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The recently concluded Valorant Champions 2021 has seen some highly strategic gameplay from all 16 participating teams in the competition. Teams have mixed up their agent composition depending on the map and the opposition. Some teams have tried to surprise their opponents by picking some of the least used agents as well.
However, there are only two agents who are not picked by any team for a single time in the whole event. One is Yoru, for which the developers have already come up with a complete rework. The other one is Phoenix, which is quite surprising for many.
Valorant Champions 2021 has finally come to an end and Acend became the first-ever Valorant world champion by beating Gambit Esports in the grand-finals with a 3-2 scoreline last night. After a year of excellent performances, Acend lifted the trophy and ended the year on a higher note before preparing themselves for the Valorant Champions 2022.
5 reasons why Phoenix was not picked even once in Valorant Champions 2021
Phoenix is one of the most popular agents in Valorant. Since the release of the game, the duelist has been a part of the game. However, in the recently concluded Valorant Champions 2021, Phoenix wasn't picked for a single time. Here are some of the reasons behind Phoenix's downfall.
1) The constant Meta Shift
Valorant is known for its constant meta-shift in the game. With every new update and change, Riot has tried to tweak the meta a little bit and players are forced to come up with new strategies and components.
As per the current meta in the game, teams prefer to go with a single duelist. As a result, teams have sacrificed Phoenix as Jett and Raze are more influential than him in the game.
2) Skye's involvement
Phoenix's Curve Balls are very effective in-game when it comes to entering the site. However, Skye's Guiding Light can do the same job in the game.
Apart from that, Skye can also help her team by gathering information about enemies' positions, allowing for a more aggressive gameplay. These multi-tasking abiliies, along with healing skills and pseudo-duelist gameplay, are also some of the reasons behind Phoenix's low pick rate.
3) The availability of more influential duelists
Valorant has four more duelists: Reyna, Jett, Raze and Yoru. Reyna is more influential in blinding opponents, whereas Jett and Raze are more helpful with their quick mobility in the game.
For example, if a team needs a dedicated sniper then they need Jett in their agent composition, while for a more aggressive and damaging approach, a team usually relies on Raze. As a result, players decided to sacrifice Phoenix in the Valorant Champions 2021.
4) Phoenix's flash demands more communication
Phoenix's Curve Ball can blind his own teammates if used incorrectly, demanding much communication between players. In intense situations it can create chaos as well. So players prefer to rely on Reyna more as her Leer only blinds the opponent.
5) Less updates for Phoenix
Since the release of Valorant, Phoenix has hardly received any changes to his utilities. As a result, the agent has become more predictable than the other duelists in the game. This is amongst the most significant reasons behind Phoenix's lesser pick rate in the game now-a-days.
Riot has always tried their best to keep all the agents suitable for composition and strategies. For that reason, they are bringing some significant changes to Yoru with their new update. It will be interesting to see if they bring forth a similar rework focus for Phoenix after this or not.
