Valve just shipped a substantial update for Deadlock, introducing a major rework to the Soul Urn mechanics, numerous general gameplay adjustments, a new T1 Vitality item, and extensive hero balance changes.
General Gameplay Updates
The overall pace of the game sees several shifts. Base HP for all heroes has been reduced by 10, with HP per boon also seeing a reduction of 3. Guardians will now scale their resistance from +50% to -50% over 12 minutes, making them more vulnerable in the early game. Neutral camp timings are adjusted, with medium neutrals spawning a minute earlier at 5 minutes, while breakables now spawn a minute later at 3 minutes. Shrines are now invulnerable until a pair of Base Guardians are destroyed, and the backdoor removal linger duration has been shortened from 20s to 14s. Knockup durations are now affected by debuff reduction, and two jump pads from the middle of the map have been removed. Stamina regeneration is now reduced by 25% for 5s after a Wall Jump.
Several stacking mechanics have been re-evaluated:
- Bullet Velocity now stacks additively.
- Total Damage Reduction debuffs (like Inhibitor, Fire Scarabs) now stack diminishingly.
Medic troopers see their heal duration increased from 2s to 4s (same total heal, but slower), and multiple orbs now add duration rather than stacking directly. Their heal amount has also been slightly buffed from 12% to 13% missing HP. Midbosses will now spawn at the very start of the game, encouraging earlier objective play. Investment bonuses for Weapon, Vitality, and Spirit have been re-tuned with new 6.4k lines and adjusted bonus values.
Soul Urn Rework
The Soul Urn mechanics have been significantly overhauled in an experimental phase. Players now pick up the Urn with a light or heavy melee attack, rather than channeling. The drop-off point is now always the middle bridge. Once dropped, the Urn enters a "Depositing" phase (3s/5s/10s for Favored/Neutral/Unfavored teams). During this phase, enemies can heavy melee the Urn to contest it, adding +1.25s to the timer for their team. Favored or Unfavored teams (in a comeback state) gain +50% Bullet and Spirit Resist in a 60m radius around the Urn while it's carried, dropped, or deposited.
Other key changes include:
- Urn carrier now takes 5% Max HP damage per second after 35s (down from 45s).
- Urn damage is now lethal.
- Fumbled Urns can no longer be picked up after 13s if a player is nearby; they will quickly return to their spawn.
- Carrying the Urn no longer silences abilities or grants +30% Bullet and Spirit Resist.
- The area around the depositing Urn is revealed.
New Items and Item Adjustments
A new T1 Vitality Item, Grit, has been added. It grants 200 Barrier for 4s on active use and 1 Out of Combat Regen innately. It upgrades into Weapon Shielding, Spirit Shielding, Reactive Barrier, and Guardian Ward.
Numerous existing items have received balance adjustments, including buffs to Restorative Shot, Melee Charge, Active Reload, Fleetfoot, and Alchemical Fire. Items like Opening Rounds, Slowing Bullets, and Mystic Shot have seen nerfs or re-tunings. Several items, including Spiritual Overflow, Sharpshooter, and Ballistic Enhancement, have had their upgrade paths or innate bonuses adjusted. Arctic Blast received a significant rework, increasing its radius and damage height, freezing stamina regen, and removing its damage amplification.
Hero Balance Changes
Almost every hero in Deadlock has received some form of adjustment, ranging from minor tweaks to significant reworks of abilities and talents.
Abrams sees a shift in Infernal Resilience talents, with T1 now granting Max Health and T2 offering Melee Lifesteal. Apollo's Riposte no longer automatically dashes, instead granting a sub-ability to target a jump. Graves' Grasping Hands now spawns a ghoul in the base ability, and Deadheads have received numerous quality-of-life improvements and bug fixes, alongside a slight damage reduction. Grey Talon's Rain of Arrows has seen its cooldown and cast delay significantly reduced, with talent reworks to adjust its utility. Rem's Tag Along ability has been heavily buffed, with faster flight, increased effectiveness for barrier/item duration, and improved healing, while also allowing friendly auras to affect him.
Other notable hero changes include:
- Bebop, Billy, Lash, Seven, and Warden have had their bullet damage per boon reduced.
- Calico's Gloom Bomb T2 now applies a Melee Resist debuff.
- Doorman's Call Bell radius and inaccuracy debuff have been reduced, and Doorways close sub-ability now starts on cooldown.
- Dynamo's Kinetic Pulse and Quantum Entanglement T3 have been nerfed.
- Holliday receives a base bullet damage and health regen buff.
- Kelvin's Frost Grenade and Arctic Beam spirit scaling have been reduced.
- Mina now has innate debuff resist, but her Love Bites T3 cooldown is increased, and Nox Nostra T3 damage is reduced.
- Mo & Krill's Sand Blast T3 duration is increased.
- Paradox's Time Wall and Paradoxical Swap have been buffed.
- Pocket's Flying Cloak T2 duration is reduced, and Affliction cooldown increased.
- Shiv's Killing Blow cooldown is increased, and damage bonus reduced.
- Silver's Entangling Bola no longer prevents jumping/mantling and has talent reworks. Lycan Curse Fire Rate is reduced but spirit scaling increased.
- Venator receives a health buff, and Hex-Lined Snap Trap T3 is buffed.
- Victor's bullet damage is reduced, but Jumpstart T3 spirit scaling is increased.
- Viscous' Puddle Punch T1 damage is increased, and T2 now grants lifesteal.
- Vyper's Screwjab Dagger T2 bullet resist per stack is increased, and T3 increases max stacks.
- Yamato's Power Slash and Flying Slash abilities have received buffs and quality-of-life improvements.
Street Brawl Fixes
Several Enhanced Items in Street Brawl have been fixed to correctly maintain their stats from components, including Opening Rounds, Tankbuster, Kinetic Dash, and others.
