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Astra is the 15th Agent to be released in Valorant's massive roster of characters. She was also the first Controller Agent to be released after the game's launch.
Astra is one of the most challenging Agents to play in Valorant, as her abilities require proper placement. She can have a lot of impact in matches if appropriately used.
Astra's abilities allow her to smoke areas of the map, stun enemies, and stall pushes into the site. She can also be instrumental in Retake and post plant scenarios. She has been picked a lot in the pro scene. Many Astra players are known to be some of the best in the world today.
Note: This article is subjective and solely reflects the writer's opinions.
mindfreak, Melser, and more Astra players made fans go wild during Valorant Champions Tour 2022
1) mindfreak
Aaron 'mindfreak' Leonhart is an Indonesian esports player who plays for Paper Rex. He has fulfilled chiefly the role of a Controller for his team. His Astra pick rate was 33.6% in the past year.
Paper Rex is arguably one of the most popular teams in the Valorant esports scene. They've given rise to insanely talented players like fOrsakeN and Jinggg, although amidst all that, people have also taken note of mindfreak.
mindfreak was excellent at his utility usage but what's impressive is how he was also able to clutch out some crucial rounds for his team when needed. His 1v2 clutch against FunPlus Phoenix (FPX) in Haven during the Grand Finals of Valorant Champions Tour Stage 2: Master Copenhagen is what led them to win that map.
2) Melser
Marco 'Melser' Amaro is an esports player from Chile who currently plays for KRU Esports. He primarily fulfilled the controller role but has also played as the Sentinel Sage when his team needed. Melser's Astra pick rate was 29.9% in the past year.
Melser and his former team Leviatan bested KRU Esports to make it to the international stage finally. Leviatan brought some new ideas to the table and showed they have the talent and individual skills to keep up with the other teams.
Melser was insane in his aim and utilities, but he was always able to outsmart his opponents in tricky situations. His 3k clutch against FPX in overtime was an extremely crucial one.
3) Marved
Jimmy 'Marved' Nguyen is a Canadian esports player who played for the team, OpTic Gaming. He has mostly fulfilled the role of a Controller but has also played as the Initiator KAY/O when needed. Marved's Astra pick rate was 31.4% in the past year.
Marved and his team, OpTic Gaming, were one of the most consistent teams in the world, finishing in the top 3 in all the international events in 2022. His utility was always on point, but the best part was how despite being a Controller, he was always able to put up big numbers on the scoreboard.
Marved's 4k clutch against DRX in the lower finals of Valorant Champions 2022, Istanbul got the crowd roaring in excitement.
4) valyn
Jacob 'valyn' Batio is an American esports player who played for the team, The Guard. He has mostly fulfilled the role of a Controller for his team. valyn's Astra pick rate was 46.2% in the past year.
The Guard had an exponential rise in 2022. They dominated almost every team in NA and even qualified for Valorant Champions Tour Stage 1: Masters Reykjavik 2022.
valyn's utility would always be perfect, but where he truly shined was his In-game leadership (IGL) skills. He showed that he was able to lead a very young team to the top. He was able to frag out for his team and put numbers on the scoreboard when needed.
5) SugarZ3ro
Shota 'SugarZ3ro' Watanabe is a Japanese esports player who plays for the team ZETA DIVISION. He has mostly fulfilled the role of a Controller for his team. His Astra pick rate was 61.5% in the past year.
ZETA DIVISION's dream run during VCT Stage 1: Master Reykjavik 2022 was one of the best things to happen in VCT 2022. We saw the players fully put their heart and soul into their matches.
SugarZ3ro was an important part of this journey. He was able to make some intelligent plays with his utility and was also a stinger god. His 1v3 clutch against LOUD was one of the greatest clutches in VCT history.
