Deadlock Tier List: Top Characters and Abilities Ranked

Deadlock is Valve’s latest MOBA, showcasing a diverse cast of characters typical of the genre. Ranking the best characters in this game can be quite challenging, but after 200 hours of gameplay, we’ve compiled our ultimate Deadlock tier list.

Despite its limited Alpha access, Deadlock has surged in popularity on Steam, indicating that it could be a smash hit. Valve is continually updating the game and adjusting hero abilities at this early stage, but we have enough insight to identify which characters shine above the rest.

Similar to DOTA 2, the strength of Deadlock’s characters relies on their individual power and how easily they can be countered. Each character can excel in specific situations, while some are simply easier to counter than others.

Here’s our comprehensive Deadlock tier list to assist you in choosing which character to play if you’re part of the Alpha. Plus, we’ve included a detailed description of their abilities and upgrades, covering all bases for newcomers.

Best Deadlock Characters Ranked: Tier List

Our Tiers Explained

Here’s an overview of the criteria used to classify each character in the Deadlock tier list:

• S: Top-tier; suitable in nearly every scenario with versatile build options and hard to counter.
• A: Strong under the right conditions, but may be countered by specific items or strategies.
• B: Either easily countered or limited in their effectiveness.
• C: Can perform decently in specific situations but are generally overshadowed by better options.

Analysis

The August 29 patch significantly altered nearly every character and item in Deadlock. This tier list has been updated to include changes from the September 1 patch. While the list is current, further adjustments may occur with the next patch.

Deadlock Characters Explained

Each hero in Deadlock possesses four abilities, numbered 1 to 4, with 4 being their ultimate. Unlocking abilities requires collecting ability points (1 for Level 1, 2 for Level 2, and 5 for Level 3).

If you’re exploring the character roster or need help understanding a character’s abilities, our breakdown covers each hero’s kit and ability upgrades.

S-Tier Characters in Deadlock

Pocket

Pocket stands out as an incredibly annoying Assassin/close-range DPS character. Killing them poses a considerable challenge. With their second ability allowing teleportation to safety and their third providing a few seconds of immunity, landing consistent hits on Pocket can be tricky. Even if slowed by opponents, they still have various options for escape.

Investing in early-game items like Debuff Reducers/Debuff Removers can ease the burden against characters employing heavy crowd control. If they get locked down, their primary fire and ultimate remain potent enough to influence team fights significantly.

The damage-over-time effect of their ultimate lasts impressively long, complemented by arguably the best shotgun in the game, making Pocket a formidable presence when equipped correctly. Be sure to check our Pocket guide for optimal builds.

Abilities:

• 1: Barrage
  • Channel to launch projectiles dealing damage and applying a movement slow at their impact point. Each projectile that lands on a hero grants a stacking buff that increases all damage dealt. If cast while airborne, you will float and maintain horizontal momentum.
    • Level 1: +15 damage per projectile
    • Level 2: -15 second cooldown
    • Level 3: +5% damage amplification per stack
• 2: Flying Cloak
  • Launch a sentient cloak that travels forward, damaging enemies. You can reactivate to teleport to its location.
    • Level 1: -15 second cooldown
    • Level 2: +80 damage
    • Level 3: +7 weapon damage for 10 seconds post-teleport
• 3: Enchanter’s Satchel
  • Escape into your suitcase; when the duration ends, damage nearby foes. The ability may end early by performing any action.
    • Level 1: -5 second cooldown
    • Level 2: +80 damage
    • Level 3: Applies a 40% fire rate slow for 4 seconds
• 4: Affliction
  • Apply damage over time to all nearby enemies. Damage is non-lethal and does not trigger item effects.
    • Level 1: 30 second cooldown
    • Level 2: Suppress nearby healing by -60%
    • Level 3: +27 damage per second

Lady Geist

Lady Geist boasts two solid builds: one focusing on weapon damage and the other on spirit damage, making her an S-Tier choice. Sharpshooters can excel with her headshot potential, while those preferring a more explosive approach will enjoy her bomb’s large hitbox.

Combining her bomb’s wave clear, strong silence on her second ability, and her ultimate’s health-swapping potential makes Lady Geist a formidable force for both sidelaning and teamfighting. Players skilled at leveraging her abilities can easily turn game outcomes.

In close quarters, Lady Geist can drain all your health, while from a distance, she can poke efficiently, presenting difficulty in overcoming her in battle. However, she requires key items to fully unleash her potential. Refer to our Lady Geist guide for advice on getting started.

