Overpowered Abilities In Valorant

Valorant is filled with various agents and abilities which players are constantly trying to keep up with. As Riot Games tries to consistently keep up to date with the latest Meta and find ways to balance it between the agents, some abilities become more overpowered than others.

The constant patches change which Valorant abilities are the best, but consistently there are some abilities between the various agents that allow for huge advantages to players who are able to use them. Some of the usages of certain abilities are situational, but some abilities are always useful to have around.

Updated October 8, 2024 by Chris Harkin: Although Valorant is updated frequently, and various abilities are often nerfed or changed entirely, many of the same abilities manage to stay on top of the power ratings for extended periods. Their usage is key to much of the strategy in Valorant.

Although an individual ability doesn’t necessarily make an agent one of the very best in the game, some of these abilities are still game-changers in the right situation. Valorant is a game of strategy and trying to keep it balanced is a non-stop task that requires constant supervision. For this reason, this article will continue to receive updates as the abilities in Valorant continue to change.

1 Viper’s Pit (Viper)

An Ultimate Ability That Offers Huge Protection

• Allows Viper To Hide The Active Spike Within
• Decays Enemies To Make Them Easy To Pick Off

Viper’s ultimate ability creates a huge poisonous cloud that covers a large area. This allows Viper to hide inside and protect the spike if it is active, or a site alternatively. Either way, it completely blocks enemies from the area for as long as Viper stays inside, and decays enemies who step within, making any fight a hefty advantage to Viper.

Because of her abilities, in particular this ultimate, Viper has the title of being the best spike defender in Valorant. Enemies stepping into the Viper’s Pit will have reduced visibility and so little health that Viper can shut them down easily. Taking on multiple enemies and clutching looks a lot more possible with the Viper’s Pit helping, making it one of the most consistently overpowered ultimate abilities in the game.

2 Dimensional Drift (Yoru)

The Ultimate Tool For Sneaking Around Enemies

• Allows An Invulnerable State To Escape Situations
• Other Abilities Still Work While Shifting

Few ultimate abilities can shift a round in the direction of the player like Yoru’s Dimensional Drift. This ability allows Yoru to enter an invulnerable, invisible state for enough time to get out of an area or sneak behind some enemies to catch them unawares.

While Yoru is drifting, he can still use other abilities, allowing him to blind enemies for teammates, or to allow himself time to come out of the drift and kill them unawares. This makes for a brutal ultimate ability that can turn a round on its head. Yoru’s abilities make him a strong agent already, but this in particular can devastate an entire enemy team if used properly and in conjunction with allies.

3 Devour (Reyna)

A Self-Heal For A Duelist Makes Her Ridiculously Strong

• Allows Reyna To Absorb The Soul Orb Of A Killed Enemy
• Temporarily Overcharges Health For Dogfight Advantage

Reyna is considered one of the best individual characters in the game. If a team is working well together, they can bring down even a great Reyna player. But in a situation where both teams are doing their own thing, Reyna is devastating. Devour is one of the best abilities in the game because it allows Reyna to heal herself using the corpse of an enemy.

4:07

Related

Games To Play If You Love Valorant

Those who can’t get enough of the competitive FPS goodness in Valorant, then they will love these similar games.

This capability makes it very difficult to take down Reyna when she goes on a rampage, and especially at lower levels, players will often find a Reyna near the top of the scoreboard as one of the best duelist characters in Valorant for picking up kills near-continuously as the rounds go by. Devour is not Reyna’s only great ability, but it is the one that allows her to trade health in duels and regain that health to be at full strength again for more individual battles.

4 Killjoy (Killjoy)

An Ultimate That Can Completely Ruin An Enemy Team’s Round

• A Device That Paralyzes Any Enemies Within A Large Range
• Can Stop Enemies Getting Near An Activated Spike

Killjoy’s ultimate ability, named after her, has been steadily becoming stronger and a more vitally game-changing ability over recent patches. Since Chamber was brutally nerfed by Riot Games, Killjoy is the best Sentinel in the game and her ultimate ability is a major part of what makes her great.

The ultimate deploys an attack with a wide range which contains and totally paralyzes enemy players caught inside of it. This can be used while the spike is planted to chase off all opposition, and almost no enemy utility can destroy it before the lockdown is complete anymore.

5 Trip Wire (Cypher)

The Best Way To Watch A Team’s Back Without Wasting Agents

• Can Interrupt Enemies Trying To Sneak Behind A Team
• Alerts The Player And Prepares Them For Danger

Cypher has always been a great character to have on a Valorant team, primarily because of the frustration involved in trying to sneak up behind him. Cypher’s trip wire is a valuable piece of utility that stops enemies from getting near him often.

While this is valuable in itself, the trip wire can also be used to block enemies in a rush to enter a site that Cypher is holding. Adding this to his camera and other utility makes Cypher a deadly opponent to try and get the drop on for any player or character.

6 Updraft (Jett)

Allows Players To Reach All Sorts Of Positions

• Allows Jett To Fly Up Into The Air
• Can Get The Jump On Enemies And Get Into High Locations Quickly

Jett is one of the most continuously beloved agents in Valorant. Meta changes are constantly shifting the landscape of which characters are best in the professional setting, but Jett is almost always one of the top duelists in the game. Currently, it is pretty much undeniable.

Related

Valorant: Every Status Effect, Explained

New Valorant players who may not know the game’s status effects will find everything they need right here.

With new maps released where she flourishes, and a move set which is always devastating to square off against, Jett is one of the greatest agents in Valorant. Her updraft ability is huge, enabling her to get to locations quickly and easily that are inaccessible to almost every other agent in the game.

7 Wingman (Gekko)

Allows The Spike To Be Planted Remotely

• Allows Gekko To Plant & Defuse The Spike From Afar
• Incredible Power That Allows Trickery Against Enemies

Gekko is one of the newest agents in Valorant and while the Meta could change at any time, he is still considered to be hugely overpowered. His Wingman ability is one of the more unique ideas that Riot Games have added to a character’s ability, having several uses but one in particular which can be devastating.

When Gekko has the spike, Wingman can take it and plant it for him, enabling him to continue shooting at enemies in the meantime. It can also defuse the spike similarly for him, which is completely ludicrous and will possibly be nerfed in the future. This ability is great for new players trying to learn how to gain points quickly.

8 Leer (Reyna)

One Of The Most Effective Blinds In The Game

• Allows Reyna To Throw A Blind Through Walls
• Can Be Shot, But Forces Enough Of A Distraction To Make A Difference

Reyna once again appears for this move which can devastate players, again used more at lower levels of play than at professional ones. Even so, Leer is a devastating move that is incredibly difficult to deal with. It blinds enemies and can be fired through walls, but can be destroyed by enemies.

The problem is that this weakness is actually another strength. Either enemies stay blind or snap to destroy the leer, which allows Reyna to snap around a corner and hit them while they are distracted. Both ways, Reyna gets the advantage and the win with minimal danger to herself at all times.

9 Sova (Shock Arrow)

Allows Sova To Root Out Enemies Hidden In Corners

• A Damaging AOE Shot
• Can Ricochet Multiple Times To Catch Enemies

Sova is another agent who has long been considered one of the best in Valorant. Despite nerfs in the past limiting some of his abilities, Sova has stayed near the top of the game. Part of that reason is the incredible versatility of abilities such as the Shock Arrow.

This damaging AOE shot can be fired from Sova’s bow with the player choosing how many times it will bounce before landing. This is one of the most complicated pieces of equipment to get to grips with in Valorant, but it is worth it as one of the very best there is because of how many places it can hit, eliminating enemies hiding in many difficult-to-reach corners.