For years, being a controller main in VALORANT meant finesse, requiring strategic smokes, perfect timing, and selfless utility. When Clove arrived with their shimmering butterflies and pseudo-duelist abilities, they stripped the sophistication out of being a true team-support controller. With Patch 11.10, however, Riot seems poised to bring the crucial role back to its roots.
The latest VALORANT update nerfs a couple of Clove’s aggressive abilities with the aim to curb their “snowballing power” that lets them outperform other controllers in advantageous situations. As part of these changes, they can no longer drop more than one Ruse (Smoke) at a time after their death and can only “overheal” up to 50 HP with Pick-Me-Up. I can’t advocate much for the Ruse nerf, but that overheal cut should definitely make duelist players, who instalock Clove because they couldn’t pick their main, think twice next time.