Abilities

• 1: Essence Bomb
  • Sacrifice some of your health to launch a bomb that deals damage after a brief delay. Self-damage is spirit type and can be reduced.
    • Level 1: +2 meter blast radius
    • Level 2: +60 damage
    • Level 3: Bombs leave a poisonous residue, causing 22% of the original damage per second for 6 seconds
• 2: Life Drain
  • Create a tether that drains enemy health over time, healing you in the process. Target must remain in your line of sight and within range to drain. You are allowed to attack and use abilities during this effect, although your movement speed is halved.
    • Level 1: +20 damage per second
    • Level 2: +2 seconds duration
    • Level 3: Silences the enemy while being drained
• 3: Malice
  • Sacrifice some of your health to launch blood shards, applying a slow and amplifying damage taken from you. The slowing effect diminishes over time.
    • Level 1: -3 second cooldown
    • Level 2: +40 health to damage
    • Level 3: +6 blood shards
• 4: Soul Exchange
  • Swap health values with an enemy, subject to minimum health percentages based on their current health.
    • Level 1: -40 second cooldown
    • Level 2: -10% minimum enemy health
    • Level 3: Grants +40% fire rate and +40% spirit resistance for 8 seconds after casting

Dynamo

Dynamo serves as a support character with the potential to significantly influence match outcomes. Although lacking in primary weapon strength and damage output, his utility bolsters any team’s performance.

His abilities include a knock-up and damage boost, a brief immunity to game-changing ultimates, one of the best healing abilities in Deadlock, and an ultimate skill that can immobilize entire enemy teams for several seconds. Regardless of his income, Dynamo offers substantial game impact.

Though he does exhibit weaknesses, his overall strengths outweigh them. For players seeking a support role, Dynamo is the optimal choice. You’ll need some key items to maximize his potential.

Abilities

• 1: Kinetic Pulse
  • Release an energy pulse that knocks enemies up into the air.
    • Level 1: Enemies hit receive a 40% movement and fire rate slow for 4 seconds
    • Level 2: Dynamo deals 30% more weapon damage to hit enemies for 8 seconds
    • Level 3: +125 damage
• 2: Quantum Entanglement
  • Dynamo briefly vanishes into the void, reappearing shortly after. On reappearance, your weapon reloads and gains a fire rate boost for the next clip, which also affects nearby allies.
    • Level 1: +4 meter cast range
    • Level 2: +25% fire rate bonus
    • Level 3: +120% base ammo upon reappearance
• 3: Rejuvenating Aurora
  • While channeling, restore health to yourself and nearby allies over time.
    • Level 1: If fully channeled, gain +4 meters per second movement speed bonus for 8 seconds; gained instantly at Level 3 upgrade.
    • Level 2: -15 second cooldown
    • Level 3: Complete movement and ability usage while channeling, additionally heals +4% max health per second
• 4: Singularity
  • Create a singularity that pulls in nearby enemies and inflicts damage. Once the pulling effect ends, enemies are knocked into the air.
    • Level 1: +2 meter radius
    • Level 2: +0.75 second duration
    • Level 3: Singularity inflicts 3.8% of enemies’ max health as damage each second

Ivy

Ivy serves as another support option, albeit with a more aggressive approach than Dynamo. Designed for bullying opponents out of lane, her primary weapon boasts quick fire rate and reload speed. Her first ability enables effective area denial, making farming against her challenging.

Additionally, her second ability enhances fire rate while providing healing for herself and allies, her third ability ensures personal survival, while her ultimate skill enables strategic plays and securing objectives. Ivy is a dual threat as both a damage dealer and a support character. Check our guide for tips on harnessing her full potential.

Abilities

• 1: Kudzu Bomb
  • Summon a patch of choking vines that damage and slow enemies within its area.
    • Level 1: +1 charge
    • Level 2: +2 seconds duration
    • Level 3: +60 damage per second
• 2: Watcher’s Convenant
  • Automatically connect with a nearby ally to share bonuses with them. Healing is replicated among connected allies, requiring line of sight to establish the connection.
    • Level 1: +10% fire rate
    • Level 2: +3 meters per second movement speed
    • Level 3: +1 Tether count
• 3: Stone Form
  • Transform into impervious stone, smashing the ground to damage and stun nearby enemies, while healing yourself by 10% of maximum health.
    • Level 1: -20 second cooldown
    • Level 2: +80 damage and a 0.5 second stun
    • Level 3: +20% max heal
• 4: Air Drop
  • Gain flight with an ally or bomb, providing bullet resistance to the ally but disabling their attack and ability use while lifted. Drop your ally or bomb to create a large explosion, slowing enemies in the area. Both Ivy and the ally acquire a bullet shield after landing.
    • Level 1: -20% bullet resistance on hit enemies for 12 seconds
    • Level 2: +300 bullet shield and +5 meter explosion radius
    • Level 3: Applies silence for +4.5 seconds to enemies caught in the blast

Warden

Warden is among the most formidable characters in Deadlock. They possess a strong 1v1 capability, excellent damage scaling in both spirit and weapon types, and an ultimate potent enough to sway teamfights in their favor. If Warden can channel effectively, they may overpower entire enemy teams single-handedly.

Players familiar with Warden can compensate for his shortcomings; although his first ability lacks an indicator like other skills, it features an unexpectedly large range once mastered. His third ability, while relatively easy to escape, can be mitigated with crowd control like Slowing Hex.

Warden ranks high in sturdiness and effectiveness—making it undeniable that he belongs in S-Tier. For more on building and playing Warden, check our guide.

