Who Is The Best Controller Agent After Patch 4.04?

Just recently, a team-comp with Yoru, Brimstone, and KAY/O was a big meme, but today, we might want to play it ourselves. Quite a meta shake-up we experienced, huh? So, if the Astra and Viper combo is no longer meta, then what is? Are we really living in times when Brimstone and Omen are the best Controllers? Today, we will analyze the power potential of each Controller Agent to determine the one with the best chance of taking you straight to Radiant.

• Check out all the Patch 4.04 Notes: Valorant Patch 4.04 Overview: Controller Changes, Icebox Update & More

Astra

Let's be honest, she deserved all the nerfs. Astra was the main reason why other Controller Agents were not even considered at higher ranks. In fact, she was the third most picked Agent in eSports, with only Jett and Sova above her – and that already says a lot about her power.

However, after playing with her for a while, we can safely say that she went from being the best Controller Agent to the worst. Her abilities aren't that efficient anymore; she's just too slow. Plus, we didn't think that taking away one Star would make that big of a difference in her power level. There are certainly some Astra veterans among us who will continue to win games with her, but she definitely can't be called a meta Agent anymore.

Omen

Omen has needed the buffs for months and finally got them. However, we don't think these buffs have changed that much in his power level. Maybe his identity is just not good enough compared to other Agents? It's hard to say what's the main problem, but even though he got buffs that looked considerably big, this character still doesn't feel good enough to pick in Competitive Play.

His smoke is actually much better than it was before the Patch, but comparing him to other Controller Agents, he still can't be the main smoker in the comp. In our opinion, all the buffs made Omen slightly better, but it's not to the point when you can say that it's a character you can use to consistently win games with.

Viper

Just like Astra, Viper got a little nerfed in the last Patch. However, these nerf aren't really noticeable, and the character still seems solid, possibly just a bit more "fair". Probably the biggest nerf for Viper is that you can't get the value out of her that you could by pairing her with Astra, but she's still a powerful Agent overall. Plus, her wall is still the most effective in the game (even though it runs out twice as fast as before).

All the nerfs that Viper got made her much less versatile, but she is still solid, and if you like playing her, you can safely continue to do so. Even without Astra, she can serve as the main smoker in your comp and wreak havoc on the map, regardless of the side you play on.

Brimstone

Till very recently, Brimstone was by far the worst Controller Agent. Not only were his skills much weaker compared to other Agents, but he was just much worse than Astra; there wasn't a single reason to play him. We thought Riot had already written Brimstone off, and they just made him "that one free Agent to learn the game". But that's not what happened.

After Patch 4.04, Brimstone is the most picked Controller in the game. We're back to the days when Brimstone is the character with the best smokes and no other Agent can't match it. Plus, this Steam Beacon buff that "turns your teammates into a mini-Neon" is just absurd.

Verdict

In our opinion, Brimstone and Viper are currently the best Controller Agents with similar power levels and potential on each map. The final choice should depend on your preference, but whichever one you pick, you should be good. Many people will tell you that Brimstone is the S-Tier Agent, but we think all of these individuals are simply overreacting to the buffs this particular Agent got. Although you encounter him in almost every Ranked Play game, you can chill out; it's unlikely to be a case later this Act.