The Initiators in Valorant are by far the most overpowered agents in the game since they can do almost everything a Sentinel and Duelist can. This tier list is a guide to know which Initiator is the best in Valorant, no matter the situation.
Initiators make up the majority of the game, tied with Duelists. They are meant to open attack sides and provide support to Duelists so they can create space. The job of an Initiator is to ensure that the Duelist is at an advantage in the opening engagement.
That advantage may come from a flash, a stun, either suppressing the enemy or distracting them. Doing all of these is the Initiator’s job. However, there are a plethora of Initiators to choose from in the game. Which ones should you pick? Prioritize based on this tier list.
Contents
- The Best Initiator In Valorant: Which One Should You Choose?
- S Tier Agents
- A Tier Agents
- B Tier Agents
- C Tier Agents
The Best Initiator In Valorant: Which One Should You Choose?
Initiators in Valorant can gather information about the whereabouts of the enemies and hit them with a Debuff like a stun, a concuss, or a decay that decreases their HP. However, there is much more to the role than just throwing your utility. You must know your Duelist’s movement and trade them if they get killed while entering.
Defending sites, delaying enemies, and securing the post plant with your utility are some of the most important things you must do as an Initiator. Some Agents will be better at this role than others, hence, the Tier List. Let us look at some of the best Initiators in the game and the ones who need work.
- S Tier: Sova, Gekko
- A Tier: Skye
- B Tier: Fade, KAY/O
- C Tier: Breach
(Note: This list solely reflects the views of the writer and is not the final list)
S Tier Agents
Sova
Sova is by far the most accessible and most reliable Initiator to choose from. His kit has everything a new player would need. In addition, a veteran can make magic happen with this agent. Take into account great Sova players like Austin “Crashies” Roberts or Timofey “Chronicle” Khromov.
They have made a name for themselves by utilizing every trick in the Sova book and making the agent a must-pick for any composition. Sova is S Tier because his Recon Dart can be used for information gathering along with the Owl Drone.
The Shock Darts can be used as lineups or damage dealers for post-plant or when defending a site. The Ultimate Hunter’s Fury is one of the most powerful damage dealers in the game, with fewer counters. That is why Sova is the best Initiator in Valorant.
Gekko
Released in Patch 6.04, Gekko is the newest Valorant agent and has quickly entered the meta as an Initiator. His abilities have a little bit of everything. However, the reason why he is S Tier is because of Wingman. Not only is he cute, but he can do multiple things for the team.
Wingman can plant and defuse the spike, stun enemies, and obtain information by clearing angles. His abilities can be used twice, excluding Mosh Pit, so that he can be valuable on Eco rounds. The Dizzy power can blind multiple people, while the Thrash Ultimate works like a mini-Killjoy Lockdown and has a decent Area of Effect.
This Initiator’s Moshpit ability can also be a great utility to clear cubbies and delay enemy site hits. That is why he is at the S Tier of all Valorant Initiators.
A Tier Agents
Skye
Skye is one of the most useful Initiators in the whole game due to her assisting potential. She can heal teammates, help them with flashes farther away from the site, and collect information with her dog. The Skye dog acts like a Drone, but instead of scoping out the area, it can stun enemies.
Her flashes are easily controllable, which allows her to flash hard-to-reach corners. The fake flash technique, which many pros use, can help bait the enemies to look in other directions, which can then be used to pick up a kill.
The Ultimate can help gather information about the whereabouts of other enemies, so it is best used when you have a man advantage. She is picked in professional play a lot and is a hefty choice combined with other duelists.
B Tier Agents
Fade
Fade was at the top of all the Initiators in Valorant for quite a while. However, she fell off due to the nerfs to her Prowlers. Despite that, she is still a solid pick, no matter the situation, so she is still heavily used in professional play.
Fade’s abilities are designed to gather information. The Prowlers clear corners, the Haunt is for detecting enemies, and the Seize will decay the enemies and ensure they are at lower health to take fights. However, the cream of the crop is the Ultimate.
Fade’s Ultimate takes away the hearing of the enemy in addition to marking them and placing tethers that the Prowler can latch on and seek out enemies. The Ultimate also Decays the enemy, and the Decay wears off over time. Therefore it is the perfect Ultimate to hit sites and take map control.
However, Fade can be easy to counter if one destroys all her utility, and even the Tether can be escaped by teleporting. These counters make her situational.
KAY/O
No agent in Valorant can suppress other agents besides KAY/O. That is the sole reason why he is the best at delaying site hits. When hitting sites, the Zero Point Knife is used as a Supressing Utility for Duelists. Combine that with his Flashes and Grenade, and the possibilities are endless.
However, he is so below this list because he is viable only for his suppression. The flashes are easily dodgeable, while the Grenade can easily be avoided. The Ultimate makes him a scapegoat; if he is down, it is difficult to revive him while you are bombarded with bullets.
However, since he can delay site pushes by himself, professional players will continue to use him due to his usability, no matter the situation. In the hands of a good player, he is almost a Duelist – case in point, Matias ” Saadhak ” Delipetro from LOUD.
C Tier Agents
Breach
The Swedish Initiator was once at the top of the food chain in Valorant but has fallen off due to nerfs and because players have figured out counters to him. Plus, there are better choices than Breach if one wants to gather information while applying debuffs to enemies.
Initiators are supposed to gather information and apply debuffs to targets based on what they collect. Breach can only apply debuffs, and there is no way to collect data from him. That is why he drops off the usefulness chart as an Initiator.
That aside, he is a pretty powerful agent based on his kit. The stuns, combined with the flashes and his Explosive Drill, can displace and debuff enemies, while the Ultimate can help retake sites. That is why he is only useful when combined with an information-seeking agent like Sova or Fade.
That was our list. Sova and Gekko are the ones you should prioritize if you want to be the best help for your team. However, every other agent has some use or the other in specific maps. Watch professional matches and VODs to determine what the best in the game use to gain the upper hand on their opponents.
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