Riot Games and VALORANT have introduced Clove, a new non-binary Controller joining the agent roster.
Hailing from Scotland, Clove is a mischievous troublemaker who wreaks havoc for enemies both in combat and beyond the grave. As a young immortal, Clove keeps opponents guessing with their ability to return to the living at a moment’s notice. Clove’s abilities include:
- Ruse (E): Clove equips to survey the battlefield, then sets locations for clouds to settle. These clouds block vision in chosen areas, and Clove can use this ability even after death.
- Meddle (Q): Clove equips a fragment of immortality essence and throws it, causing it to erupt after a short delay and temporarily decay all targets caught inside.
- Pick-Me-Up (C): Clove instantly absorbs the life force of a fallen enemy they damaged or killed, gaining haste and temporary health.
- Not Dead Yet (X / ULT): After dying, Clove can activate this ability to resurrect. Once resurrected, Clove must earn a kill or damaging assist within a set time or they will die again.
As far as goals are concerned, early on into the process we identified the controller role as ripe for opportunity for more aggressive playstyles, as prior to Clove we felt that choices were limited outside of Omen for players who wanted to really take the fight to their opponents. We were also inspired by MOBA characters that taught specific lessons to players through their gameplay,” said Dan Hardison, Agent Gameplay Designer for Riot Games.
“For example, Annie teaches League players not to bunch up and Twisted Fate teaches players the importance of their position around the map. We wanted Clove to teach VALORANT players how to assess the value of their life within any given round.I was also asked about ANGE1 and if I was making this character specifically for him by several other Rioters throughout development.”
Clove is also the game’s first nonbinary agent, further diversifying its roster of characters already available in the game. “When creating an Agent, we strive to authentically represent a cast of diverse characters that reflect our global player base. This extends beyond just location and culture – Clove’s gender identity, along with their personality and unique gameplay style, is an equally important facet that has helped shape who they are as a VALORANT Agent,” said John Goscicki, Agents Lead for Riot Games.
Additionally, Episode 8 Act II commenced on March 5, featuring the Primordium Collection, a skinline inspired by ancient beings of lava and bedlam. The collection includes weapons such as the Vandal, Phantom, Spectre, Shorty, and new dual swords known as the Blades of Primordia. Alongside this, a new Battle Pass has been introduced, offering items like the Retrowave Sheriff, Shellspire Sword, and Sending Love Spray.
Clove is set to release on March 26, 2024, as part of VALORANT Episode 8 Act II.
