All VALORANT Agents: Complete Guide by Role (2026)

Last update: April 2026. Last Agent: Miks (March 2026)

VALORANT has 29 agents across 4 roles. Each agent has a distinct ability kit that defines how they contribute to the team. This guide covers all roles, what each one does, and which agents belong to each category.

How Many Agents Are in VALORANT?

Currently VALORANT has 29 agents, divided into 4 roles: Duelist, Controller, Initiator, and Sentinel. The most recently added agent is Miks, who arrived on March 18, 2026. Riot Games adds new agents approximately every two Acts, so this number will keep growing throughout 2026.

The 4 Agent Roles in VALORANT

In VALORANT, every agent belongs to one of four roles. The role determines what type of utility the agent brings to the team: taking sites, blocking them with smokes, gathering information, or defending them. A balanced team generally includes at least one agent from each role, though the composition adapts depending on the map.

Duelists: the team's fraggers

Duelists are the entry agents. Their job is to create space for the team, push into sites first, and secure kills. They have abilities designed for one-on-one combat and for surviving high-pressure situations. They typically don't provide team utility, but compensate with mobility or self-healing.

Available Duelists: Jett, Reyna, Phoenix, Raze, Yoru, Neon, Iso, Waylay.

For beginners, Phoenix and Reyna are the most accessible entry points. Phoenix has a kit that's easy to understand and heals through his own abilities. Reyna is more aggressive: she depends on getting kills to activate her healing or escape cycle.

Controllers: dominate the battlefield

Controllers place smokes to block sightlines and deny information to the enemy. On attack, smokes allow the team to advance through the map without getting exposed. On defense, they cut off the opposing team's push and make entries harder. This is the role that most changes the pace of rounds.

Available Controllers: Brimstone, Omen, Astra, Viper, Harbor, Clove, Miks.

Clove has a high pick rate in LATAM ranked, especially in mid-rank lobbies. Some teams run two Controllers on maps like Icebox or Pearl to maximize utility control. Miks is the most recent Controller, released on March 18, 2026.

Initiators: open the way for your team

Initiators set up entries before the team pushes in. They gather information on enemy positions or disable them with flashes and stuns. There are two sub-types within the role.

• Recon: Sova and Fade. They mark the exact position of enemies before the team pushes, allowing the team to act on concrete information.
• Flash and disruption: Breach, KAY/O, Gekko, Skye, Tejo. They use blinds or abilities that prevent enemies from defending normally.

Tejo is the newest in this sub-type, released in January 2025. Gekko is the most accessible for new players because his creatures are reusable and the skill floor is low.

Sentinels: the team's defense

Sentinels protect sites and cover flanks. On defense, they install traps and devices that provide information without needing to expose their position. On attack, they cover the team's rear while the rest plays the site.

Available Sentinels: Sage, Cypher, Killjoy, Chamber, Deadlock, Vyse, Veto.

Sage is the only agent in the game with healing and resurrection abilities. She can revive a fallen teammate with her ultimate, making her irreplaceable in that regard. Killjoy is the most beginner-friendly option within the role: her Turret and Alarmbot work autonomously and provide information without the player needing to over-micromanage.

Complete Agent List by Role (2026)

The following table includes all 29 VALORANT agents, their role, their ultimate ability, and whether they are recommended for new players: Roles, Key Abilities and Beginner Difficulty (April 2026)

Starting Agents: what you begin with in VALORANT

Every new VALORANT account starts with 5 unlocked agents: Jett (Duelist), Sova (Initiator), Brimstone (Controller), Phoenix (Duelist), and Sage (Sentinel). These 5 cover all 4 roles, letting you explore each kit type without spending anything.

If any of these 5 already fits your playstyle, there's no need to unlock anything right away. When you're ready to expand your roster, check the complete agent unlock guide to learn how to earn Kingdom Credits and which method works best for you.

How to Unlock New Agents

VALORANT has three main methods for unlocking agents:

• Kingdom Credits (KC): the game's free currency. Earned by playing matches, and each agent costs 8,000 KC. Cannot be purchased with real money.
• Valorant Points (VP): the premium currency. An agent costs 1,000 VP. Allows instant unlock of any agent, including newly released ones during their first 28 days.
• Agent Recruitment Events: when Riot releases a new agent, they activate a free 28-day event. Playing matches advances the event and unlocks the agent without spending KC or VP.

For more details on how to earn KC, how long it takes, and when it's worth paying, visit the complete agent unlock guide.

Frequently Asked Questions About VALORANT Agents

Now you know all current VALORANT Agents (April 2026) organized by role: Duelists for fragging, Controllers for area control, Initiators for information, and Sentinels for defense.

If you want to know which agents are most worth it in the current competitive meta, check the VALORANT agent tier list. If you're just starting out and don't know where to spend your first Kingdom Credits, read the guide on which agent to unlock first in VALORANT.

Image credit: Riot Games