At Blix, we’re writing a lot about Valorant. Check our articles like “How to Find the Perfect At Blix, we’re writing a lot about Valorant. Check our articles like “How to Find the Perfect Valorant Team”, or “Valorant Chat Commands Every Player Should Know” for instance.
We know our job, and now we’ve dissected and analyzed the ever-evolving VALORANT team composition meta to give you a detailed breakdown of how strategic lineups changed in 2024. We’ve looked at every map, scrutinized the best agent picks, and mapped out why certain combinations work better than others in the current landscape. (Spoiler: Utility is king now, not just flashy frags.)
Whether you’re a seasoned pro or climbing your way through the ranks, understanding these shifts is critical. This guide will help VALORANT players—from aspiring Radiants to casual teammates—figure out how to structure their compositions more effectively, offering insights into why your team might be struggling (hint: it’s not always about who can top the kill leaderboard). So, if you’re wondering what’s working on Ascent or why double-controller comps are trending, stick around. We’ve got all the answers lined up—without the fluff.
Contents
- 1 Highlights
- 2 Best Agents and Compositions for Each Map
- 3 Ascent
- 4 Bind
- 5 Fracture
- 6 Icebox
- 7 Pearl
- 8 Lotus
- 9 Ascent
- 10 Best Agents:
- 11 Best Team Composition: Jett, Sova, Killjoy, Omen, KAY/O
- 12 Bind
- 13 Best Agents:
- 14 Best Team Composition: Raze, Brimstone, Skye, Viper, Cypher
- 15 Fracture
- 16 Best Agents:
- 17 Best Team Composition: Breach, Neon, Raze, Brimstone, Cypher
- 18 Icebox
- 19 Best Agents:
- 20 Best Team Composition: Sage, Viper, Sova, Jett, Omen
- 21 Pearl
- 22 Best Agents:
- 23 Best Team Composition: Fade, Astra, Killjoy, KAY/O, Jett
- 24 Lotus
- 25 Best Agents:
- 26 Best Team Composition: Raze, Omen, Viper, Killjoy, KAY/O
- 27 How Has Team Composition Strategy Evolved in VALORANT?
- 28 Critical Changes in Composition Understanding:
Highlights
- Best Agents and best Team Composition for every map in the Valorant 2024 roster
- A short analysis of each map’s nuances
- Pros and cons of the most suitable Agents and Team Comp
Best Agents and Compositions for Each Map
Ascent
- Best Agents: Jett, Killjoy, Sova
- Best Composition: Jett, Sova, Killjoy, Omen, KAY/O
Bind
- Best Agents: Raze, Viper, Skye
- Best Composition: Raze, Brimstone, Skye, Viper, Cypher
Fracture
- Best Agents: Breach, Neon, Raze
- Best Composition: Breach, Neon, Raze, Brimstone, Cypher
Icebox
- Best Agents: Sage, Viper, Sova
- Best Composition: Sage, Viper, Sova, Jett, Omen
Pearl
- Best Agents: Fade, Astra, Killjoy
- Best Composition: Fade, Astra, Killjoy, KAY/O, Jett
Lotus
- Best Agents: Raze, Omen, Viper
- Best Composition: Raze, Omen, Viper, Killjoy, KAY/O
Ascent
Ascent
Ascent is a two-site map with a strong focus on mid-control and verticality. Success on Ascent often depends on controlling key chokepoints and rotating quickly between sites.
Literally can’t win on ascent – Reddit
Best Agents:
Jett
Perfect for Ascent’s long sightlines and vertical engagements, Jett can dash in and out of fights and excels with an Operator.
- Benefits: High mobility for quick engages and retreats; great for holding long angles.
- Downsides: Vulnerable if caught in smokes and requires vital mechanical skill to capitalize on her abilities.
Killjoy
With Ascent’s narrow entry points, Killjoy can hold down a site almost alone using her turret, Alarm Bot, and Nanoswarms.
- Benefits: Fantastic for locking down sites and delaying pushes.
- Downsides: Killjoy’s utility can be avoided with long-range engagements, reducing her effectiveness.
Sova
Sova’s Recon Bolts are perfect for scanning Ascent’s large open areas, providing crucial information about enemy positions.
- Benefits: Consistent intel across the map, helpful in both attacking and defending.
- Downsides: Countered by agents like KAY/O, who can suppress his scouting abilities.
