First look at Corrode: Comps, teams, and regional surprises in VCT Stage 2

About a month has passed since Riot Games released their twelfth VALORANT map, Corrode, and the teams have now had their first taste of the new battleground during the first two weeks of VALORANT Champions Tour 2025. Across the regions, different playtime and playstyles are beginning to take shape.

Pacific and China taking lead

Leading the way is the Pacific region, who has the highest total playtime with nine matches played so far. At the forefront are Global Esports and the Chinese team All Gamers, each logging three matches on the map and having identical 2-1 records.

In China, Corrode has appeared in seven matches. However, two of the region's biggest names, XLG Esports and Bilibili Gaming, have zero recorded playtime. Neither team has played a single round on Corrode so far, and in Bilibili’s case, the map has become a permaban.

Slow adoption in EMEA and Americas

Both EMEA and Americas are a bit more hesitant regarding the new map. Each region has only four matches of Corrode so far. That said, one match in EMEA stood out: the clash between Team Heretics and Gentle Mates. Gentle Mates picked Corrode as their opening map, taking a dominant 9-3 lead at the half and pushed it to 12-4 shortly after. But the momentum didn’t last. Team Heretics started a dramatic comeback, stringing together eight consecutive rounds to force overtime. Heartbreak awaited Gentle Mates, who couldn’t recover and ultimately lost 14-12 on their map pick.

Meta Watch: Compositions on Corrode

When it comes to compositions on Corrode across the four regions, two agents stick out: Omen and Fade, who have become central in most Corrode comps.

During week 2, Omen emerged as the most picked Controller, boasting a pick rate between 83% and 100%. Both EMEA and China ran Omen in every single comp. Viper also maintains a strong presence on Corrode, especially in double-Controller comp setups alongside Omen. This setup is mostly popular in the Pacific and the Americas, where the Omen-Viper combo sees a combined pick rate of 60-70%.

On the Initiator front, Fade stands out as the top pick across all four regions. While she often anchors as a solo Initiator, some teams in EMEA and Americas have experimented with double-Initiator comps. Other valued Initiators on Corrode are Sova and Kayo, excelling in slower or info-heavy playstyles.

Regional differences with Sentinels and Duelists

Sentinels, on the other hand, don't have a major role in Corrode compositions. Rather than sticking to the traditional setup, teams like Global Esports lean into a double-Duelist comp instead. Meanwhile, the Pacific favors Deadlock far more than any other region, while EMEA, Americas, and China lean more towards either Vyse or Cypher.

As for Duelists, Yoru and Neon are the go-to Duelists in a Corrode comp. The Americas and Pacific often opt for fast plays with Neon, while EMEA and China like to utilise Yoru’s Flashes and Teleport. One standout performance on Neon came from Zachary "zekken" Patrone during Sentinels match against G2 Esports, where he showcased just how lethal speed can be on this map. Known for top-fragging on Neon, zekken had no problem turning Corrode into his personal highlight reel.

We are a long way out from seeing a go-to composition for Corrode. With many weeks to go until VALORANT Champions 2025 in Paris this year, it is likely that we will witness an entirely different meta develop. Until then, stay tuned to THESPIKE.GG as we continue looking out for the latest VALORANT news and stay vigilant on the meta front.