A ‘clutch’ in competitive gaming? (Not in the car sense)

competitive-gamingterminology

I have heard this term being used to describe a particular Pokemon in a person's team. It comes out of the competitive scene, although I don't really get what it means.

For example, a blog post about Flygon on Smogon which describes it like so:

Flygon is a staple on many teams as a scout, revenge killer, and all-around reliable clutch Pokémon.

I don't think the term is necessarily restricted to Pokemon as I can recall hearing it in other games such as Counterstrike and Call of Duty.

What does it mean?

Best Answer

The term "clutch" was originally used in sports commentary, describing a player that can keep their head cool and perform well during a tense moment in a game, where the outcome of the competition was at stake.

Definitions of "clutch" (adjective):

  1. happening during a very important or critical time especially in a sports competition

  2. able to perform well in a very important or critical situation especially in a sports competition

This term has since migrated to competitive gaming, where is used in similar situations, usually in professional gaming events where there is a lot at stake.

A good example of the term is used in a recent IGN article on the International Dota 2 Championships:

Alliance and Na'Vi. Competitive Dota 2 fans dreams came true when the grand finals came down to an incredibly clutch play in the last match of the best of five series.