How to Play Ascent Like a WORLD CHAMPION! – Pro …
Best Team Composition: Jett, Sova, Killjoy, Omen, KAY/O
- Benefits: A well-rounded composition offering firm map control and utility denial. Omen’s smokes and KAY/O’s suppression help lock down key areas.
- Downsides: This comp struggles against heavy duelist pressure if Jett needs help to perform effectively or if the information gathered by Sova is blocked.
Bind
Bind
Bind’s teleporters enable fast rotations and create opportunities for quick site hits. Tight corners and narrow hallways favor agents who can dominate close-range engagements.
Best Agents:
Raze
Raze’s explosive kit thrives in Bind’s tight corridors, allowing her to clear common hiding spots and deal massive damage with AOE abilities.
- Benefits: Excellent for clearing tight spaces and pushing into sites.
- Downsides: Raze’s abilities need careful use; if they miss, her impact diminishes.
Viper
Viper’s smokes and wal-ls provide incredible site control, especially in post-plant situations.
- Benefits: Amazing at cutting off vision and stalling pushes.
- Downsides: Requires setup time, making her less effective in fast-paced fights.
Skye
Skye’s flashes and healing make her an essential initiator for Bind, where her Trailblazer and Seekers can gather critical intel through the teleporters.
- Benefits: Provides robust utility and healing for sustained pushes.
- Downsides: Requires precise timing and coordination with the team to be fully effective.
How to Play The NEW BIND like the Pro’s! – VALORANT Map …
Best Team Composition: Raze, Brimstone, Skye, Viper, Cypher
- Benefits: Great site control and post-plant utility. Cypher’s traps help monitor critical areas, while Skye supports with recon and healing.
- Downsides: This comp can be slow and might struggle against fast-paced, highly mobile teams that force early engagements.
Fracture
Fracture
Fracture’s unique layout, with two attack points for each site, encourages fast rotations and chaotic engagements. The map’s tight spaces benefit agents who can clear corners or disrupt enemy positioning.
Fracture is good now? : r/VALORANT – Reddit
Best Agents:
Breach
Breach’s stuns and flashes dominate Fracture’s tight lanes, allowing him to initiate fights or stop pushes with ease.
- Benefits: Strong utility for initiating site takes or stalling pushes.
- Downsides: Breach relies heavily on team coordination and timing, making him less effective in solo play.
Neon
Neon’s speed makes her a perfect fit for Fracture, where fast flanks and quick site entries can catch defenders off guard.
- Benefits: Extreme mobility and fast site entry.
- Downsides: Struggles against well-timed utility, which can disrupt her momentum.
The Complete Fracture Map Guide! – Valorant Map Guides
Best Team Composition: Breach, Neon, Raze, Brimstone, Cypher
- Benefits: High utility and fast rotations make this team aggressive and adaptable. Breach and Neon enable quick site hits and flanks, while Cypher holds flanks with his traps.
- Downsides: Over-reliant on utility. If agents like KAY/O counter Breach or Raze, the team loses a significant portion of its power.
Icebox
Icebox
Icebox is known for its verticality, with ziplines and high structures making mobility crucial. The map’s tight chokepoints also demand agents who can lock down space and provide cover.
An honest review of Icebox (After playing it for the first time) – Reddit
Best Agents:
Sage
Sage’s wall is crucial for blocking off Icebox’s narrow entry points and securing safe Spike plants. Her healing keeps the team sustained in long duels.
- Benefits: Strong in both offense and defense, particularly for securing post-plants.
- Downsides: Her utility can be neutralized by enemies with long-range abilities like Sova or Jett.
Viper
Viper’s ability to block sightlines with her Toxic Screen and Viper’s Pit makes her ideal for Icebox’s vertical map control.
- Benefits: Excellent site control, especially in post-plant scenarios.
- Downsides: Viper’s effectiveness drops if her abilities are mistimed or misused.
ICEBOX | Full Map Walkthrough | VALORANT Tips
Best Team Composition: Sage, Viper, Sova, Jett, Omen
- Benefits: Balanced for offense and defense, this comp offers strong scouting with Sova and excellent post-plant control with Sage and Viper. Jett adds mobility for quick rotations.
- Downsides: Can be vulnerable to fast rushes if defensive utility isn’t properly timed.