Abilities

• 1: Alchemical Flask
  • Launch a flask that inflicts damage, slow, and reduces enemies’ stamina and weapon damage.
    • Level 1: +40 damage
    • Level 2: -1 stamina
    • Level 3: -7 second cooldown and applies a 35% fire rate slow
• 2: Willpower
  • Gain a spirit shield along with increased movement speed.
    • Level 1: +20% movement speed
    • Level 2: -20 second cooldown
    • Level 3: +200 spirit shield health, scaling with spirit power
• 3: Binding Word
  • Curse an enemy hero; if they do not escape within the release period, they receive damage and become immobilized.
    • Level 1: +1 second immobilization
    • Level 2: -20 second cooldown
    • Level 3: Warden deals +20% more bullet damage to trapped heroes for 6 seconds
• 4: Last Stand
  • Charge for 2.2 seconds to unleash damaging pulses that heal you based on total damage dealt.
    • Level 1: +3 meter radius
    • Level 2: +70 damage per second (DPS)
    • Level 3: -60 second cooldown

A-Tier

Seven

Seven stands as one of the most user-friendly casters in Deadlock, thanks to their range and large hitbox. His first ability covers significant range, his second ability offers a guaranteed (if slightly delayed) stun, and his third significantly amplifies his damage through arcing lightning.

However, his ultimate ability is where his true power lies. Fully investing in his ultimate while securing adequate farm transforms Seven into an unstoppable force, controlling vast areas of the map. This potential skyrockets when paired with champions like Ivy or anyone with high movement speed aiming to provide support.

That said, Seven struggles when forced onto the back foot, making him vulnerable to aggressive engagements in the game’s initial phases. Though not quite S-Tier, Seven is a character worth exploring.

Abilities

• 1: Lightning Ball
  • Launch a lightning orb that damages all targets in its vicinity while slowing them. The orb travels forward before stopping upon hitting a world object or enemy.
    • Level 1: +1 Charge
    • Level 2: +40% movement slow
    • Level 3: +70 damage per second (DPS)
• 2: Static Charge
  • Apply an electrical charge to a target enemy; after some time, this charge stuns and deals damage within its radius.
    • Level 1: -20 second cooldown
    • Level 2: +8 meter radius
    • Level 3: +1.1 seconds of stun duration
• 3: Power Surge
  • Empower your weapon with a shock effect, causing bullets to inflict shock damage that jumps to nearby enemies with each hit, limited to each burst shot.
    • Level 1: Shock damage applies -15% spirit resistance for 8 seconds
    • Level 2: -16 second cooldown
    • Level 3: +12 shock damage; further increases spirit scaling, and +3 max jumps
• 4: Storm Cloud
  • Create an expanding storm cloud that deals damage to all enemies within its range. Enemies will take no damage if out of line of sight.
    • Level 1: +35% bullet resistance while channeling
    • Level 2: +7 seconds of channeling time and +10 meter radius
    • Level 3: +75 damage per second (DPS)

Hell

Infernus serves as a reliable all-rounder with immense carry potential. His AoE damage output might seem modest at first, but when points are invested in his fire trail ability, his mixed DPS can shred even the toughest opponents.

Infernus showcases high damage potential in team fights if he is willing to charge in. The trade-off lies in needing to get up close to activate his ult effectively, which can often be risky due to its lengthy windup time. Even though his ult is one of the strongest in teamfights on paper, several methods exist to counter its impact during matches.

Ultimately, while Infernus has difficulty closing the gap to unleash his full damage, he remains a viable choice for players.

Abilities

• 1: Catalyst
  • Emit napalm that slows enemy movement while amplifying damage taken from Infernus.
    • Level 1: +1 Charge
    • Level 2: Gain 20% lifesteal against affected victims
    • Level 3: +10% damage amplification and -40% heal/regen
• 2: Flame Dash
  • Dash forward, leaving a flame trail that deals damage to enemies caught in it.
    • Level 1: +30% fire rate slow for 7 seconds
    • Level 2: +45 damage per second (DPS)
    • Level 3: -20 second cooldown
• 3: Afterburn
  • Your attacks cause enemies to catch fire, refreshing the burn duration continuously with each attack or ability used against them.
    • Level 1: Enemies take -30% spirit damage.
    • Level 2: +1 second burn duration
    • Level 3: +30 damage per second (DPS)
• 4: Concussive Combustion
  • Transform into a living bomb that detonates after a brief delay, stunning all enemies in the area of effect.
    • Level 1: -40 second cooldown
    • Level 2: +0.5 second stun duration and +4 meter blast radius
    • Level 3: +115 damage and 100% lifesteal from enemy heroes hit

Mo & Krill

Initially, Mo & Krill were not considered top-tier characters within Deadlock’s Alpha, showcasing decent sustain and utility, but facing limitations in range and area control with their ultimate ability, which only targets a single enemy.

The key to mastering Mo & Krill lies in leveling their second ability, which transforms them into effective roamers capable of quickly clearing camps and ganking lanes. Following the initial laning phase, this duo can seize map control and amass a substantial lead with the right itemization.

If your laners can withstand your absence, Mo & Krill can facilitate significant farming advantages and potential victories.

