Agents Iso and Deadlock Left Unpicked at VALORANT Masters Madrid
During the first Masters event of the 2024 season, almost all of the agents in the VALORANT lineup have seen playtime. However, two agents, Iso and Deadlock, have been left on the sidelines once again.
Unpicked at Masters Madrid
With only two best-of-five matches remaining at Masters Madrid, Iso and Deadlock remain unpicked after 36 maps played. Unfortunately, this is not a new experience for them. Deadlock also went unselected at Champions 2023, despite being released just a couple of months before the event.
Iso and Deadlock have been overlooked throughout the year. Iso has yet to be picked in any VCT match this year, with all four international league Kickoff events passing without any appearances from Iso. Deadlock didn’t appear in the EMEA, China, or Pacific Kickoff, but surprised everyone when she was included in Evil Geniuses’ Icebox composition during the Americas Kickoff, appearing in two maps.
Even though their appearances have been sporadic, agents like Reyna, Sage, and Harbor, who are often considered afterthoughts in the pro scene, have made it to the Madrid stage. However, most of the Harbor picks have been made by Paper Rex. Chamber, once a crucial agent for almost every pro team in 2022 but now less favored, also saw playtime courtesy of FunPlus Phoenix.
Iso’s flashy and fun ability kit doesn’t provide the same value as a duelist role that pro teams are looking for. While Raze and Jett can create space, Iso functions more as a tank and can only turn the tide of a round if opponents dry swing into him and feed him kills. Deadlock has struggled to stay relevant with an ability kit that, at best, can greatly slow down the opposing team, but rarely becomes the preferred choice over other sentinel agents.
On the other hand, Viper is currently the most popular agent among pro teams. At Masters Madrid, she has an impressive overall pick rate of 79%, with a rate of 50% or higher on each of the seven individual maps.