Valorant Episode 5 ushers in a fresh phase for Riot’s competitive FPS. Part of this next era is the new map Pearl, which will most certainly shake up the Valorant meta. With that in mind, a new ranking of Valorant's top Agents is in order.

Bear in mind that Episode 6 is just beginning, so you can expect Agent popularity to shift in the coming weeks as players uncover new strategies. For now though, here are our picks for the top Agents in Valorant as of Episode 6 Act 2's release.

However, one aspect to keep in mind, is that we're unable to rank Gekko as of now. Mainly due to him being brand new!

Sage doesn't have the group healing capabilities of Skye, but what she lacks in that department, she more than makes up for with her Resurrection ultimate. On top of that, she's able to heal herself or a teammate, and her walls are the perfect tool to block the enemy. While her Slow Orb is outclassed by other AoE abilities, her ever-important role as a team’s combat medic still grants her a place on this list.

Cypher doesn't have the flashiest kit, but his abilities remained reliable throughout Episode 3. An experienced Cypher main can defend a site solo while waiting for their team to rotate, allowing for some atypical site setups. While his Spycam and Trapwire abilities are still easily spotted by enemy teams, their destruction gives Cypher all the information he needs to keep a site held. Plus, his traps can work wonders against newcomer Neon.

With Reyna's Leer buff in the most recent patch, she's become more useable compared to other Duelists, but there still isn't much to offer in terms of teamplay for Reyna. Other agents have better flashes, and the only way Reyna can go higher on this list, is if you're soley looking for an agent with carry potential.

Raze hasn't recieved much love as of late, as one of the core agents within the game has found a decent spot amongst the meta right now. While you'll see a Raze every now and the, espicially on maps such as Bind, she lacks in certain departments in her kit being heavily nerfed in the past.

When it comes to healing, Skye still can't be beat. She's able to restore multiple teammates at once, potentially saving rounds marred by bad pushes. While the rest of her kit may be lacking for players looking to deal high amounts of damage, her ability to practically reset rounds should not be underestimated.

The latest controller to enter the game has seen a decent bit of love, but still dosen't compare to other heroes such as Brimstone and Astra.

Astra's out-of-this-world playstyle can be a bit tricky to learn at first, but that also makes her tough to counter. Her ability to place Gravity Wells and Nebulas in unison allows for — if you’ll excuse the pun — stellar plays against the enemy team. Her Cosmic Divide is one of the best barriers in the game, if not the best. Her only downside is her asymmetry to the rest of the Agents in Valorant. The skills you memorize when playing her don't translate well into the other Agents. Still, once you pick her up, you'll have the enemy team in your pocket.

Between his incendiary grenade style Hot Hands and his flash grenade based Curveball, Phoenix remains a solid pick for those Counter Strike die-hards looking to translate their skills over to Valorant. He's easy to pick up without having abilities that are awkward or underpowered and can hold his own against higher-tier Agents. If other Agents on this list have already been picked, it's no consolation prize to end up playing Phoenix in Valorant Episode 4.

It's really a toss up in terms of whether or not Omen or Brimstone is the better Controller right now. However, they both have their benefits and cons to playing one another, and Brim is in a solid place given the recent buff a few months ago.

The highly touted Controller has been the prefered pick amongst smoke players in the recent meta, and this is more than likely due to the potential to smoke around the map, combined with Omen's insane blind and teleport.

Viper found a home in Episode 3 on Icebox, with players making full use of her kit to hold and enter sites. Her Viper's Pit ultimate continues to be a great way to run out the clock, and her toxic screen is perfect for splitting sites and causing chaos among the enemy ranks.

Before Neon hit the scene, Chamber was the newest Agent in Valorant. It didn't take long at all for him to catch on with players. His abilities primarily center around augmented shots, making him a great pick for players with solid aim. He has proven to be versatile at holding sites, quickly rotating, and going toe-to-toe with other Agents.

In any tactical game, information is key. That's why having Sova on your team remains so important in Valorant. His ability to locate enemy positions and mark them with his Recon Bolt can leave a defending team scrambling while trying to defend a site. Plus, there's his Owl Drone. This gives him an additional method of locating and marking enemy positions. On top of this tactical advantage, he can pair his detection abilities with his Hunter's Furry ultimate to cash in on free kills, and potentially turn the tide of a round.

Despite her dominance in Episode 3, Jett isn't taking the top spot this time around. But that doesn't mean she isn't a force to be reckoned with. For players looking to make moves without having to rely too heavily on their teammates, Jett remains a perfect fit. Her Cloudburst ability allows her to make moves into sites, and her Updraft and Tailwind abilities allow her to out-maneuver the competition. Now that Neon is in the mix however, Jett isn't the only speedster around. It will be interesting to see in the coming weeks and months which of the two prove to be the best agent for mobility.

The best flash agent recieved a nerf as of late, but this doesn't take away from KAY/Os surpreme dominace over the Valorant meta in recent months. With his knife, you're easily able to detect whether or not players are entering a site, or hiding in a corner, along with his ultimate which cancels out all abilities. There seems to be no better choice in terms of support agents right now.

Despite her recent nerfs, the high flying Neon has remained one of the best agents for players to choose within Valorant. Her kit offers incredible entry into sites while attacking, thanks to her wall and stun combination. Furthermore, Neon is fantastic at flanking and rotating around sites such as Fracture, due to her speed.

The latest Agent to join the field, Fade has a wide array of unique abilites that make her kit dealy in the right hands. But, there are some gripes players have had thus far, and this comes in the form of that all of her abilites can bascially be shot. So, it's up to you the player to make sure Fade's utility is used correctly.