update · May 22, 2026
DEADLOCK May 22 Gameplay Update Overhauls Urn Mechanics and Hero Balance
Deadlock's latest major update alters base stats for all heroes, completely redesigns Urn delivery mechanics, tweaks dozens of items, and adjusts hero balance across the roster.
A sweeping gameplay update for Deadlock introduces experimental Urn mechanics, baseline hero nerfs, and a massive slate of item adjustments designed to shift early-game pacing and teamfight dynamics.
Base Stats and Map Adjustments
All heroes receive a base HP reduction of 10, alongside a drop of 3 HP per boon. Guardians feature altered early scaling, taking more damage early as scaling resistance shifts from +75% down to -50% over 12 minutes. Medium neutral creeps now spawn at 5 minutes instead of 6, breakable spawn time moves from 2 minutes to 3, and Midboss now spawns immediately at the start of the match. Additionally, shrines remain invulnerable until at least one pair of Base Guardians falls, and backdoor removal linger duration drops from 20s to 14s.
Experimental Urn Mechanics
The Urn delivery system undergoes a major test. Players now pick up the Urn using a light or heavy melee attack instead of standing still to channel. Deliveries always drop off on top of the middle bridge, entering a depositing phase that lasts 3s, 5s, or 10s depending on whether the team is favored, neutral, or unfavored. Enemies can heavy melee the Urn during this phase to steal it and add 1.25s to the timer. The carrying penalty ramps up faster, dealing 5% max HP damage per second after 35s of aggregate hold time, and the Urn no longer grants passive bullet and spirit resistance.
Mobility and Combat System Tweaks
Sliding no longer resets sprint speed, but wall jumps reduce stamina regeneration by 25% for 5 seconds when in combat. Knockup durations now scale properly with debuff reduction. Bullet velocity stacks additively rather than diminishingly, while total damage reduction debuffs now stack diminishingly. Two outward-facing jump pads near mid-map have been removed, and zipline bindings now support dedicated ropes alongside alternative keybinds.
Item Additions and Economy Changes
A new Tier 1 Vitality item, Grit, grants a 200 barrier active for 4s and 1 out-of-combat regen, upgrading into Weapon Shielding, Spirit Shielding, Reactive Barrier, and Guardian Ward. Investment bonuses for Weapon, Vitality, and Spirit items expand to include a new 6.4k tier. Numerous items receive adjustments: Sharpshooter now upgrades from High-Velocity Rounds and grants innate bullet velocity, while several defensive and lifesteal items see numerical shifts to health and resistance values.
Hero Balance Across the Roster
The patch adjusts stats and abilities for multiple characters. Abrams swaps his T1 Infernal Resilience to max health and adds melee lifesteal. Apollo gets easier-to-hit hitboxes, a lower base regen, and a targeted sub-ability for Riposte instead of an automatic dash. Bebop, Billy, and Lash receive bullet damage per boon reductions. Grey Talon sees a heavily reworked Rain of Arrows with a shorter cooldown and duration, while Graves receives increased sprint speed, follower ghoul pathing fixes, and reduced bullet damage.
Why this patch matters
This update drastically shakes up Deadlock's economy, pacing, and objective play, forcing players to relearn hero durability and map control tempos.