Abilities

• 1: Scorn
  • Damage nearby foes and restore health upon inflicting damage. Healing is enhanced against enemy heroes.
    • Level 1: -4 second cooldown
    • Level 2: +25 damage
    • Level 3: Adds a debuff on enemies, allowing Mo & Krill to deal an additional +15% damage to them for 16 seconds, which can be stacked.
• 2: Burrow
  • Dive underground, gaining increased spirit and bullet armor while moving faster. When surfacing, knock enemies into the air and execute a spin attack that inflicts damage and slows.
    • Level 1: +3 seconds additional burrow time
    • Level 2: +140 spin damage and +2 radius
    • Level 3: -20 second cooldown and +3 meters per second movement speed
• 3: Sand Blast
  • Spray sand to disarm and deal damage to enemies directly in front.
    • Level 1: +1.5 seconds duration
    • Level 2: -20 seconds cooldown
    • Level 3: Impose a 50% slow on target
• 4: Combo
  • Stun and inflict damage by holding the target in place. If the target dies during the combo, gain a permanent +30 max health boost.
    • Level 1: -30 second cooldown
    • Level 2: +1 additional second to combo duration
    • Level 3: +40 damage per second and gain 100% lifesteal

Abrams

Abrams stands as one of the toughest characters available, compensating for his limited range with substantial gap-closing abilities, sustain, high melee damage, and effective crowd control. His first ability offers ample healing, his second slams enemies against walls, and his ultimate engagement tool grows stronger with every level.

Facing off against area denial champions can pose challenges, but once Abrams closes the gap, he inflicts significant damage. If opponents fail to counter or mitigate his healing, he essentially becomes unkillable.

However, timed counters can stun Abrams, providing windows for burst damage. Understanding how to counter him and inflict anti-heal will vastly decrease his survivability.

If you want to build strategies to counter Abrams, refer to our Abrams guide for tips.

Abilities

• 1: Siphon Life
  • Drain health from enemies in the area while healing yourself based on damage inflicted.
    • Level 1: -20 seconds cooldown
    • Level 2: +2 seconds duration
    • Level 3: +40 damage per second (DPS)
• 2: Shoulder Charge
  • Charge forward, colliding with enemies, dragging them along, and stunning any hit against a wall. Speed increases after hitting enemy heroes.
    • Level 1: -20 seconds cooldown
    • Level 2: +0.5 seconds stun duration
    • Level 3: +5.5 weapon damage for 8 seconds after colliding
• 3: Infernal Resilience
  • Regenerate a portion of incoming damage over time.
    • Level 1: +1.5 health regen
    • Level 2: +150 HP
    • Level 3: +9% damage regenerated
• 4: Seismic Impact
  • Leap into the air, selecting a ground target to crash into. On impact, all enemies in range take damage and become stunned.
    • Level 1: -40 seconds cooldown
    • Level 2: +100 max HP and 15% fire rate for every enemy hit.
    • Level 3: Gain immunity to Stun, Silence, Sleep, Root, and Disarm on casting, lasting 3 seconds post-landing.

Shiv

Shiv represents one of the few newcomers to Deadlock’s Alpha testing phase, arriving in an impressive state. His bleed knives are highly accurate, faster than other projectiles, and combined with his exceptional mobility and damage mitigation make him a fearsome assassin.

Once this character gains momentum, he becomes a hard opponent to stop—especially in later stages where his third ability can sustain him far past the point of typical character elimination. However, if he struggles early on, his impact diminishes considerably, necessitating a snowballing initiation to unlock his full potential.

While Shiv’s offensive capabilities secure his placement in A-Tier, he hovers close to S-Tier. Utilize our guide to master Shiv, including specific movement techniques unique to him.

Abilities

• 1: Serrated Knives
  • Throw a knife dealing damage and applying a slowing effect to an enemy. Hitting additional targets refreshes stack durations, increasing per-stack damage.
    • Level 1: +1 Charge
    • Level 2: +2 seconds debuff duration
    • Level 3: +40 damage and +5 bleed damage per second (DPS)
• 2: Slice and Dice
  • Dash forward, causing damage to foes along the path. When rage is full, an echo of Shiv retraces the path, inflicting damage again.
    • Level 1: -4 seconds cooldown
    • Level 2: +100 damage
    • Level 3: Additional cooldown reduction, maxing at 6 seconds per dash, for each enemy struck.
• 3: Bloodletting
  • Take a portion of incoming damage and deferring 30% of it over a period. Activate to clear the delayed damage.
    • Level 1: +5 seconds duration for deferred damage
    • Level 2: -5 seconds cooldown
    • Level 3: +25% damaged cleared on activation
• 4: Killing Blow
  • Leap toward an enemy hero, instantly killing them if their health is below a specified threshold (20% HP), otherwise inflicting 200 damage.
    • Passive: Inflicting damage fills your rage meter; when full, Shiv receives a 25% damage increase and unique effects on other abilities.
    • Level 1: Gain +2 meters per second movement speed at full rage
    • Level 2: +8% execute threshold health
    • Level 3: Executing an enemy with Killing Blow resets its cooldown.

