5 pro teams that might use Clove at VCT Masters Shanghai

VCT Masters Shanghai is the second international LAN event of Valorant esports 2024 season. A total of 12 teams from the four franchised leagues will compete for the Iso-themed Masters Trophy. All these top teams will go through two stages, the Swiss Stage and the Playoffs, to earn their title as Masters Winners. The task, naturally, is easier said then done.

Clove is the latest Agent released in Valorant and comes under the Controller category. They are one the most unique in the game as they can resurrect and overheal themselves. Ever since their release, very few teams have tried to incorporate them in their Agent composition.

However, VCT Masters Shanghai might just end up becoming the event where the Agent's pick rate goes higher. Below is a list of five such teams who might just pick Clove in VCT Masters Shanghai.

Note: This list is subjective and solely reflects the writer's opinions.

Pro teams that might pick Clove during VCT Masters Shanghai

1) FunPlus Phoenix

FunPlus Phoenix at VCT Masters Madrid (Image via Riot Games)

FunPlus Phoenix is a franchised Valorant team that competes in the Chinese region. They have been one of the best in the region and put up a brilliant performance during VCT China Stage 1. The team finished in second place, making them the second seed from the region for VCT Masters Shanghai.

China's FunPlus Phoenix is the only roster that has picked Clove during an official event. They used the Agent during VCT China Stage 1 for the map, Icebox. The team picked them multiple times and were able to create very successful results.

Since the Chinese region is still pretty new and somewhat inexperienced, FunPlus can choose to go with the Agent Clove during VCT Masters Shanghai to throw the others off.

2) Paper Rex

Paper Rex at VCT Pacific Stage 1 (Image via Riot Games)

Paper Rex is a franchised Valorant team that competes in the Pacific region. They have been the best in the region for quite some time and are among the few that have made it to every international event. Paper Rex was able to win Pacific Stage 1 and is hence the number one seed from the region for VCT Masters Shanghai.

When it comes to unique play styles in Valorant, Paper Rex has always been the one team whose name is uttered constantly. They are always experimenting with their team compositions and are able to use them effectively. Given Clove's aggressive abilities and Paper Rex's chaotic playstyle, it won't be a surprise if the team decided to pick the Agent in one of their matches.

3) FUT Esports

FUT Esports at VCT EMEA Stage 1 (Image via Riot Games)

FUT Esports compete in the EMEA region and is also a part of the VCT franchised leagues. In the last couple of years, this team has been able to make a mark in the region and have represented Turkish Valorant on the big stage. FUT Esports were narrowly able to make it to VCT Masters Shanghai as the number three seed from their region.

The VCT teams from the EMEA region play a very safe style of Valorant. Hence, they don't tend to make drastic changes to the already accomplished Agent meta. However, FUT Esports made some interesting moves during VCT EMEA Stage 1. Their most unusual Agent composition was for the map, Lotus, as they went with the Agents Jett, Sage, Omen, Viper, and Cypher.

The composition is a risky one as it doesn't consist of an Initiator, but FUT Esports were able to best teams with it and their insane mechanical skill. There is a good chance that this team will include Clove for one of their matches during VCT Masters Shanghai.

4) EDward Gaming

EDward Gaming at VCT Masters Madrid (Image via Riot Games)

EDward Gaming is the VCT team from the Chinese franchised league. They are the top team from the region and have represented China in multiple international events. EDward Gaming finished as the number one seed from China Stage 1 for VCT Masters Shanghai.

The Chinese region is one that's still quite new and hence young to VCT. This makes them free to any particular kind of playstyle, allowing them to create their own. EDward Gaming has always tried to experiment a little bit and has managed to get some decent results.

Given that the team is representing the home crowd, winning Masters Shanghai means a lot more to them. There is a very good chance they end up picking Clove as they also have players who are mechanically talented enough to make the Agent impactful during a match.

5) Fnatic

Fnatic at VCT EMEA Stage 1 (Image via Riot Games)

Fnatic compete in the EMEA region and is part of the VCT franchised leagues. They have been among the top teams of the region for a very long time and have displayed incredible skill on the global stage as well. Fnatic qualified for VCT Masters Shanghai as the number one seed from the region.

In the EMEA Stage 1 Grand Finals, Fnatic surprised everyone by making a major Agent composition change. For the map, Sunset, they ended up picking Deadlock as their only Sentinel Agent. While they ended up losing that map, it showed that Fnatic were open to make some drastic changes to their Agent compositions.

The team also used Yoru effectively during the event. This makes the chances of Fnatic picking Clove for VCT Masters Shanghai very slim yet somewhat possible.

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