Valve just shipped a minor update for Deadlock on July 9, 2026, bringing a host of balance changes to core mechanics, neutral units, and a wide array of heroes. The patch primarily focuses on adjusting Urn Runner mechanics, making Rift Troopers more resilient, and rebalancing several hero abilities.
Core Gameplay & Neutral Unit Changes
The Urn Runner has received significant nerfs to its movement bonuses but a buff to stamina recovery, alongside increased audio cues to make tracking easier for opponents. Rift Troopers are now tougher with added resistances and a slightly more staggered spawn pattern.
- Urn Runner:
- Sprint bonus reduced from +2m to 0 (trailing bonus reduced from +7m to +5m)
- Move speed bonus reduced from +3.5m to +2m
- Stamina Recovery increased from +15% to +25%
- Urn talking frequency increased from every 8s to every 6s
- Urn talking sound distance increased (easier to hear a nearby Urn Runner)
- Unstable Rift:
- Warning time reduced from 25s to 20s
- Rift Troopers now have Spirit Resist (30/35/40/45%)
- Rift Troopers now have Melee Resistance (25%)
- Rift Troopers spawn interval increased from every 0.3s to 0.5s (spawns slightly more staggered)
- Unstable Rift comeback resist aura radius increased from 20m to 35m
- Rift Troopers max comeback count increased from 12 to 14
- Objectives: Bounty split for nearby heroes reduced from 40% to 30% (more bounty is now split team-wide).
Hero Balance Adjustments
Numerous heroes have seen their abilities tweaked, with a mix of buffs and nerfs across the board. Graves received several buffs, including faster Jar of Dead buildup and Essence Theft proccing from melee hits, while Shiv saw a mix of nerfs to damage and buffs to cooldowns.
- Scourge: Max Health Per Second reduced from 2.6% to 2.5%
- Billy: Rising Ram T3 spirit scaling reduced from 0.035 to 0.03
- Doorman:
- Bullet damage rescaled from 29.26 + 1.1/boon to 26 + 1.19
- Crit scaling reduced from -25% to -30%
- Hotel Guest T3 increased from 13s Cooldown on Failure to Check Out to 15s
- Drifter:
- Bullet damage per boon reduced from +0.616 to +0.49
- Bloodscent T3 reduced from +12% to +11%
- Stalker's Mark cooldown increased from 20s to 24s
- Stalker's Mark T2 increased from -8s Cooldown to -12s
- Stalker's Mark T3 reduced from +2% Bleed to +1.5%
- Graves:
- Jar of Dead T1 heal spirit scaling increased from 0.1 to 0.16
- Jar of Dead now builds up faster from neutral creeps
- Grasping Hands immobilize duration reduced from 1.25s to 1s
- Grasping Hands T3 cooldown increased from -10s to -14s
- Essence Theft now procs from melee hits
- Essence Theft T3 now also increases Max Steal Targets from 3 to 4
- Borrowed Decree T1 changed from "-15s Cooldown" to "-15s Cooldown and +25% Ghoul Speed"
- Borrowed Decree T2 changed from "+25% Ghoul Speed and +10s Duration" to "-0.3s Time to Spawn and +10s Duration"
- Haze:
- Sleep Dagger T2 now also applies 15 Fixation Stacks
- Sleep Dagger T2 reduced from -18s Cooldown to -17s
- Holliday: Powder Keg spirit scaling reduced from 1.2 to 1.05
- Mirage:
- Fire Scarabs T3 spirit scaling reduced from +0.17 to +0.13
- Dust Devil T3 spirit scaling reduced from +1 to +0.6
- Djinn's Mark cooldown reduced from 3s to 2.75
- Djinn's Mark T3 cooldown reduced from -1s Cooldown to -0.75s
- Traveler T3 increased from -70s Cooldown to -90s
- Pocket: Affliction duration reduced from 11s to 10s
- Shiv:
- Serrated Knives T3 spirit scaling reduced from +0.09 to +0.07
- Slice and Dice spirit scaling reduced from 1.44 to 1.2
- Slice and Dice T2 reduced from -6% Spirit Resist to -4%
- Bloodletting cooldown increased from 20s to 25s
- Bloodletting T1 increased from -10s Cooldown to -15s
- Bloodletting Damage Cleared reduced from 35% to 30%
- Bloodletting T2 Damage Cleared increased from 35% to 40%
- Killing Blow Health Threshold reduced from 20% to 18%
- Killing Blow T3 Health Threshold increased from +8% to +10%
- Silver: Lycan Curse cooldown reduced from 80s to 60s
- Victor: Shocking Reanimation cooldown reduced from 275s to 240s
- Viscous: Splatter T3 spirit scaling reduced from +1.0 to +0.9
- Yamato:
- Flying Slash range reduced from 28m to 26m
- Flying Slash T3 Charge Delay increased from 3s to 4s
- Flying Slash T3 Ally Targeting now requires alt cast input
