100 Thieves team captain and ex-CS:GO veteran, Spencer “Hiko” Martin has revealed his tier list of Valorant agents for professional matches.

Hiko finalized his list following the results of the recent T1 x Nerd Street Gamers Valorant Showdown last weekend.

He created the tier list based on which agents “are the most beneficial [on] your team, and [have] the highest pick rate in pro play — at least [in] North America.”


S-tier: Sage, Cypher, and Brimstone

According to Hiko, Sage and Cypher — who have a 90% pick rate — are the most picked agents in tournament play, including at the T1 x Nerd Street Gamers Valorant Showdown. Hiko pointed out that the champion of the tournament, TSM was the only team that exhibited some instances where they did not run Sage.

Despite that, Hiko believes Sage is too important in the current meta. “Her heals, her walls, her [Resurrection] ultimate is the most important thing. It can turn a man down situation into even or higher.”

Hiko then pointed out that Cypher is really good at holding sites on his own, but his abilities shine on the attacker side. “Cypher is so powerful for holding flanks, getting information with his camera and [Neural Theft] ultimate,” Hiko explained. Cypher’s Tripwires are perfect for getting information about defenders who are pushing on other parts of the map as well.

While Sage and Cypher are widely-accepted as S-tier agents, Hiko also put Brimstone in S Tier, something we haven’t seen from any other pro, stating “his Sky Smokes are probably the best smokes in the game, and he has the ability to clutch out rounds with his [Incendiary] and Orbital Strike ultimate.” Hiko did, however, say that Brimstone is probably the least fun agent to play.


A-tier: Omen, Sova, Raze

Omen’s Dark Cover smokes are what make him a necessary pick for teams to counter Operators, according to Hiko. “I actually think he’s seeing so much play because you need his smokes [and] his flash is really good, too. And his [From the Shadows] ultimate is great for getting information.”

“Playing around Sova’s Recon Arrows as a team, and using his Hunter’s Fury ultimate to get quick kills is what makes Sova A tier,” said Hiko. Also, most high-tier pros use Sova’s Shock Bolts to clear Cypher traps. Hiko also points out that Sova is a hard counter to Cypher and Viper.

Surprisingly, Hiko also put Raze in A-tier but, according to him, her abilities are so good at holding spots and dealing damage in current meta. Similar to Sova, Raze can easily clear up Cypher’s traps with her Blast Pack and Paint Shells. “Your Raze is almost always your top fragger,” he observed, “your Raze almost always counters Cypher, [and] your Raze can hold a choke point herself for so long.”



B-tier: Breach, Jett, Phoenix

Hiko placed Breach, Jett, and Phoenix in B-tier. Hiko believes that Breach as an agent is good, but — compared to the rest above him — you can’t justify choosing him over the S or A tier agents.

Jett is best for getting an advantage with an Operator, Hiko added, citing Matthew “Wardell” Yu and Tyson “TenZ” Ngo as examples on how to use the agent properly. “You can always get a free shot with an Op, then use your Tailwind to reposition yourself,” said Hiko.

Hiko doesn’t think Phoenix is as useful as the other agents, except for his Run it Back ultimate. If a Phoenix is getting many kills and uses his ultimate a lot, then that could be a game-changer for the team. Hiko also mentioned that Taylor “drone” Johnson showcased how Phoenix can be a viable agent in the current meta.


C-tier: Reyna, Viper

Finally, Hiko dropped Viper and Reyna to the bottom of the list. Hiko believes Viper has the potential to be a good agent, but people just don’t know how to play her yet.

As for Reyna, he said that her Leer is probably the best flash in the game, but at a pro level, you just can’t reliably expect your Reyna player to get kills, making three-quarters of her kit useless.

For a full explanation of the tier list from Hiko himself, you can check out this video:

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