Clove Valorant Agent, Imagine having the power to return from death’s grasp, or to aid your team even from the afterlife. Unless you’re Phoenix, with his ability to resurrect, dying in VALORANT usually means watching from the sidelines as your teammates struggle to turn the tide.
But with Clove, death is just the beginning, not the end.
DEFYING DEATH
Clove valorant agent’s abilities are centered around the idea of a graceful demise—dying isn’t the final act, but rather a transition to something more.
Despite being classified as a Controller, Clove doesn’t linger in the background. To fully utilize their kit, you must be willing to take calculated risks and dive into the heart of battle. There’s a delicate balance between playing it safe and daring greatly—and Clove must tread that line carefully.
- Advertisement -
Let’s delve into Clove valorant’s new agent abilities, accompanied by insights from game designer Dan « penguin » Hardison on the inspiration behind each one. Afterward, we’ll explore the creation process behind Clove’s appearance, backstory, and personality.
Not Dead Yet (X):
Clove cheats death by activating their essence of immortality. However, to stabilize their form, they must drain the life force of an opponent.
In-game Usage: Activate after death to resurrect. Once revived, Clove must secure a kill or assist within a limited time frame, or face permanent demise.
Nothing screams « immortal » like a reactive resurrection. VALORANT’s developers have long awaited the right Agent to introduce this kind of ability, and Clove’s ultimate presented the perfect opportunity.
If you perish with your ultimate ready, you’ll have a brief window to revive yourself. However, you must swiftly secure a kill or assist to stay alive. This skill can be crucial for holding key positions after dying or recuperating from a tough situation. Sometimes, activating your ultimate is the strategic move, even if you can’t secure a kill or assist.
« Sometimes, it’s strategically sound to use your ultimate even if you doubt your ability to secure a kill, especially if it’s pivotal for your team’s victory in terms of game state or economy, » explains penguin.
Ruse (E):
Clove's consciousness projects a bird's-eye view of the battlefield. By harnessing their essence, they conjure vision-obscuring clouds, altering the course of battle even beyond death.
In-game Usage: Observe the battlefield. Mark locations for Clove’s clouds (smoke) to obscure vision. Confirm the placement to unleash clouds that block sight in selected areas. Clove can utilize this ability posthumously.
Enter the realm of post-death smokes. Knowing you’ll retain your smokes after death makes taking risks less daunting. However, where you meet your demise matters greatly, adding complexity to the decision-making process. Since Clove’s smoke range is limited to their death location, you can’t rely on the same old choke points.
« Initial versions of the ability had a global range, resulting in overly reliable smokes placed at predictable spots like other Controller characters. Limiting the smoke range encouraged Clove players to explore diverse tactics post-death, enhancing the variety of smoke placements, » explains penguin.
Meddle (Q)
Clove concentrates a fraction of their immortality essence, which upon impact, saps the life force of affected targets.
In-game Usage: Equip the essence fragment. Throw it to detonate after a brief delay, temporarily weakening all targets caught within its radius.
Use this debuff to contest territory or combine it with your ultimate to secure kills or assists and stay in the round.
« Mastering the ranges, positions, and timings for deploying it feels incredibly satisfying, » says penguin.
Since Meddle triggers after a set duration, it’s unsuitable for long-distance lineups or post-plant situations across the map—roles better fulfilled by other Controllers in VALORANT.
Moreover, the decay debuff aligns perfectly with Clove’s thematic of embracing a beautiful death. « We believed it harmonized with the concept of a graceful demise. It also serves as a clear indication to players that they must capitalize on the debuff to reap its benefits, » adds penguin.
Pick-Me-Up (C):
Clove absorbs the life essence of a fallen adversary, granting a momentary boost in speed and health.
In-game Usage: Instantly absorb the life force of a vanquished foe, courtesy of Clove’s previous damage or kill, gaining a speed boost and temporary health increase.
Like their other abilities, Pick-Me-Up encourages Clove to engage in battles that a typical Controller might shy away from.
« You gain no benefit from the ability unless you engage in combat within a specific timeframe, signaling to players that they should seek out confrontations, » notes penguin.