Kelvin

Kelvin is among Deadlock’s support heroes, specializing in crowd control and zoning. Initially, he excelled in the game, but a major nerf diminished his power level significantly. His third ability previously disarmed enemies, but now provides only a normal slow.

The update on August 29, however, restored much of his former strength, increasing the slow effect to 80% while impacting soul orbs. This change shot Kelvin from a low B-Tier to near S-Tier, though he still carries limitations that refrain him from being a must-pick choice.

Kelvin’s ultimate can clinch triumph for your team or backfire; if timed perfectly, it can snatch a win by sealing off advantageous areas, but poorly placed, it could sabotage key plays for allies. Ultimately, he requires team collaboration to succeed.

Abilities

• 1: Frost Grenade
  • Throw a grenade that emits freezing ice, damaging and slowing foes.
    • Level 1: +1 Charge
    • Level 2: Heals friendly targets for 145 HP. Scales with spirit power.
    • Level 3: +175 damage
• 2: Ice Path
  • Generate an ice trail granting movement speed bonuses for you and allies, while providing slow resistance during its duration.
    • Level 1: +4 meters per second sprint speed
    • Level 2: -16 seconds cooldown
    • Level 3: Gain +1 spirit power for each meter of ice trail created, maxing out at 55 spirit power.
• 3: Arctic Beam
  • Channel freezing energy in front, damaging targets and applying slowing effects based on the length of channel time.
    • Level 1: -8 seconds cooldown
    • Level 2: +40 DPS
    • Level 3: Fires 2 extra beams toward enemies within 13 meters of the last targeted enemy.
• 4: Frozen Shelter
  • Create an impenetrable dome of ice around you, providing health regeneration to allies while slowing hostile enemies by 35% within the dome.
    • Level 1: +40% fire rate slow
    • Level 2: -40 seconds cooldown
    • Level 3: +70 health regen, scaling with spirit power.

Lash

Lash plays as an extremely versatile character. His high mobility, burst damage capabilities, and game-changing ultimate provide opportunities for players who manage setup and execution effectively. Lash possesses a unique combo opportunity that allows him to take down enemies with a single maneuver, connecting his ult with max slam damage.

However, Lash can be somewhat tricky to master. Maintaining momentum in the air is a skill that requires experience and proper timing, and stray knockdowns can abruptly ground him. Additionally, confined spaces make maneuvering quite challenging, necessitating open areas to thrive.

In optimal setups, Lash can elevate his tier to S. Nevertheless, given the skill required and the need for perfect setups, he is comfortably placed in A-Tier.

Abilities

• 1: Ground Strike
  • Stomp the ground beneath you causing damage to nearby enemies. If performed in mid-air, this ability enhances plunge damage directly below.
    • Level 1: -10 seconds cooldown
    • Level 2: Struck enemies are popped into the air and slowed by 50% for 3 seconds.
    • Level 3: Scales with height for increased damage, becoming progressively diminished after 25 meters.
• 2: Grapple
  • Pull yourself toward a selected target while regaining air jumps and dashes.
    • Level 1: -20 seconds cooldown
    • Level 2: +20 meters cast range, gaining +6 weapon damage for 10 seconds afterward.
    • Level 3: 20% fire rate increase on weapons due to buff.
• 3: Flog
  • Strike foes with your whip, stealing life from them.
    • Level 1: Crushing for a 35% movement slow for 3 seconds.
    • Level 2: -15 seconds cooldown
    • Level 3: +105 damage that also applies a 35% fire rate slow.
• 4: Death Slam
  • Concentrate on enemies to ensnare them with whips. After a channeling duration, enemies become lifted and stunned, resulting in damage upon slamming to the ground. Victims and nearby enemies in impact zones sustain damage and slow.
    • Level 1: +8 meter maximum throw distance
    • Level 2: +100 damage
    • Level 3: -60 seconds cooldown

B-Tier

Bebop

Bebop excels in laning, capable of pulling enemies under towers to eliminate them early and greatly facilitate his lane partner. Furthermore, Bebop’s primary weapon effectively deals damage to minions and easily secures souls.

However, Bebop’s gameplay tends to be one-dimensional, relying heavily on gaining an early advantage. If he falters early, the likelihood of succeeding diminishes due to the number of characters and items that counter his effectiveness.

Although his ultimate offers strong finishing potential, Bebop’s variable strengths lead him firmly into B-Tier. Talented players can elicit fear, but circumstances dictate his viability.

