Riot Games’ Valorant boasts one of the best rosters in the hero shooter genre, but even then, there are some agents that get left behind. Following the thrilling conclusion of the Valorant Champions Tour Masters Reykjavik 2022 Grand Final, which saw OpTic Gaming best LOUD in a three-game set, it has been revealed that Duelist Phoenix was the only agent not picked at all during the tournament. Sorry, Phoenix mains.
This revelation was shared by Twitter user ‘FionnOnFire’, also known by their online moniker ‘The Esports Writer’, after the tournament. This isn’t the first time an agent has had a 0% usage rate at a major tournament, though. Yoru, another Duelist agent who managed a 2% usage rate at the 2022 VCT Masters, wasn’t picked at all in the 2021 iteration of the tournament.
Being a Duelist isn’t the problem for Phoenix, though, as The Esports Writers’ findings reveal that Jett, another Duelist, was the most-used agent throughout the tournament – sitting comfortably at 65% usage rating.
Jett’s popularity in the tournament isn’t quite as surprising as Phoenix’s unpopularity, though.
According to Tracker.gg, Jett boasts the highest usage in Valorant at the moment with a pick rate of 11.9%. To compare, Phoenix may be the least picked Duelist, but he still sits at a 3.4% pick rate – this is ahead of Cypher (2.9%), Breach (2.6%), and Astra (1.6%).
In addition to this, Rib.gg reports that Jett was picked a whopping 82% of the time during the 2021 iteration of the VCT Masters tournament. So, two years on the bounce, it looks like she’s comfortably staying in the top tier of our Valorant tier list.
One thing that could suggest a buff is on the cards for a future title update is the fact that Astra has fallen so far out of favour over the last year. As mentioned above, she currently sits at a 1.6% pick rate in Valorant. In 2021’s Masters tournament she was one of the most-used agents – with a pick-rate of 59%. However, in this years’ tournament she was in the lower-half of the figures with a pick rate of 23%.
As you can see below, Sova, Viper, Chamber and Sage are all still very-much in the current meta.
The final agent usage rate at #VALORANTMasters
Jett: 65%
Sova: 49%
Viper: 46%
Chamber: 44%
Sage: 43%
Omen: 38%
KAY/O: 33%
Skye: 33%
Breach: 30%
Raze: 28%
Killjoy: 27%
Astra: 23%
Brimstone: 15%
Cypher: 13%
Neon: 8%
Reyna: 4%
Yoru: 2%
Phoenix: 0%— The Esports Writer (@FionnOnFire) April 24, 2022
Despite the fact that the agent picks were more varied this time around, which is undoubtedly a good sign, it’s clear that there are still going to be some agents better at helping you to climb the Valorant ranks than others. Here’s hoping there’s more of an even spread come the VCT Masters tournament in 2023 – Yoru is back on the rise, so expect Phoenix to rise again, too.