Valorantis a difficult game to get used to due to the vast amount of strategy involved. Due to this, many new players get scared off trying to just get used to a new agent due to the many different styles they have across the agents that have been introduced into the game over the last three years.
Fortunately, it can be broken down to stop new playersfrom getting overwhelmed.Controllersare one of the four agent types inValorant, and they are primarily used for getting into sites to plant or defuse bombs. This is because of their advanced abilities which include smokes or distractions.
Updated on July 01, 2025, by Chris Harkin:The world of Valorant is one of constant change. While frequent players might be able to keep on top of many of the different smaller changes that can affect the meta for the best controller agents in the game, it can be more challenging to stay on top of the newest agents and their place in the rankings. Particularly since new agents, such as the controller Clove, will have more changes occurring to their character and abilities for the first few months after they are introduced. This makes it vital to keep updating articles like this one every so often as the best controller agents shift in the game.
6Astra
The Mystical Cosmos Shaper
Astra is an experimental sort of agent that was introduced with the idea of changing how controller agents worked inValorant. Instead of throwing down smokes or other abilities as they enter a site, Astra can place down items known as stars anywhere on the map at any time during the round. These stars can then be used to place her abilities during the round.The advantage of thisis that Astra can have her stars planted and ready to turn into abilities in exact spots since there are usually several particularly good spots to place abilities down for controllers on any map.
Unfortunately, after debuting as an overpowered character, Riot Games came out with updates and changes to Astra that made her much worse for use. If players can get used to the star system then it will be worth it, but learning Astra is a difficult journey that hasn’t proven worth the pain in the professional meta as it currently stands. With Harbor being recently introduced, it appears that Riot has given up on the idea of saving Astra and has moved on instead. While Astra isn’t unplayable, she is one of the least-seen characters in any form of play nowadays inValorant.
5Harbor
The Water-Based Powerhouse
The newest addition to theValorantroster was being hailed as one of the very best controllers there is until his nerfs following initial release brought him back down to Earth and landed him on the lower end of the controller agents. His wave abilities can help massively with getting in on a site and his other capabilities which were previously considered overpowered can still be greatly helpful when trying to get into a site or to defend it from enemies.
It can be difficult inValorantto hold onto the advantage, but with a character like Harbor and a player who understands how he works, chaos is easy to cause among the opposing team. His ult, for instance, is pure chaos and makes it incredibly difficult for enemies to pay attention to anything going on because they are in constant danger of being concussed. Harbor is always able to mix things up, and being this much of a disruptor as well as being able to bring all the needs a team has for a controller still makeshim a huge assetin any match at any level.
4Clove
Immortal Scottish Troublemaker
Although she seems like an absolute terror, the newest Controller agent hasn’t actually taken the world ofValorantby storm in the way some agents do when first introduced. An immortal who can torment enemies even after death, Clove can activate their smokes from beyond the grave and has a self-revive ultimate ability.
While these are unique ideas, as every other agent’s usefulness ends upon death, players generally feel like they get more of an advantage out of other abilities from other agents. Clove is more of a self-focused character, one who doesn’t control the battlefield’s key areas as strongly as other controller agents, making them a less common competitive choice than some others.
3Brimstone
Rains Hellfire From Above
The best and most consistent controller figure inValorantsince the first release of the game has always been Brimstone. The American character has been one of the figureheads of the game, and he has never lost the major advantages he has over other controllers. His smokes are thebest by a long wayin the game due to his ability to place them almost anywhere on the map, regardless of where he is situated. This enables him to create fakes for his team or prepare the way for them to get into any site.
Not only this, his grenade is a hugely useful tool for clearing out corners when his team is trying to enter a site or hold back opposition, and his ult is one of the very best in the game due to the way it can prevent enemies from defusing a bomb or defending an area. Brimstone can flush enemies out or trap them in corners and demolish them from afar. Add the incredibly valuable stim beacon that can give his entire team a huge advantage as they mount a major offensive and there is no end to the ways that Brimstone can lead his team from the front and give them huge leads over the enemy on both offensive and defensive rounds, making him the perfect controller.
2Viper
The Poisonous Mastermind
Viper is the first of the controllers that are still perfectlyusable in any situationand at any level. While Viper is no longer quite at the same high level due to recent changes, she is a great option and has some huge advantages. Her ult, which releases a massive poison cloud, makes it very hard for enemies to get in if the bomb has been planted inside. Alternatively, if Viper can use her other abilities to get in on a site where she has to defuse a bomb, releasing her ult before going for a defuse will make it very difficult for camping enemies to stop her.
With her long-range wall, her poison that can stop enemy players from defusing a spike in the dying seconds of the round, and the poison orb that can additionally confuse the enemy in important moments, Viper mains are perfect for clutching out huge victories in key moments during the game,and Viper’s characteris still made for this purpose over anything else. She is excellent for getting in on sites and closing rounds out, making her a great choice for players getting used to playing controllers who want to provide everything their team needs from them.
1Omen
The Shadowy Controller King
One of the original characters inValorant, Omen is still perfectly usable but willoften be less usedthan some of the other controller characters in the game. Omen is a shadowy figure that has smokes, blinds, and teleportation to help him get in on and gain control of a site. While his smokes are local range and have to be fired as he goes in, or he has to be present for a fake going in on a site, there is still a wealth of ideas and pro-level moves that players can pull off with Omen at their disposal.
The teleport can be particularly useful, due to the unique nature of this ability for Omen. It can be hard for players in the confusion of a round to see where an Omen has gone if they teleport out, making it easy to get the upper hand in any situation. Unfortunately, due to the advantages of other controllers in the game, Omen has fallen by the wayside slightly over time but recently his abilities have been buffed up again and he has managed to rise to the top of the controller list for now, making him one of the most enduring and the current greatest controller inValorant.