Abilities

• 1: Exploding Uppercut
  • Inflict melee damage to nearby enemies, sending them backward and causing area damage upon landing. Allies remain unharmed but can be knocked away.
    • Level 1: -11 seconds cooldown
    • Level 2: Upon hitting enemy heroes, gain a fast spin-up time for primary fire, doubling the range and increasing weapon damage by 60% for 12 seconds.
    • Level 3: Upon hitting enemy heroes, set hook cooldown to 0 and immediately double bullets in your current clip.
• 2: Sticky Bomb
  • Attach a bomb to an enemy target, which explodes after a short duration. Gain +2.5% bomb damage for each enemy hero hit. You can also cast it on yourself.
    • Level 1: -8 seconds cooldown
    • Level 2: +80 damage
    • Level 3: On attachment, disarm the target for 3.5 seconds.
• 3: Hook
  • Launch a hook to grab and pull in either friendly or enemy targets. Enemies receive damage and are repositioned based on where you’re facing.
    • Level 1: Bebop deals 30% more bullet damage to hooked enemies for 10 seconds.
    • Level 2: +30 meters cast range.
    • Level 3: -12 seconds cooldown.
• 4: Hyper Beam
  • Charge your laser to unleash a massive energy wave that damages and slows enemies’ movements and dashes. You have reduced movement and turn rate while firing. If activated in mid-air, you hover while using the beam.
    • Level 1: -40 seconds cooldown
    • Level 2: +100 damage per second (DPS).
    • Level 3: Hyper Beam heals Bebop for 100% of damage dealt to heroes, and 33% for non-heroes.

Viscous

Of all characters in Deadlock, Viscous is the most complicated to utilize effectively. His abilities can often be awkward to manage, and their third ability may unintentionally interfere with teammates.

Nonetheless, Viscous possesses one of the strongest ultimates, providing a brief period of high durability. By late game, when his abilities are fully unlocked, he can transition into a game-changer. However, early on, he may be ineffective in lane and relies heavily on levels and items to impact play.

Following the August 29 buffs and subsequent nerfs on September 1, Viscous finds himself in a peculiar position. He can carry games in the right hands, but the complexity of his mechanics makes it difficult to place him above B-Tier.

Abilities

• 1: Splatter
  • Throw a glob of goo that deals damage while leaving puddles that slow enemies within their area.
    • Level 1: -6 seconds duration
    • Level 2: +70 damage and +1 meter radius.
    • Level 3: Bounces twice.
• 2: The Cube
  • Encapsulate a target in restorative goo that purges debuffs, absorbs damage, and enhances health regeneration. The target cannot take any actions while encapsulated. Can be used on self.
    • Level 1: Increases movement speed and stamina recovery.
    • Level 2: -22 seconds cooldown.
    • Level 3: +60 health regeneration.
• 3: Puddle Punch
  • Manifest a fist that strikes units in the area, dealing damage, and reducing their dash distance temporarily while slowing their movement speed.
    • Level 1: +1 Charge.
    • Level 2: +50 damage and +20% movement slow.
    • Level 3: -12 seconds cooldown.
• 4: Goo Ball
  • Morph into a large goo ball that damages and stuns enemies on impact. The ball offers considerable Bullet and Spirit resistance, bounces off walls, and can perform double jumps.
    • Level 1: +5 seconds duration.
    • Level 2: +120 impact damage.
    • Level 3: Can use abilities and items while rolling.

Yamato

Yamato features a unique gameplay style emphasizing abilities while maintaining limited range but offering great carry potential when played adeptly. Mastery of her primary weapon and enduring through the laning phase are critical to her success.

If she earns decent farm out of lanes and effectively picks her targets, Yamato becomes incredibly hard to counter. Yamato’s ultimate provides brief immunity to crowd control and even death, making her exceptionally resilient to enemy threats. However, without team support, she becomes vulnerable once her ultimate duration expires.

Yamato presents significant mastery requirements, and her payoff isn’t as high as other intricate characters like Lash.

Abilities

• 1: Power Slash
  • Charge to amplify damage over 1.5 seconds, releasing a fully charged attack. Partial damage can be dealt by releasing prematurely.
    • Level 1: Gain +60 bullet resistance while channeling.
    • Level 2: Applies 40% movement slow for 3 seconds.
    • Level 3: +200 damage upon full charge release.
• 2: Flying Strike
  • Utilize a grappling hook to maneuver toward an enemy, inflicting damage and applying slow upon impact.
    • Level 1: +25% movement slow.
    • Level 2: +20 meters cast range.
    • Level 3: +6 weapon damage for 10 seconds after striking the target.
• 3: Crimson Slash
  • Slash enemies in front, dealing damage and slowing their fire rate. Healing occurs on hitting enemy heroes.
    • Level 1: +30% fire rate slow.
    • Level 2: +10% max health healed per hero hit.
    • Level 3: -6 seconds cooldown.
• 4: Shadow Transformation
  • Transform into a shadow-infused form, rendering yourself invincible. After the transformation, your abilities are reset, cast faster, and offer infinite ammo. Additionally, you gain damage resistance and immunity to negative status effects.
    • Level 1: -30 seconds cooldown.
    • Level 2: +4 meters per second movement speed.
    • Level 3: +1.5 seconds duration.

Haze

As one of Deadlock’s few roam-focused characters, Haze offers lower lane pressure while thriving in movement across the map, creating disruption in various lanes. When she’s ahead, Haze is undeniably a formidable threat.

However, she becomes significantly less effective when behind. Although she boasts a viable option for picking off isolated targets, her capacity for team-fighting is inconsistent, especially since her ultimate can be easily evaded or countered by specific items like Steel Skin or other crowd-control effects.

While players may experience frustration facing Haze early on, knowledge of her weaknesses and proper counterplay diminishes her threat level significantly.

