27, 2026 in the Americas and October 28 in other regions.

Who is agent 26 in VALORANT?

Tejo, the Colombian Initiator, is the 26th playable agent. Under Riot’s numbering, which still counts the never-released Agent 8, “Agent 26” is Vyse.

Who is the 21st agent in VALORANT?

Gekko is the 21st agent by release order (patch 6.04, March 2023). Harbor carries the Riot designation “Agent 21”.

Who is Agent 30 in VALORANT?

Hush is the 30th playable agent. Riot’s own “Agent 30” label was the teaser name for Miks, the Croatian Controller released in March 2026.

Why is Hush called Agent 31?

Riot’s numbering includes Agent 8, a concept that was never released. Every agent after it is one number higher than their playable position, so the 30th playable agent is designated Agent 31.

What are the four agent roles in VALORANT?

Duelists take the first fight, Initiators gather information and force enemies out of angles, Controllers block sightlines with smokes and walls, and Sentinels hold sites and watch flanks.

What are Harbor’s abilities now?

Since his patch 11.10 rework, Harbor has Storm Surge (C), a whirlpool that nearsights and slows; High Tide (Q), a guided water wall; Cove (E), his signature water smoke; and Reckoning (X), a forward surge that nearsights and slows enemies it hits.

What are Veto’s abilities?

Crosscut (C) teleports him between placed portals, Chokehold (Q) is a trap that immobilizes and deafens, Interceptor (E) destroys incoming utility, and Evolution (X) gives him a combat stim, regeneration and immunity to debuffs.

Who are the top 10 agents in VALORANT right now?

For patch 13.10, based on ranked pick rate, Champions 2026 presence and patch direction: Omen, Clove, Neon, Chamber, Fade, Killjoy, Cypher, Vyse, Sova and Jett. Hush sits just outside in A tier until her data settles.

Which agents are S tier in VALORANT?

On patch 13.10, Omen, Clove, Neon and Chamber. Each leads either ranked pick rate or Champions 2026 presence and works on almost every map.

Which agents are free in VALORANT?

Brimstone, Jett, Phoenix, Sage and Sova come free on every new account. Every other agent needs Kingdom Credits, VP, a recruitment event or a linked Xbox Game Pass subscription.

How do I unlock Hush?

Earn 200,000 XP in her recruitment event before it closes around November 24, 2026, pay 1,000 VP, or link Xbox Game Pass. Kingdom Credits only become an option after her 28-day restricted window.

Where are Jett, Sova and Iso from?

Jett is from Seoul, South Korea. Sova is from Severomorsk in Russia’s Murmansk Oblast. Iso is from Chongqing, China.

Which countries have the most VALORANT agents?

China and the USA are tied with three agents each. China has Sage, Iso and Hush, and the USA has Brimstone, Viper and Gekko.

Which role should I main if I solo queue?

Controller. Teams nearly always need one, and both meta Controllers, Clove in ranked and Omen in pro play, are learnable. Add a Sentinel such as Killjoy as your backup role.

Is Sova too hard for beginners because of lineups?

No. Freehand Recon Bolts and Shock Bolts into common angles already give useful information, and lineups only add to that. If you want more value straight away, Gekko and KAY/O have lower skill floors.

Where to start

With 30 agents, you don’t need to learn the whole roster. You need two agents in two roles that the current patch rewards. For November 2026, that means an Omen or Clove for smokes and a Killjoy or Cypher, both buffed twice this year, for site holds. Add Hush only if you’re prepared to spend a few weeks learning her mechanics.

Article details

NC

Written by Nina Castelli

Nina Castelli covers Valorant for Shotcall GG, from agent and map changes to the tournament storylines that shape each VCT season, and she maintains the site's pro settings pages. She checks every sensitivity, crosshair code and resolution against official patch notes, team announcements and players' own published configs, so readers can trust that a listed setup is current.

Covers: Valorant, Pro Settings & Gear

• Fact-checked by Desmond Ayodele against the sources listed below before publication.
• Published November 12, 2026

How this article was checked

• Researched from 8 sources, listed below.
• Every claim is checked by Desmond Ayodele; anything we cannot confirm is corrected, labelled or removed.

Sources (8)

1. VALORANT Agents (official) (playvalorant.com)
2. Agents - Valorant Wiki (valorant.fandom.com)
3. VALORANT releases 30th agent Hush, a telekinesis user (invenglobal.com)
4. Valorant Hush release date, abilities, how to unlock (fandomwire.com)
5. VALORANT Agent Hush: Abilities, tips & strategies (redbull.com)
6. Valorant Hush Agent Guide: Abilities, Release Date, and How to Unlock (games.gg)
7. Hush Valorant: Release, How to Unlock, Abilities & Counters (valorant-spind.de)
8. New 'Valorant' Agent Hush Has Telekinesis Powers To Move Enemies (forbes.com)