Will Killjoy and Cypher get lesser playtime in Valorant with Deadlock's release?

Valorant has announced the arrival of a new Sentinel Agent called Deadlock with the start of Episode 7 Act 1. This comes nearly two years after Chamber was released in November 2021. Chamber dominated the Sentinel meta in professional and amateur play throughout 2022, while Killjoy has been reigning supreme this year. The arrival of Deadlock is expected to shift things around in the Sentinels quarter and make way for new ways of locking down sites in Valorant.

From the look of Deadlock's abilities in the gameplay trailer released by Riot Games, they look potent. A changing Sentinel meta in Valorant seems inevitable, but the question is how it will affect the game's two most popular class Agents, Killjoy and Cypher. This article explains more.

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How will Deadlock's release affect Valorant's existing Sentinel meta?

Killjoy is currently the most-played Sentinel across amateur and professional levels in Riot's character-based tactical shooter (not considering Sage, who has the third-highest pick rate in ranked but barely any use in pro games).

According to Tracker.gg, Killjoy has a pick rate of 6.3% across all maps currently in the rotation when it comes to ranked play. The German Agent also has the highest win rate in the class, clocking in at 50.2%.

In professional play, Killjoy had a pick-rate of 59% over all maps in VCT Masters Tokyo. In contrast, Cypher is picked 3.7% of the time in amateur matches and only 18% at the Masters 2023.

Killjoy and Cypher bring different qualities to the table. While Killjoy is more active and likes to play off her utility, Cyphers need to play more passively, waiting for enemies to step into their traps.

The new Valorant Agent, Deadlock, seems to bring together the best of both worlds. Her kit is based on triggers, crowd control, and denial of areas on the map, making her one of the best Agents to hold down a site on her own. That being said, this is an area where all Sentinels are expected to shine.

From what the gameplay trailer suggests, Deadlock will be able to outshine both Killjoy and Cypher when it comes to capturing sites as an Attacker and retaking sites as Defenders. This will set her apart from the rest of the class in Valorant and give her some Initiator and Controller-like skills.

She will be able to create pockets of safety by using her GravNet and Barrier Mesh abilities, which slow and block character movement, respectively.

Deadlock's ultimate ability, Annihilation, also looks really powerful and will be able to single-handedly win her clutches in 1v1 situations. Even when up against multiple opponents, her ability can double up as a distraction, giving her an advantage in the gunfight.

Even with Deadlock's arrival, Kiljoy's Lockdown will still remain one of the strongest abilities in Valorant, while Cypher will remain the best flank watcher in the game.

Therefore, while you can expect Killjoy and Cypher's pick-rates to fall eventually, map-to-map variations and the fact that all three fulfill specific niches will ensure the older Sentinels don't become obsolete.