The Valorant meta has been ever-evolving since the game’s release. The addition of new agents like Chamber and Neon, as well as continual balance changes, mean that ideal agent compositions are always shifting.
For instance, after the nerfs to her Barrier Orb, Sage has gone from a must-pick sentinel agent to a very situational one on Icebox.
As the VCT 2022 season kicks into high gear, several Valorant pro players from the EMEA region have weighed in on which agents will dominate in the new meta.
What changes are coming to the Valorant meta in VCT 2022?
Astra and Viper are here to stay
“In the beginning of the year, I don’t think that much is going to change. Usually, when teams have some sort of break, they fall back on what they used before,” said Ivan “Johnta” Shevtsov, head coach of CIS team One Breath Gaming.
“They don’t create many new things, so I think the beginning of the year will be similar to what we saw at the end of last year.”
This means that controller agents Astra and Viper are not going anywhere in the Valorant meta. Astra continues to be picked on most maps with her ability to assert global control and place Stars down anywhere.
Her Stars cannot be destroyed, and she is able to make her presence felt early in the round to counter fast pushes, no matter where she is on the map.
Meanwhile, the buffs to Viper continue to make their impact felt, and she is an incredibly strong pick on Breeze, Icebox, and even Bind.
Toxic Screen cuts off long lines of sight in an instant, and together with Poison Cloud and the potent health decay they inflict, Viper can hinder her opponents’ ability to take map control very effectively.
Breach and Jett make a great combination
The Swedish initiator and South Korean duelist will continue to be a deadly duo. “The strongest combination of agents, in my opinion, is going to be Jett plus Breach,” said FunPlus Phoenix’s Andrei “Shao” Kiprskii. “Dash with Flash is an insane strategy in Valorant.”
Breach can blind enemies with Flashpoint, and Jett can dash with Tailwind to quickly take advantage of blinded opponents, allowing for aggressive plays that can be difficult to counter.
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Jett has the highest solo carry potential
When asked which agent had the highest solo carry potential, the pro players were in unanimous agreement. The answer is Jett, the knife-wielding, fleet-footed duelist who has been a mainstay in the Valorant meta for much of the game’s competitive history.
“Now people are just abusing the dash factor,” said G2 Esports’ Žygimantas “nukkye” Chmieliauskas. “You can make very stupid plays and you will not get punished for it because you have a panic button that you can press and you’re going to get out of that situation.”
“I think that’s the main reason why the Jett-Operator combo is a bit OP.”
Jett is picked so often because she is one of the only agents who can utilize the Operator effectively, and she’ll remain a key part of the Valorant meta unless her kit is adjusted.
Sage’s Resurrection is one of the best ultimates
The pro players were divided on this one. Gathering information on enemy positions is key in a tactical shooter like Valorant, which is why Skye’s Seekers and Cypher’s Neutral Theft are considered among the strongest abilities.
But for some players like nukkye, Sage’s Resurrection is the clear winner with its extremely high impact on the game. “It’s always been about getting the ability to respawn and having another chance at the round, which is not a common thing in most games,” said nukkye.
However, Sage is mainly only picked on Icebox because of her Barrier Orb, where she had a whopping 95% pick rate during the Valorant Champions 2021.
“At the end of the round or late in the round you are kind of useless,” said One Breath Gaming’s Ivan “Johnta” Shevtsov.
Chamber will not replace Jett
“The biggest change since Champions has probably been the introduction of Chamber as an agent. People have to get used to a sentinel that can be a bit more aggressive,” said Tenstar’s Calum “KRAY” Knight.
However, despite Chamber’s Rendezvous teleporters giving him a quick escape from sticky situations, just like Jett’s dash, the dapper French sentinel probably won’t replace her in the meta. Chamber’s kit excels at slowing pushes into sites and holding aggressive angles on defense, but it isn’t designed to help him burst onto sites and secure the first kill on attack.
“I don’t think Chamber will dethrone Jett as the most played agent, her utility is too good. I don’t think Chamber’s utility replaces her at all. And I think you will probably see Chamber alongside Jett in a team comp,” explained KRAY.
For a look at what the pros think, check out the full video below.
Having said that, we’re only at the start of the year, and pro players will no doubt discover new and more creative ways to play the game as time goes on. And with the focus on agent balance and map optimizations in the upcoming Episode 4 Act II, you can expect more Valorant meta changes on the way.
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