Deadlock: How to Get Started

Deadlock is a 6v6 MOBA with third-person shooter elements. Two teams face each other, representing either the Archmother or the Hidden King.

Each team’s goal is to advance across the map, destroy the enemy’s defenses, and ultimately defeat their Patron. To accomplish this, players must strengthen their heroes, purchase items, control the lanes, and work together.

Patrons are each team’s primary objective. The first team to destroy the enemy Patron wins the match.

Deadlock has three lanes: Yellow (York), Blue (Broadway), and Green (Greenwich). Each lane can be reached using its corresponding zipline. Two heroes from each team fight in each lane, defeating enemy heroes and Troopers as they advance toward the enemy base.

They make it easier to move along a lane, and you can grab one at any time while you are out of combat. Your Troopers also enter the lane using the zipline and can extend it farther into enemy territory as they advance. Be careful, however: taking damage shortly after grabbing a zipline knocks you down, deals heavy damage, and leaves you immobilized for a short time.

Each wave contains four units: one melee, two ranged, and one Medic, which also attacks from a distance.

When a Trooper is eliminated, it drops Souls, the currency used to purchase items. A portion of those Souls appears in an orb above it, which you can shoot to secure the reward. Be quick: if an enemy hits the orb first, they steal that portion of your Souls. This is called a deny. You can do the same by shooting the orbs from Troopers eliminated by the enemy.

In addition to Souls, the Medic drops a healing orb that restores some of your health over several seconds. Because Troopers are your primary source of Souls, focus on eliminating each wave, securing your own orbs, and denying the enemy’s orbs.

You can spend your Souls at Curiosity Shops to purchase a variety of items and make your hero stronger.

There is one shop in your base and one in each lane. Your team’s shops cannot be used by enemies. However, there are also two shared shops positioned centrally between the lanes in the middle of the map. Both teams can purchase items there, so be careful: an enemy may appear while you are shopping.

Deadlock has a huge variety of items divided into three categories: Weapon, Vitality, and Spirit. Weapon items improve your gunfire, Vitality items increase your durability and survivability, and Spirit items strengthen your abilities.

Some items can also be upgraded. This means that a cheaper item can serve as a component for purchasing a stronger, higher-tier version without occupying an additional slot. There are also many active items that must be used manually and can provide effects such as healing, protection, mobility, or enemy control.

You begin the match with nine item slots and can unlock three more during the game, for a total of twelve. Each additional slot is unlocked when your team destroys one of the three enemy Walkers. These slots are flexible and can hold items from any of the three categories.

Eliminating Troopers is not the only way to earn Souls in Deadlock. In addition to defeating enemy heroes, you can find various collectibles scattered throughout the map. These can grant Souls, extra health, increased maximum ammunition, and other buffs.

There are also several neutral monster camps scattered throughout New York. These creatures, called Denizens, are classified as Easy (green), Medium (yellow), or Hard (red). The greater the difficulty, the better the Soul reward. Be careful, however: collectibles and Denizens grant Unsecured Souls, which gradually convert into regular Souls over time. Spend them quickly, or you may lose them if you are eliminated.

There are several objectives in Deadlock that can help bring your team closer to victory.

Defeating the Mid Boss grants your team a large number of Souls and causes the next three allied heroes who die to return to life three seconds after being eliminated.

Pick up the Spirit Urn and carry it to the other side of the map to grant your team a large number of Souls and several permanent buffs.

Securing a Rift grants Souls to your team and summons Rift Troopers. These stronger troops help push the lane and destroy enemy structures.

Every five minutes, two Bridge Buffs appear, one on each side of the map. They grant a temporary Ammo, Vitality, Casting, or Movement bonus. Use the effect to fight or secure objectives, because it is lost when you die or when its duration expires.

To win the match, your team must clear a path to the enemy base. In addition to the opposing heroes who will try to stop your advance, several structures will stand in your way and must be destroyed.

As mentioned earlier, winning the game simply requires destroying the Patron. In Deadlock, however, the Patron has two phases. The first becomes vulnerable after both Shrines are destroyed. The final phase appears a few seconds after the first phase is defeated. Reduce its health bar to zero to win the match.