Pearl
Pearl
Pearl is a large, open map that requires teams to balance map control and utility. Long sightlines and narrow chokepoints reward agents who can gather information and control space.
Best Agents:
Fade
Fade’s kit excels on Pearl’s long sightlines, allowing her to force enemies out of key positions and disrupt their setups.
- Benefits: Great for gathering intel and forcing enemy movement.
- Downsides: Requires well-timed utility usage to be fully effective.
Astra
Astra’s global smokes and Gravity Well help her control the map’s broad, open spaces and tight chokepoints.
Benefits: Strong map control with her ability to influence multiple areas simultaneously.
Downsides: Can feel slow and passive, making her vulnerable to aggressive playstyles.
How to play PEARL (*NEW* VALORANT Map)
Best Team Composition: Fade, Astra, Killjoy, KAY/O, Jett
- Benefits: This composition excels at controlling long sightlines while disrupting enemy plays with KAY/O’s suppression and Killjoy’s traps.
- Downsides: May struggle with fast rotations due to Astra’s slower-paced utility.
Lotus
Lotus
Lotus, with its three bomb sites and tight angles, demands quick rotations and smart control over chokepoints. It rewards teams that can quickly adapt and cover multiple areas.
Any advice on Lotus? Really struggling rn. : r/VALORANT – Reddit
Best Agents:
Raze
Raze’s AOE damage is invaluable in Lotus’s tight, confined spaces. Her grenades and Boom Bot can clear enemies out of choke points.
- Benefits: Strong in controlling tight areas and clearing space with her explosives.
- Downsides: Can struggle in more open areas if her abilities are wasted.
Omen
Omen’s teleportation and smokes give him great flexibility on Lotus, where his ability to block sightlines and make surprise plays is crucial.
- Benefits: Versatile playstyle with strong site-smoke utility and rotation potential.
- Downsides: Requires good timing and positioning to maximize his impact.
The ONLY Lotus Map Guide You’ll EVER Need! – Valorant Guide
Best Team Composition: Raze, Omen, Viper, Killjoy, KAY/O
Benefits: This comp offers excellent chokepoint control and versatility on defense. The double-controller setup with Omen and Viper makes retakes and holds more effective.
Downsides: Slower-paced, which can be exploited by hyper-aggressive teams focusing on fast site hits.
How Has Team Composition Strategy Evolved in VALORANT?
In the early days of VALORANT, team compositions often revolved around the traditional Counter-Strike-style setup: two duelists, a controller, a sentinel, and an initiator. This setup emphasized fragging power and basic utility coverage. However, as the game evolved, the concept of team composition underwent significant changes in both casual and professional play, shifting towards more specialized, utility-driven lineups.
Critical Changes in Composition Understanding:
Utility Over Frags
Teams have realized that utility is just as crucial as firepower. In the past, two duelists would often be used to secure frags aggressively. Nowadays, utility-based agents like Viper, Killjoy, or Astra are prioritized for controlling space, delaying pushes, and providing tactical advantages. This shift emphasizes that winning isn’t just about getting kills but creating advantageous situations through utility.
Flexibility and Double Controllers
Initially, each team would run only one controller for smokes and site control, like Brimstone or Omen. However, with agents like Viper, Harbor, and Astra, double-controller compositions became more popular, especially on maps like Icebox or Breeze. These setups provide better map control, delaying the opponent or creating multiple points of entry/defense, making the game more strategic.
Map-Specific Compositions
Teams have adjusted compositions based on map requirements more dynamically. For instance, maps like Fracture or Bind require more crowd control and initiators due to their tight corners, leading to agents like Breach or Skye being preferred. In contrast, on maps like Breeze and Ascent, long-range vision control and scouting are paramount, so agents like Sova or Chamber see more play.
Specialized Agent Roles
As the agent pool has expanded, teams have moved away from a rigid composition structure. Instead, they now choose agents based on the specific needs of each map and their synergy with other agents. For example, Neon has become essential on maps like Fracture for her speed, while Harbor and Viper are paired on maps like Lotus for their complementary smoke abilities.
The Rise of KAY/O and Anti-Utility Play
The introduction of KAY/O significantly altered how teams approach compositions. His ability to suppress enemy abilities means teams can counter utility-heavy opponents and disrupt well-executed strategies. This has forced teams to rethink their compositions to ensure they aren’t overly reliant on abilities, adding more balance between firepower and utility.