« Moreover, you can’t activate it without either securing a kill or damaging an opponent. Additionally, any time a player overheats on Clove and perishes, they gain the ability to cast post-death smokes, providing further incentive for players to embrace Clove’s post-death loop, » adds penguin.
Both Pick-Me-Up and Meddle are essential for positioning yourself favorably to utilize your post-death abilities effectively. As emphasized earlier, where you meet your demise matters greatly. Without employing Meddle and Pick-Me-Up to engage in combat, you won’t die in locations conducive to leveraging Clove’s post-death smokes effectively or following up a kill with Not Dead Yet. Therefore, take calculated risks, sacrifice for the team (in strategic locations), leverage your abilities from beyond the grave, and repeat the cycle.
ALL-IN RISK, ALL-OUT REWARD
For solo players often relegated to playing Controller, Clove offers a refreshing change. While filling for the team’s greater good, Clove’s gameplay isn’t solely reliant on your survival. Even as a Controller, you’re encouraged to embrace 1v1 skirmishes.
« We hypothesized early on that naturally aggressive players lacked diverse options within the Controller role. Before Clove, Omen was the go-to for aggressive Controller players, » explains penguin.
« Many players felt compelled to adopt passive play-styles within the role compared to others, leading them to avoid playing Controllers altogether. »
Before finalizing the aforementioned abilities, the team experimented with various approaches. However, post-death abilities that could either stall or initiate felt unfair to opponents.
« Granting Clove the ability to flash enemies after death proved immensely frustrating, while enabling Clove to stall choke points post-mortem was potent but lacked engagement, » notes penguin.
Clove’s post-death gameplay introduces a fresh approach to Controller play. Rather than prioritizing survival and supporting teammates with utility, you must be willing to sacrifice yourself for the team.
« I hope Clove encourages players to recognize the value of their lives within each round. It’s crucial for VALORANT players to discern when sacrificing themselves for a teammate’s trade or to secure a round is warranted, » states penguin.
FEARLESSNESS
Once gameplay mechanics are settled, the team delves deeper into crafting an Agent’s persona—considering their personality, background, appearance, voice, and more. They ponder questions like: What does it feel like to embody Clove? How should Clove appear? Who is Clove as an individual?
Clove’s gameplay revolves around the concept of a graceful, calculated death. When conceptualizing Clove’s personality, the Agents team aimed to enhance this central theme of surprising contrasts. Agents Lead John “RiotMEMEMEMEME” Goscicki elaborates:
« We aim to create someone warm yet sharp, whimsical yet edgy. How can we ensure that post-death identity isn’t dark and gritty, but instead, beautiful? »
Part of this development includes Clove’s visual representation. Inspired by the organic decay associated with Clove’s abilities, concept artists drew from deteriorating fruits and vegetables to create the intricate patterns within their smokes. Combined with clouds of iridescent butterflies, Clove’s abilities epitomize a fusion of rebirth and beauty.
While the vibrant hues of Clove’s abilities exude playfulness, there’s an underlying immortality that shouldn’t be underestimated. This juxtaposition of great power and youthful exuberance translates seamlessly into Clove’s personality.
« With Clove, we recognized early on that mischief was essential for their post-death battlefield manipulation, » explains narrative writer Ryan “Pwam” Clements. « They stir up trouble for the enemy team while supporting their friends. As their character developed, mischief evolved into audacity—a willingness to be bold, both on and off the battlefield. »
Clove embodies fearlessness—in speech, lifestyle, and approach to each round—setting them apart from others. However, creating a believable character goes beyond bold traits, requiring extensive research. For every Agent, the team delves into various cultures, histories, and backgrounds, ensuring authenticity in portrayal.
While not experts in every field, they aim to deeply understand each aspect of an Agent’s identity. For Clove, this includes embracing their Scottish heritage and non-binary identity, which are crucial elements carefully integrated into their character.
Edinburgh, Scotland, emerged as Clove’s hometown—a city where tradition meets innovation. Their Scottish roots influence their storytelling prowess, evident in their speech and interactions with fellow Agents.
More than just storytelling, Clove is deeply involved in their community, advocating for those who lack the courage to fight for themselves. This commitment to inclusivity and advocacy shapes Clove’s identity, making them a multifaceted and compelling character.
