New Players

Deadlock is Valve's 6v6 mashup of a hero shooter and a MOBA. Think the gunplay and movement of a shooter mixed with the lanes, minions, items, and objectives of a game like Dota 2 — set in an occult 1920s New York where magic and industry collide.

Two teams of six pick unique heroes, fight across four lanes, earn souls (the game's currency) by killing troopers and heroes, spend those souls on items at shops, and push lanes to destroy the enemy's structures. The team that destroys the enemy Patron wins.

Matches typically run 30–50 minutes. The game is currently in invite-only playtest on Steam — if a friend plays, they can invite you.

1Pick a forgiving hero. For your first games, choose someone hard to kill with a simple gameplan — Abrams (tanky brawler: run at people), Seven (straightforward damage), or Wraith (solid all-rounder with an escape). Don't random. Browse all heroes →

2Go to your assigned lane and stay there. The game auto-assigns you to York (left), Broadway (middle), or Greenwich (right). Head there immediately. An empty lane bleeds structures — your team needs you in position.

3Shoot your soul orbs. Troopers march down each lane and fight. When one dies it drops a soul orb — your money. Your orbs are green, enemy orbs are orange. Shoot your green orbs to collect the souls. Shoot their orange orbs to deny them souls. Orb control wins lanes.

4Spend souls at the shop. Once you have 800+ souls, visit the shop near your lane and buy items. Don't hoard souls — unspent souls do nothing. Buy early, buy often. (See Your First Items below for safe picks.)

5Push with your troopers. When your trooper wave reaches the enemy Guardian, help damage it — but let troopers go in first so they eat the Guardian's laser, not you. Destroy structures in order, group up for Walker fights when your team pings them, and keep an eye on the minimap.

You win by destroying the enemy Patron at the heart of their base. To reach it, your team must break through their defenses in order, lane by lane:

1. Guardians

The first structure in each lane. Team-wide soul bounty when destroyed.

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2. Walkers

Massive lane guardians. Killing one gives everyone an extra item slot.

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3. Shrines

Base defenses. Destroying both upgrades your troopers into Super Troopers.

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4. Patron

The enemy's core. It has two health bars — break both and you win.

Kills feel good, but structures win games. A team that takes objectives beats a team that only chases kills.

Souls are everything in Deadlock — they're how you buy items, and items are how you get stronger. You earn them three ways:

• Troopers — your bread and butter. Last-hit them and shoot the green soul orbs they drop. Deny enemy orbs by shooting the orange ones.
• Hero kills — big payouts that grow as the match goes on, but risky. Don't chase them early.
• Objectives — Guardians, Walkers, and Shrines pay fixed team-wide bounties. A losing team earns bonus souls on objectives through the comeback mechanic.

You spend souls at shops (there's one near every lane). Items come in four tiers with fixed prices:

• Tier 1 — 800 souls. Cheap early-game stats.
• Tier 2 — 1,600 souls. Solid mid-game pickups.
• Tier 3 — 3,200 souls. Major power spikes.
• Tier 4 — 6,400 souls. Game-defining legendaries.

Dying drops a chunk of your unsecured souls where you died — enemies can grab them. Spend before risky fights. Try the Soul Calculator →

• Three main lanes: York (left), Broadway (middle), Greenwich (right). Most games run two heroes per lane.
• The jungle sits between lanes — neutral camps (Haunts) that give souls, plus the mid-boss pit at the center.
• Ziplines run down every lane. Riding one is free, fast, and costs no stamina — it's the fastest way to rotate.
• Shops sit near each lane's Guardian, plus your base. Buy without walking home.
• Teleporters unlock at 8:00, letting you cross the map instantly. Use them to join fights, not to wander.
• The Soul Urn spawns mid-game: carry it across the map for a huge team payout — but you can't shoot or use abilities while holding it.

Explore the full interactive map →

Items come in three categories, color-coded in-game: Weapon (orange, gun damage), Vitality (green, health and survivability), Spirit (purple, ability power). Start with cheap Tier 1 (800 souls) items — these are safe first buys on almost any hero:

Weapon

Extended Magazine

Bigger magazine, reload less. Simple and always useful.

Rapid Rounds

Fire rate up — more bullets, more damage, more orb secures.

Monster Rounds

Bonus damage vs troopers and neutrals. Farm faster, hit harder.

Vitality

Extra Health

Raw health. Harder to kill is the simplest advantage in the game.

Extra Regen

Health regen keeps you in lane longer without backing.

Extra Stamina

+1 stamina pip. More dashes, more escapes. Good on literally everyone.

Spirit

Extra Spirit

Boosts ability damage. The starting point for any ability-focused hero.

Extra Charge

An extra charge on an ability — more casts, more pressure.

Mystic Burst

Bonus burst damage when you land abilities. Great for trading.

What do I buy first? Monster Rounds — bonus damage against troopers and NPCs means you clear waves faster, and the faster you melt their troopers, the more scared the enemy laner is to push into you. Lane pressure wins lanes. Then grab one more item that matches your hero (Weapon for gun heroes, Spirit for ability heroes, Vitality if you're getting bullied). Or pick a full build for your hero →

Movement is the biggest skill gap in Deadlock. Three things to learn first:

• Keep one stamina pip banked. Always. That's your dodge and your escape.
• Slide everywhere. It's free, it's fast, and your gun never needs reloading mid-slide.
• Ride ziplines. They cost nothing and launch you across the map — jump off to keep the momentum.

All keys can be remapped in Settings. Full movement guide → · Advanced tech (later) →