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ValorantValorant patch 13.01, deployed on July 14, 2026, adjusts Iso, Yoru and the Outlaw right in the middle of Act 4 — enough to reshuffle the tier list. Here is our full agent ranking for July 2026, role by role, based on high-elo data and the 13.00/13.01 changes. All values below are taken from Riot's official patch notes.
What defines the Act 4 meta in July 2026
Two forces shape the current meta. First, patch 13.00 strengthened sentinels (Cypher, Killjoy, Sage, Deadlock) and cut initiator signature cooldowns — so the meta rewards utility and map control more than raw aim. Second, Summit joining the rotation alongside the Retake mode favors agents who can hold or retake a site. The result: per stat trackers, Clove (~53% win rate), Sova and Killjoy (~52%) sit on top at Platinum and above, while Jett shows the worst pick-rate-to-win-rate gap in the game.
Agent tier list – July 2026 (patch 13.01)
Controllers
- S — Clove: best win rate in the game per trackers (~53%), constant pressure thanks to post-death smokes.
- A — Omen: flexible smokes plus teleport, excellent on Summit and Split.
- B — Brimstone: fast, simple executes, but less flexible.
- B — Viper / Astra: strong on specific maps, demanding in solo queue.
Duelists
- A — Yoru: the big 13.01 winner — Gatecrash goes from 15s to 20s and Fakeout clones now hold his last equipped weapon, making them far more believable.
- A — Iso: instant weapon equip after Double Tap, his duels now chain without downtime.
- A — Raze: unmatched burst damage on tight maps.
- B — Jett: ~29% pick rate but a lagging win rate — for true Operator specialists only, especially after the Outlaw nerf.
- B — Neon, Phoenix, Waylay: viable, but less rewarded by the current utility meta.
Initiators
- S — Sova: ~52-53% win rate, his recon fully benefits from the 13.00 signature cooldown cut.
- A — Fade: same cooldown benefit, very strong in ranked at every level.
- A — Skye: flashes plus heals, still precious in solo queue.
- A — Gekko: Reclaim shortened in 13.00, near-permanent utility spam.
- B — Breach, KAY/O: excellent with a coordinated team, harder to leverage alone.
Sentinels
- S — Killjoy: ~52% win rate, the big winner of the 13.00 buffs, monstrous in Retake.
- A — Sage: the most underrated pick of the patch — high win rate on a tiny pick rate.
- A — Cypher: info and clutches, buffed in 13.00 and made more reliable by several 13.01 bug fixes (Cyber Cage).
- B — Deadlock, Chamber: situational, bring them out on the right maps.
Patch 13.01: the changes that matter
The modified values, verified in the official notes:
- Iso — Double Tap : weapon equip (canon EN : equip speed) — delay ⇒ instant
- Yoru — Gatecrash : Active Beacon Duration — 15 s ⇒ 20 s
- Yoru — Fakeout: clones now hold the last equipped weapon (instead of his strongest)
- Outlaw — Recovery (1er tir / after first shot) : 0.1 ⇒ 0.15
- Outlaw — Spread (1er tir / after first shot) : 0 ⇒ 2.25
- Outlaw — Recoil (1er tir / after first shot) : 0 ⇒ 4.0
As a reminder, the 13.00 changes still shaping the meta:
- Sova, Fade, Skye, Breach, KAY/O — Signature Cooldown (patch 13.00) : 60 s ⇒ 50 s
- Gekko — Reclaim Cooldown (patch 13.00) : 20 s ⇒ 15 s
Riot cracks down on rank manipulation
13.01 also marks a competitive turning point: Riot announces new rank manipulation detection tools, with penalties ranging from account suspensions to rank and ranked reward reversions. Reporters will now get in-game feedback when someone from their match is penalized. Also new as of today: the Discord integration rolls out globally on July 21 — party invites and lobby links straight from the client.
Bottom line: play Clove, Sova or Killjoy to maximize your odds, try the new Yoru before he gets contested everywhere, and shelve the Outlaw while you relearn its pattern. And when solo queue is not enough, the verified coaches and boosters at ElevateBoost take you to your target rank, duo or full coaching alike.
