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Valorant's Episode 5 Act 3 was released on October 18. While the first couple of weeks of the act didn't seem to change much, players were hit with a massive nuke in the form of patch 5.12. It aimed at making some much-needed changes to Agents in order to shake up the meta.
The biggest change was perhaps the most requested nerf to the Agent Chamber as he was considered to be one of the most overpowered by both pro players and the rest of the community. Apart from that, many others were affected by the patch as well, which will surely affect how Valorant composition will look in the future.
Below is a tier list of Duelists in Valorant for Episode 5 Act 3.
Note: This article is subjective and solely reflects the writer's opinions.
Exploring Valorant Duelist tier list after patch 5.12
There haven't been a lot of changes to the Duelists in patch 5.12. The only tweaks done were to the Agents Raze, Yoru, and Phoenix. Hence, players will feel just fine instalocking their favorites in matches.
S-tier
1) Raze
Currently, Raze is probably the best Duelist in Valorant. She can create spaces very effectively with her Blast Packs. Her Boom Bot can be used to get some early information, whereas her Paint Shells and Showstopper are great abilities to stall entries or flush out enemies hiding in a corner.
Raze is most effective on maps like Bind, Pearl, and Fracture as they have narrow spaces, but expert players have been able to master her in Haven and Ascent as well.
Patch 5.12 increased her Blast Pack's health while decreasing the Boom Bots', which doesn't really affect her bombastic playstyle.
A-tier
1) Neon
Neon comes from the Philippines and is considered to be a Duelist with a very high skill ceiling. To make a huge impact with her, players will need to master her movement.
Her Relay Bolt is perhaps her most useful ability as it can be used to gain entry and get some quick first bloods. The Fast Lane also comes in handy to allow a player's team to safely enter a site. The ultimate Overdrive is very tricky to use and requires a lot more precision after the nerf.
Neon is most effective on maps like Fracture and Pearl as they have narrow spaces but can thrive on some of the wider maps like Breeze and Haven as well. The most useful part about her is how quickly a player can rotate from one site to another to aid their teammates. No changes were made to Neon in patch 5.12.
2) Jett
Jett was one of the top Agents in the game until her signature ability, Tailwind, was nerfed to the ground. Her abilities made her one of the top picks for Operator users.
She can quickly create space on the site and even use her Cloudbursts to smoke out some areas of the map. Her ability, Updraft, allows her to shoot from off angles, which remains pretty unmatched.
Due to the Tailwind nerf and Chamber's release, Jett's pick rate has become seemingly low. As of now, she is most effective on maps like Ascent, Haven. and even Icebox. No changes were made to Jett in Patch 5.12.
B-tier
1) Phoenix
Phoenix was once a very deadly foe to go up against, but as new Agents were released, his kit became powerless as compared to his fellow Duelists. It wasn't until a few buffs that he started to get picked up again.
The Agent's abilities allow him to brute force his way into a site. His flashes are really quick and his Blaze can allow safe passage to a site. He is also the only Duelist who can heal himself without having to kill enemies.
Phoenix is most effective on maps like Haven and Ascent. Patch 5.12 made a single change to Phoenix wherein the cost of his Blaze was reduced.
C-tier
1) Yoru
Yoru has had a very hard time fitting into Valorant's team compositions. His Blindside is perhaps his most useful ability as players can flash enemies from a lot of angles. His most fun ability, however, is the Fakeout.
Yoru is most effective on the Bind map but players have also experimented with him on Breeze and Pearl. Patch 5.12 made changes to Yoru's Gatecrash by decreasing its cost and health.
D-tier
1) Reyna
Reyna is definitely the worst Duelist in Valorant right now. She is a very self-sufficient Agent but doesn't necessarily have the abilities to help out the team. The only way to make an impact with her is by getting a lot of kills. Her Leer is the only ability that even remotely helps her teammates.
Reyna is most effective on maps like Icebox and Ascent. Patch 5.12 didn't include any changes to her.
