Valorant: Controller Agents, Ranked

Valorant is one of the most popular tactical shooters in the world. What sets the game apart from the competition is the fact that each playable character, known as an agent, has their own unique abilities that can have a huge impact on the battlefield.

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Valorant is full of amazing characters, but mastering the role of Controller allows you to take complete control of the match. Controller agents are all about using their abilities to tilt the battle to their side, and each team must choose them in competitive and unranked matches. These are all the Controller agents in Valorant, ranked from least effective to most effective.

Updated November 25, 2024 Maria Antiporda: This list has been updated to include new agents and to accommodate changes in agent abilities that affect the overall ranking.

6 Port: Commander of the Sea

Harbor is an agent who can wield water and use it as a tool to deny enemies their vision and stop their movement.

Its bay can be useful for protecting those who have planted and defused the spike, and enemies passing through its walls will be slowed. This means that the Controller is the least useful of all agents, as the others have smokes that simply work better in most cases.

Harbor can be a good choice if you pair him with another Controller agent in your team composition.

Abilities
Cascade	Send a wall of water forward that blocks vision for a short time and slows enemies who pass through it.
Cove	Throw a geyser of water that can block bullets until it breaks.
The tide	Equip a wall of water that you can send out and guide with your reticle to create a vision-blocking wall of your own design. Enemies that pass through it will be slowed.
Settlement	Summon a geyser pool covering a large area. Enemies in the radius will be tracked and shaken if caught.

Harbor's Cove is what sets his set apart from others and gives your team some protection. However, the fact that it is easy to break and that someone can easily enter the bay is only useful in certain situations.

5 Viper: American Chemist

American chemist Viper is serious about Valorant and has been part of the agent lineup since day one. Viper has a lot of poison devices and is not afraid to use them. There's a lot you need to know about Viper, including her passive abilities. All of her abilities use fuel, and her abilities that apply Toxin cause an immediate reduction in the maximum health of enemies.

Viper's Pit can allow a team to take control of a large area, making it very useful on certain maps.

However, with Viper's smoke, you'll have to commit to where you place them, as while they can be resummoned, they can't be moved to another location. This makes it best paired with a second control agent.

Abilities
Snake bite	That's a deterrent ability. Viper fires a canister that explodes on contact with the floor, creating a small pool of acid. Players who enter this pool will not only take damage, but become vulnerable.
Poison cloud	This is a gas emitter that can be thrown onto a surface and activated later to release a ball of toxic gas that will block vision and damage the health of enemies that touch it.
Toxic screen	Fire a long line of gas emitters that can be activated at any time. Doing so will release a long smoke screen of poisonous gas that will deplete the health of enemies that pass through it. The wall can be raised again when you have enough fuel.
Viper's Pit	Using this ability creates a toxic cloud around her that reduces the range of enemies and the maximum health of enemies inside. The cloud will stick around as long as you're in it and lose integrity if you leave. Enemies that enter the cloud will be highlighted in red and will be easy to spot.

4 Brimstone: Big man

Brimstone from the United States is one of the original agents in Valorant, and if there's one thing the big man loves, it's fire. He's a boots-on-the-ground agent who isn't gifted with any magical powers like some others, but that doesn't necessarily limit his effectiveness. Brimstone deals a lot of incendiary damage to the enemy team.

VALORANT: Brimstone Character Breakdown

US VALORANT Brimstone can assist teammates with Stim Beacon or deal damage from above with Orbital Strike.

Abilities
Incendiary	Throw a grenade that will explode once it rests on the floor. When detonated, it creates a zone of fire that damages players walking on it.
Steam Beacon	Throw a beacon on the floor to give players in the zone Combat Stim and a speed boost.
Sky Smoke	Create a tactical map and select the exact locations where you will place the smoke clouds. Upon confirmation, clouds will fall from the sky, blocking all vision through him.
Orbital strike	Fire a high damage blast at the selected location, dealing heavy damage to anyone trapped inside. This is a great ability to use when the opposing team is clustered.

While Brimstone's smokes are the best in the game, his kit offers less creativity compared to other controllers. That said, it's a great choice if you want a non-aggressive smoking agent or if you plan to pair it with another controller. For example, it perfectly complements Viper on Bind.

3 Astra: Astral radiation

Astra is from Ghana and was added to Valorant during Act 2 of Episode 2. She is a master of space, able to use the stars for both offense and defense. Her kit can effectively block enemy vision and take control of an area with stun and pull abilities.

Abilities
Gravity well	Activate the star you threw to create a Gravity Well that traps the player and makes them vulnerable.
Nova Pulse	By targeting the star you placed, Astra can shake enemies near her.
Nebula/Distraction	You can create a cloud of smoke by targeting the star you placed. Then you could diffuse it and move the star somewhere else.
The cosmic divide	Create a beautiful light barrier that blocks bullets and heavily dampens sound. The barrier can be passed, but you will have no idea what is on the other side.

The Astra set makes her an essential pick for Pearl and most of the time Abyss.

The only thing the Astra lacks is true offensive ability, but you can leave that to the duelists. To use it properly, you need to be strategic about where you place stars on the map to help your duelists take advantage of their effects. This also makes him lean towards the guardian role when it comes to defending the location.

2 Omen: Shadowhunter

Omen is an unknown mystery in Valorant that has been playable since launch. No one knows who he is or where he's from, but he's one of the funniest agents in the game. He does all of his work in the shadows, focusing on movement, blocking vision, and blinding.

Abilities
Veiled step	Allows you to teleport a short distance. Keep in mind that your enemies will hear a noise when you do this.
Paranoia	Blinding ability where you throw a blinding orb that can go through walls. Players hit by balls are myopic and defeated. They will be able to see you if you get too close.
Dark packaging	Enter the phased world and place smoke in an area within range. Smoke falling from above will fall until it hits any surface the player can stand on.
From The Shadows	Allows you to teleport to any location on the map. Once your destination is confirmed, you have a short period of time to cancel your teleportation. This can be used to fool enemies, quickly explore an area, or other tactics limited only by your creativity.

If you're looking for a controller with some form of mobility that will allow them to fight, the Omen is one of the best options. His kit can help perform executions that destroy the enemy's defenses and catch them off guard.

1 Clove: The Scottish Troublemaker

Clove is a powerful Controller who uses aggression as a means to take control of an area. Unlike other controllers, they are rewarding to use as you fight and deal damage. This makes them the most popular controller, especially among those who want to play with a bit of mischief.

What makes Clove a great agent to pick, especially in ranked Valorant, is that you are less dependent on other agents to get your frags. You can do your work and theirs if you need to.

Abilities
Pick-Me-Up	Temporarily restore your health and gain a speed boost after absorbing the life force of a fallen enemy you've damaged or killed.
Interfere	Fire a shard that explodes, disintegrating any players caught in the explosion.
Ruse	Place vision-blocking clouds on the selected location on the map. You can still use this ability after you die, but only within a certain radius around your body.
Not dead yet	You can use this ability to return to life after being killed. You will have a short time to kill or help to preserve your life.

While Clove is an awesome pick, if you're not that great at being aggressive, you should pick a driver that's more focused on simple smoke laying and deterrent abilities like Astra and Brimstone.