Abilities

• 1: Sleep Dagger
  • Throw a dagger that damages and causes sleep to the target. If the target is damaged, they wake shortly after. This ability does not break your invisibility.
    • Level 1: Removes 1 stamina.
    • Level 2: -13 seconds cooldown.
    • Level 3: Applies -12% bullet resistance upon waking for 6 seconds.
• 2: Smoke Bomb
  • Become invisible for a time, gaining extra speed. Attacking removes invisibility, but close enemies will see through the cloak.
    • Level 1: -15 seconds cooldown.
    • Level 2: +6 meters per second invisibility sprint speed.
    • Level 3: Grant 30% bullet lifesteal for 8 seconds post-invisibility.
• 3: Fixation
  • Inflicting damage increases your weapon damage on that target. Each successful hit adds a stack, enhancing total damage for every bullet.
    • Level 1: 60 spirit damage and 15% slow every 20 stacks on the target.
    • Level 2: +40 max stacks and +5 seconds duration.
    • Level 3: +0.2 weapon damage per stack.
• 4: Bullet Dance
  • Enter a rapid-fire state, automatically targeting enemies within vicinity while gaining a fire rate bonus and evading some incoming damage.
    • Level 1: +7 weapon damage.
    • Level 2: -40 seconds cooldown.
    • Level 3: +1 targets targeted per shot.

Revenge

Vindicta could easily drop to C-Tier based on her base kit, with her first ability as a basic crowd control mechanic and her second giving high vantage points but exposing her to danger. She’s particularly vulnerable to Slowing Hex, making her easy prey.

However, Vindicta’s ultimate becomes a game-changer: when maximized first, each kill rewards her with 850 souls, contributing to her potential to snowball multiples of gold and resources, enabling her to dominate games if performant.

Yet, this necessitates securing kills using her ult, which can be situational and dependent on timing, rendering her a B-Tier choice.

Abilities

• 1: Stake
  • Throw a stake that restricts enemy movement by tethering them to the location where it lands.
    • Level 1: +0.75 seconds tether duration.
    • Level 2: -20 seconds cooldown.
    • Level 3: Enemies tethered are also disarmed.
• 2: Flight
  • Leap into the air, gaining a strategic advantage while dealing bonus spirit damage with your weapon.
    • Level 1: +50% base ammo while airborne.
    • Level 2: -15 seconds cooldown.
    • Level 3: +12 spirit damage per bullet.
• 3: Crow Familiar
  • Summon a crow that inflicts impact damage and applies a bleed effect, dealing damage based on a percentage of the target’s current health for a total of three seconds.
    • Level 1: The crow ricochets up to two times toward other enemies within a 15-meter radius.
    • Level 2: -17 seconds cooldown.
    • Level 3: +3% additional bleed damage and suppresses healing by -40%.
• 4: Assassinate
  • Utilize your scoped weapon to fire a powerful shot over distance, inflicting bonus damage against enemies below 50% health. Securing a kill grants 250 bonus souls.
    • Level 1: -20 seconds cooldown.
    • Level 2: +140 bonus damage.
    • Level 3: +600 additional souls for each kill.

Wraith

Wraith serves as an effective starter character, possessing solid primary fire and some burst damage capabilities. Many players find her to be quite safe for securing souls in the lane and also effective at applying pressure. She shines when she applies her ult strategically, basically dooming targets who lack the proper item counters.

On paper, Wraith could be classified as S-Tier. However, in practice, her most effective build relies on maximizing her secondary ability to increase weapon damage. Conversely, her ultimate can quickly be countered, reducing its reliability and overall effectiveness.

Focus on honing your aim for optimal performance, maximizing Wraith’s potential. To further aid in strategy, consider referring to our Wraith guide.

Abilities

• 1: Card Trick
  • Activate to summon and throw cards, dealing damage to enemies in the target area.
    • Level 1: +1 Charge.
    • Level 2: +50 damage.
    • Level 3: +50% card summon speed.
• 2: Project Mind
  • Teleport to a targeted position, enhancing mobility.
    • Level 1: +15 meter cast range.
    • Level 2: Shields for 300 damage for 8 seconds upon teleportation; shield scales with spirit power.
    • Level 3: -30 seconds cooldown.
• 3: Full Auto
  • Temporarily boosts your fire rate by 20%, allowing nearby allies to benefit from half the bonus.
    • Level 1: -15 seconds cooldown.
    • Level 2: +5 spirit damage per bullet.
    • Level 3: +35% bullet lifesteal accrued during this ability.
• 4: Telekinesis
  • Lift an enemy hero, stunning them for a moment before inflicting damage upon release.
    • Level 1: -30 seconds cooldown.
    • Level 2: +0.5 seconds stun duration.
    • Level 3: Expands the target pool to enemies within vicinity around Wraith.

Gray Talon

For players searching for a sniper approach in Deadlock, Grey Talon is an excellent option. He holds immense range, impressive DPS, and possesses quite a few challenging traps to deal with. Playing against Talon can be frustrating in the laning phase if healing is absent.

While Grey Talon has become more survivable after the August 29 patch, his crucial skillshots are now trickier to execute, and the nerf to his traps has downgraded his overall effectiveness, causing him to drop a tier.

