Whether you’re coming into VALORANT brand new or migrating from another shooter like Counter-Strike, picking the right agent can make a huge difference in how quickly you learn and improve.
Agents in VALORANT aren’t made equal – some agents offer more forgiving mechanics, straightforward abilities, or clearer roles that help new players get into the game. Here are 10 of the best agents for beginners in VALORANT, categorized by their respective roles.
Best Duelist Agents for Beginners
Duelists are designed to take the lead in fights, as they excel at entry fragging, clutch scenarios, and creating space for their team. Generally, duelists offer a great way to focus on improving aim and individual performance for beginners.
Iso
Iso is a fantastic duelist pick for experienced FPS players who are new to VALORANT. This agent is perfect for players who are confident in their aim and want to learn how to take fights on their own terms.
As his name subtly hints, Iso’s kit revolves around isolating engagements and creating advantageous 1v1 scenarios. This play style is very forgiving for new players who want to focus on gun skills without being overwhelmed by complex utility.
The highlight of his ability kit is the shield he generates after getting a kill, allowing him to continue fighting with reduced risk. Of course, there’s also his ultimate ability, which pits him and an opponent in a literal 1v1 arena.
Overall, Iso’s abilities don’t rely too heavily on team coordination or precise timing – he’s great for solo players who want to learn their own game.
Reyna
Reyna is another top-tier duelist for beginners, especially for those with sharp aim or experience in other FPS games like Counter-Strike or Call of Duty. Her kit primarily relies on eliminations, which give her the ability to heal or become intangible. This allows mechanically strong players to sustain themselves through multiple engagements without team support.
The simplicity of Reyna’s abilities is what makes her so beginner-friendly. There are no lineups or set plays, just pure combat utility. Her flash (Leer) is easy to use and effective in close-range duels. Additionally, it doesn’t blind her or her teammates, so the griefing potential is zero.
Reyna also teaches game sense, as knowing when to dismiss or devour trains a layer of decision-making that helps new players develop their VALORANT instincts. She offers independence and snowball potential that makes learning the game fun and rewarding.
Phoenix
Phoenix is a classic starter duelist that was designed with new players in mind. He can heal himself, make a wall to block vision, and has a flashbang that is very easy to use. All of his abilities are useful in common situations, and they don’t require precise lineups or timing.
Phoenix’s ultimate, Run It Back, gives beginners a second chance at taking aggressive fights without the usual risks, and it doesn’t take too many ultimate orbs to farm.
This agent is ideal for learning utility usage alongside solid fundamentals, such as clearing and entry fragging. His flashes can be curved around corners, making them ultimately easier to control compared to others, such as Yoru or Skye.
With the ability to heal himself and a forgiving ultimate ability, Phoenix is ideal for new players to experiment without being punished harshly for mistakes.
Best Sentinel Agents for Beginners
Sentinels are the backbone of defense, excelling at holding down sites and providing support. They enable beginners to learn positioning, timing, and how to effectively control space.
Sage
Sage is arguably the most beginner-friendly agent in Valorant. Her kit is defensive and supportive, allowing new players to contribute to the team without needing perfect aim. She can heal teammates, revive a fallen ally, and use her wall and slow orbs to delay enemy pushes.
Her abilities are intuitive and impactful, even in lower-ranked matches. Her wall can block chokepoints and even boost herself to elevated heights for unexpected angles. With such an easy and less focused kit, new players can learn maps and team coordination while still providing high value.
Sage is an overall great pick for players who enjoy supporting others and want to maintain a stable presence on the team, regardless of their skill level.
Killjoy
Killjoy is a top pick for beginners who appreciate a more methodical and gadget-focused approach to the game. Her utility includes a turret that shoots at enemies automatically, an alarm bot to detect flanks, and nano swarms (mollies), which can control space and gather information passively.
Since her gadgets function independently, Killjoy can focus on learning the game itself instead of heavily focusing on using her abilities. Her kit helps new players learn how to anchor sites and support their team through utility rather than direct combat.
