Valve Releases a Major Deadlock Update – February 26

Valve has rolled out a significant Deadlockupdate, bringing sweeping gameplay changes. This latest patch reworks the map, removes one of the four lanes, and adjusts hero abilities. Additionally, several global gameplay mechanics have been tweaked. Players can find the full patch notes on the game’s Steam page.

Key Changes in the February 26 Deadlock Update

Map Overhaul

The game’s map has been completely reworked, now featuring three lanes instead of four. Additional changes include:

✔ Reworked neutral camps, airflows, cover spots, and the boss fight

✔ New "Explore the City" mode in the Play menu, allowing players to train freely in a private lobby

Creep Mechanics Adjustments

• Soul Orbs now drop automatically—players no longer need to land the final hit on creeps to collect them
• Soul Orb air time has been significantly reduced
• Defense ratio of Soul Orbs adjusted from 65/35% to 50/50%
• Soul Orb physical radius increased by 10%
• Reduced horizontal movement of Soul Orbs from creeps
• Increased creep kill rewards to balance the economy shift from four lanes to three

Sprint Speed Tweaks

• Base sprint speed increased from 0.5 to 1
• Sprint disable time after taking or dealing hero damage reduced from 5 to 4 seconds
• Sprint disable time after taking or dealing creep damage reduced from 5 to 0.5 seconds

General Gameplay Changes

• Players can now leave a match without penalty if a player disconnects before the fifth minute
• Ziplines now have a curved trajectory
• Damage sounds against non-hero units have been lowered
• New sound effects added for Walker weapons and Tier-1 structure destruction
• Bots now get stuck in walls less frequently
• Certain heroes now have voice interactions at the start of a match
• Fixed multiple bugs related to voice lines

Deadlock’s Early Access Status

Deadlock has been in early access for over six months, and currently, players can only join via invitation from a friend. Valve has yet to announce a full release date for the game.