Valorant streamers enforce bans for misgendering new agent Clove
Even before her release, Valorant’s Clove has sparked a battle as Twitch streamers ban fans guilty of misgendering and using the wrong pronouns to refer to the newest agent.
Valorant takes a step in the inclusive direction by introducing its first non-binary agent, the Scottish Controller Clove. While the devs have explicitly stated that Clove should be referred to using they/them pronouns, some players adamantly refuse to adapt and continue to use the wrong pronouns for the agent.
Some of the top Valorant streamers have acted on this blatant misgendering by enforcing bans on audience and fans guilty of “homophobic” remarks towards Clove.
Tarik, one of the biggest streamers in the Valorant category, has enlisted the help of a Twitch bot to remind his fans to use the correct pronouns when addressing Clove. However, a few fans have received this notion negatively as Tarik is being “forced” to use they/them pronouns to the agent.
This is not an isolated case for Valorant’s top streamer. Many other Twitch streamers have found themselves in an odd situation, with some of their fans choosing to be banned rather than using the right pronouns for the agent.
JollzTV, a content creator for NRG and a Valorant coach, has taken a firm stand on the pronoun debate. Some Twitch chatters are baffled by how streamers use the wrong pronoun, but JollzTV explains that there is a difference between an honest mistake and constant misgendering.
Kyedae, who was among the first players to experience Clove in the VCT Masters Madrid Showmatch, has also employed a ban rule for fans blatantly misgendering the new agent.
Despite these isolated debates, the general public’s response to Clove and Riot Games’ step toward representing various LGBTQ+ identities in Valorant has been widely positive.
Clove is now available to play on all Valorant servers. Grind your way up to gain XP in the 28-day event that lets you unlock the new controller agent!