Killjoy could be a great agent for those who aren’t too confident in their aim yet and want their utility to do some of the work for them. She helps build good habits around preparation and map knowledge, which are crucial in VALORANT.
Cypher
Cypher is the “information broker” who excels at gathering information and delaying enemies without engaging them directly. He has a camera that provides real-time intel, as well as tripwires that reveal enemies that trigger it. These abilities are invaluable for beginners learning map flow and enemy patterns.
He rewards smart positioning and awareness over raw aim, making him accessible to players who have more brains than aim. Cypher teaches players how to hold angles and stall pushes with his utility, and while his kit does require some setup, it’s not mechanically demanding.
Players who enjoy playing the long game and supporting their team through vision and disruption are perfect for Cypher. He provides lots of value to the team without having to eliminate opponents.
Best Controller Agents for Beginners
Controllers are essential for shaping the battlefield. Their role is to block sightlines with smokes and deny areas with utility. They help new players understand how to support their team and take control of the map.
Brimstone
Brimstone is one of the easiest controllers to get started with the role. To deploy smokes, you’ll open his iPad, where you can simply place them on a tactical map and don’t require lineups.
Apart from his smokes, the rest of Brimstone’s kit is relatively straightforward. He has an incendiary grenade that acts like a normal molotov and a powerful orbital strike ultimate that can disrupt enemy pushes or post-plant setups.
Brimstone’s simple kit enables players to focus on mastering the fundamentals of controlling space without requiring advanced mechanical skills. His smokes last longer than most controllers and are easy to place, making him great for executing site hits or defending against rushes. New players will benefit from his ease of use and his ability to support the team with minimal risk.
Clove
Clove is one of the newer controllers in the game. What makes them unique is their ability to use smokes even after death, allowing new players to contribute to the team even after dying. This post-death utility alleviates the pressure to stay alive, allowing players to focus on helping the team without the fear of being completely eliminated after dying.
Clove’s smokes and movement abilities allow them to be flexible and supportive, which makes them excellent for learning timing and map awareness. Their kit encourages experimentation and creative plays, as failure (dying) isn’t punished too heavily.
With their forgiving play style, Clove allows beginners to feel confident at taking duels, supporting a learning mindset. They are hands-down one of the most beginner-empowering controllers in the game.
Best Agents for Beginners in VALORANT – Initiators
Initiators are focused on creating openings and gathering information. This can be done through flashbangs or recon abilities, paving the way for their team to enter sites.
KAY/O
KAY/O is a fantastic initiator for players coming from traditional shooters like Counter-Strike. His flashbangs behave similarly to CS-style grenades, making them intuitive for players with experience in other FPS games to make solo plays.
His suppression knife is easy to understand and extremely valuable, revealing and silencing enemy abilities in a set radius. His other ability is a grenade, which is very straightforward to understand and utilize.
KAY/O’s playstyle is very gunplay-oriented, meaning players can focus on taking fights while still providing valuable team utility. His ultimate also enhances his fragging potential, allowing for aggressive plays while giving teammates a chance to revive him.
KAY/O is ideal for aim-driven players who want to utilize basic forms of utility when getting started with VALORANT. He’s also a gateway to understanding more complex initiator agents while maintaining a simple, mechanical approach.
Gekko
Gekko is one of the more accessible initiators thanks to his unique and forgiving kit. His abilities revolve around deployable creatures that perform actions like blinding enemies, planting the spike, or acting as a molotov. These tools are simple to use yet highly effective, enabling beginners to assist their team without requiring perfect mechanics.
Gekko’s ultimate is easy to land and clear lots of space quickly, making site executes significantly easier. His utility can also be recovered and reused, adding a forgiving element for new players still mastering cooldown management.
He can also send a little critter to plant the spike for him, so no more getting caught while planting the bomb! His supportive and adaptable playstyle makes him a great introduction to the initiator role for new players.