Now, due to these updates, you’re best off countering Talon when possible, given his heightened difficulty in securing kills.

Abilities

• 1: Charged Shot
  • Charge a powerful shot that penetrates through enemies.
    • Level 1: +1 Charge.
    • Level 2: +65 damage.
    • Level 3: Improved damage scaling along with -3 seconds charge delay.
• 2: Rain of Arrows
  • Launch into the air, allowing a slow descent while gaining attack damage and multi-shot capabilities while airborne.
    • Level 1: -15 seconds cooldown.
    • Level 2: During airborne period, gain +7 weapon damage and apply a 40% slow to enemies for 1.5 seconds.
    • Level 3: +50% lifesteal for bullets while airborne and +50% spirit lifesteal.
• 3: Immobilizing Trap
  • Deploy a trap that activates upon an enemy entering its effective range, immobilizing them.
    • Level 1: -20 seconds cooldown.
    • Level 2: +2 seconds slow duration.
    • Level 3: Talon deals +30% more bullet damage to immobilized enemies for 10 seconds.
• 4: Guided Owl
  • After 1.5 second charge time, summon a controllable spirit owl that detonates on impact, damaging and stunning enemies. Earn permanent spirit power with each hero eliminated by Guided Owl.
    • Level 1: +100 damage.
    • Level 2: -50 seconds cooldown.
    • Level 3: Executes enemies below 22% health upon hit.

Paradox

When it comes to survivability, Paradox is a strong DPS character. She possesses notable range with her charged third ability, effective wave clearing via her first, and her second and ultimate abilities make her challenging to 1v1. Mastery of her second ability is essential for optimizing Paradox’s potential as a player.

While her DPS cannot match that of long-range counterparts like Grey Talon and Vindicta, her strongest abilities demand her to engage with the enemy team. Paradox may not lead the scoring charts, but she proves to be a distraction and nuisance for opponents.

Abilities

• 1: Pulse Grenade
  • Throw a grenade that pulses periodically upon landing, applying damage, movement slow, and stacking damage amplification against the victim.
    • Level 1: +1 Pulse.
    • Level 2: -8 seconds cooldown.
    • Level 3: +45 damage per pulse.
• 2: Time Wall
  • Create a wall preventing the advance of enemy projectiles and bullets; enemies that touch the wall sustain damage and movement slow.
    • Level 1: +2 meters width and +1 meter height.
    • Level 2: +1 Charge.
    • Level 3: Enemies touching the wall will be silenced for 3 seconds.
• 3: Kinetic Carbine
  • Charge your weapon to gain increased movement speed when fully charged. The next shot releases energy, dealing amplified spirit damage while temporarily stopping enemy movement. Slowing effects can also be applied to oneself.
    • Level 1: +0.5 seconds maximum stop duration.
    • Level 2: -10 seconds cooldown and +2 seconds extra speed boost duration.
    • Level 3: +50% maximum damage amplification.
• 4: Paradoxical Swap
  • Launch a projectile that swaps your position with an enemy hero, granting lifesteal alongside damage dealt to the enemy over time.
    • Level 1: +15 meters cast range.
    • Level 2: +100 damage on the swap.
    • Level 3: -15 seconds cooldown.

C-Tier

McGinnis

McGinnis, designed to build around turret placement, unfortunately does not deliver on that front. Her turrets lack effectiveness, rendering both her first and second abilities somewhat redundant unless one has enough time to deploy multiple turrets. Her ultimate ability can also prove awkward to execute.

As a result, McGinnis has very little versatility, relying heavily on turret damage or rushing gun damage. While she does have some niche applications, McGinnis is arguably the worst character in Deadlock concerning overall utility. Although not terrible, she tends to perform only in particular conditions and has several weaknesses.

Abilities

• 1: Mini Turret
  • Deploy a turret that automatically shoots enemies but has a limited lifespan. The turret inherits 30% of McGinnis’ max HP and has 60% spirit resistance; however, it inflicts reduced damage to troopers and objectives.
    • Level 1: +1 Charge, turrets apply +25% movement speed slow.
    • Level 2: +10 meters attack range and +10% turret fire rate.
    • Level 3: +45 turret DPS.
• 2: Medicinal Specter
  • Deploy a spirit that heals nearby allies.
    • Level 1: +35% fire rate bonus on units receiving healing from the Medicinal Specter.
    • Level 2: -18 seconds cooldown.
    • Level 3: +5% max health regained per second.
• 3: Spectral Wall
  • Create a wall dividing the terrain, dealing damage and slowing any enemies hit upon creation.
    • Level 1: Removes 1 stamina and amplifies McGinnis’ damage against hit enemies by 25% for 7 seconds.
    • Level 2: -15 seconds cooldown.
    • Level 3: Provides a 1 second stun to affected enemies.
• 4: Heavy Barrage
  • Fire a volley of rockets targeting a designated zone.
    • Level 1: Applies a 35% movement slow to targets.
    • Level 2: -50 seconds cooldown.
    • Level 3: +30 damage per rocket.

That’s our Deadlock tier list!

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