A new set of Deadlock patch notes are here, and Valve has made some pretty substantial changes to the game’s map. The Steam maker has altered the number of lanes, reworked the layout, and even given you a chance to explore it in peace. That’s not all, however, because more mechanical changes have been introduced to Deadlock, essentially turning it into an entirely new experience.
Earlier this year, Valve made it clear that Deadlock’s update cadence was changing. The fixed two-week cycle was thrown out the window so that the team could more successfully iterate on major changes before release. Now, this new approach is bearing fruit, as a colossal update for the MOBA just dropped that makes some huge map changes, among other things.
“The map has been redesigned around being three lanes rather than four,” Valve writes. “This has a large range of accompanying map-wide changes regarding visuals, building layouts, pathways, neutral camps, air vents, breakables, powerup buffs, juke spots, mid-boss, etc.”
The team also explains that it has “Added a new feature called ‘Explore Map’ where you can run around an empty city to test movement and navigation.” You can find it under the play menu, and it should make testing out heroes and routes infinitely easier. We’ve got an image of the new map you can see for yourself below, courtesy of our sister site Deadlock Rank.
Some Soul Orb mechanics are also changing, as troopers no longer need to be last hit by a player to generate souls. The orb’s lifetime in the air has been “reduced significantly” too, while its physical radius has been upped by 10%, and its horizontal movement from troopers has also been lessened.
Valve has also upped Deadlock’s sprint speed from 0.5 to 1.0, and the sprint disable duration has been reduced to four seconds when dealing/taking damage with heroes, and 0.5 seconds when doing the same with non-heroes.
Sinner’s Sacrifice has also had some changes, as the vending machines no longer grant a random Golden Statue buff. Instead, there’s a new looping timing window with audio and visual cues, and if you destroy it with a heavy melee in this window you’ll get three Golden Statue buffs. If you just manage a last hit with a light melee, however, you’ll be given just one Golden Statue buff.
The patch notes also contain a bevy of hero changes, bug fixes, UI alterations, and a whole lot more. 2025 is already proving to be a big year for Deadlock, as Valve has already added four new heroes on top of all these map changes.
We’ve also got everything you need to know about all of the Deadlock characters, alongside even more free Steam games.
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