VALORANT’s meta switches up regularly, with Riot Games dropping agent buffs and nerfs whenever it senses irregularities. Even then, some trends turn the spotlight on certain agents, who end up dominating pick and win rates throughout the season. The VALORANT 2026 meta is already showing its signs, making it crucial for players to identify which agents they should master to win more games this year.
In Season V25, Clove dominated the ranked meta in pick rate across almost every Act and rank. Sova, Jett, and Reyna also enjoyed high pick and win rates throughout the year. Clove was nerfed a few times to reduce her dominance, but their design is still too comfortable, making it hard to shift focus to other controller agents.