A major patch has arrived in Deadlock, introducing significant changes that will impact the game’s meta. Notably, the update brings six new heroes into early development, now available for players to test.
Hero Labs: New Testing Mode
The highlight of this patch is the introduction of Hero Labs, a new mode that allows players to help test new heroes. Currently, six heroes—Holliday, Calico, Wrecker, Fathom, Viper, and Magician—are available, but Hero Labs will only be open for two hours daily from 9 PM to 11 PM for players who have completed at least 50 games.
The purpose of Hero Labs is to engage the Deadlock community in providing feedback on hero design while these characters are still in early development. Most heroes will feature placeholder names and models, so players should avoid getting too attached to them!
This patch has surprised the community, especially since Valve introduced a Ranked mode to Deadlock earlier this month (on October 15) and released a new hero named Mirage at the end of September.
The update is promising for all Deadlock players, particularly those also engaged with Valve’s popular shooter, CS2. Given the complaints from the CS2 player base about Valve’s responsiveness, it’s refreshing to see players getting involved in the creation of new heroes in Deadlock.
Patch Highlights
In addition to Hero Labs, this Deadlock patch includes numerous bug fixes and balance adjustments for both heroes and items. While some heroes have received buffs, others, like Shiv, may be less viable moving forward unless Valve decides to revisit their abilities.
With these balance changes, the Deadlock meta is poised for a complete overhaul, prompting all players to reconsider their builds.
General Changes After the Patch on October 24
- Hero Labs introduced six new heroes for testing: Holliday, Calico, Wrecker, Fathom, Viper, and Magician (temporary names).
- Players can now commend teammates after matches.
- New character shader added for improved visibility across maps.
- Environment lighting and sky updates implemented.
- New keybinds for flying abilities like Ivy’s Air Drop and Vindicta’s Flight.
- Several bug fixes and quality-of-life improvements, including adjustments to player reports and UI elements.
- AP no longer granted for Walkers.
- Changes to shrine properties and Trooper soul mechanics.
- Updated respawn timers for mid-bosses and adjusted Guardian resistance.
- Adjustments to weapon item balances, such as damage reductions and cooldown changes.
- Zerker received an increase in jump height, faster base speed, and more mana regeneration.
- Shiv had a reduction in movement speed, damage, and mana generation.
- Ruthless saw a decrease in damage output and an increase in cooldown.
- Havoc received minor buffs to its abilities.
- Sentinel had increased damage on its passive.
- Harbinger had adjustments to its abilities for better gameplay flow.
Final Toughts
For a complete list of changes and additional details, players can refer to the official patch notes posted on the game’s forum.
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