Riot Will Not Release Clove in the VCT Due to a Gamebreaking Bug

Valorant’s newest Controller Agent, Clove, was expected to shake up the competitive meta in VCT 2024—but those plans have been halted. Riot Games announced that Clove will be ineligible for VCT competition due to a severe bug.

🛑 Clove Removed From VCT Stage 1 Due to Critical Bug

Clove, introduced with Valorant Episode 8 Act 2 on March 26, brought a wave of excitement to the competitive scene. However, in an announcement posted by the official Valorant Esports X account, Riot Games stated that Clove would not be permitted in VCT matches during Stage 1 Week 2 and beyond, citing a major gamebreaking bug.

The Valorant community was quick to respond. While many were hopeful to see Clove in professional action, Riot’s announcement was met with disappointment and growing concern about the consistency of competitive feature rollouts.

🧠 Who Is Clove?

Clove is Valorant’s first Scottish agent, hailing from Edinburgh. As a Controller with a hybrid playstyle, Clove offers both team-oriented utility and solo clutch potential. Their skill set includes:

• Pick Me Up: Boosts weapon readiness and grants movement speed after a kill
• Self-heal: A combat sustain tool similar to Reyna’s overheal
• Revival mechanic: Their ultimate, Not Dead Yet, allows Clove to return from death
• Post-death smokes: Clove can deploy smokes even after elimination, offering late-round utility

This blend of duelist aggression and controller utility makes Clove one of the most flexible and exciting additions to Valorant’s roster—especially for players who thrive in hybrid roles.

⚠️ What Is the Clove Bug?

While Riot hasn’t officially disclosed the exact nature of the bug, community speculation points toward Clove’s ultimate, Not Dead Yet. Reports suggest that after reviving, Clove’s weapon fails to re-equip correctly, leaving the player stuck with a sidearm or no weapon at all.

Such a glitch would be game-breaking in a professional match, where every millisecond counts. In VCT, an agent’s reliability is non-negotiable, and Riot appears to be taking no chances by temporarily shelving Clove until the issue is resolved.

"Due to a recently discovered bug with Clove, the Agent’s eligibility for International League competition will be put on hold. We are working hard to get them into play as soon as we can." — Riot Games

🔍 Competitive Implications

Teams that had been developing VCT strategies around Clove will need to pivot. The agent’s post-mortem smoke deployment and self-revive potential were expected to shift how pro teams approached late-round executes and site control.

This delay also impacts fans eager to see Clove’s debut on the big stage. While they remain active in ranked matchmaking, their absence from VCT means no highlight plays, agent analysis, or meta shifts involving Clove will happen—at least for now.

💬 Community Reactions

Fan reactions have been mixed. While some appreciate Riot’s caution in maintaining competitive integrity, others voiced frustration at the late timing of the removal and lack of prior testing. Redditors have noted that "Clove has been bugged since release," and questioned why it took this long to act.

Still, players can explore Clove’s unique kit in ranked play or unrated matches. If you're eager to try Clove with professional-level strategy, consider getting a Clove Elo boost from N1Boost.

📅 What Happens Next?

Riot has promised to share more updates in the coming weeks. Their current goal is to re-enable Clove for competitive play as soon as the bug is resolved and stability confirmed.

Until then, VCT rosters will stick to traditional Controller picks like Omen, Brimstone, and Viper—while Clove fans wait on the sidelines. The September release of Valorant’s replay system and mid-season updates could coincide with Clove’s competitive return.

🎮 Play Clove Now—Even If Riot Can’t

While Clove is on pause in VCT, there’s no reason you can’t climb the ranks with them right now. With self-heals, smokes, and revive power, Clove has a place in your ranked grind today—especially in solo queue or aggressive duo setups.