Valve’s Deadlock Update Brings New Heroes and The Hideout

Valve’s freshly released free-to-play MOBA, Deadlock, has received a major update that takes effect on gameplay as well as presentation. The patch, deployed on August 18, includes a combination of new content, balance adjustments, and a new hero release strategy.

The top-line addition is Mina, a range glass cannon who drains her enemies with vampiric attacks. She’s the sole new hero who can be accessed immediately, but more characters were officially coming, Valve said, gradually over the next fortnight.

Players even get to decide which next hero they want to release by casting votes accumulated after each game. The new voting system is in place of the cancelled Hero Labs feature for now. The staggered rollout also gives Valve greater flexibility to balance between releases.

Another significant shift is the introduction of The Hideout, a private hub replacing the previous Dashboard. Based on game systems found in titles such as Warframe, it provides the player with a personal area to visit, host friends, and have access to practice modes.

The Hideout features a mini firing range to test movement and skills without having to wait for full-game loads. Valve has also hinted that player customization and seasonal events will come to this region in the future.

Outside of the new hub, the update sees a visual makeover. The hero select screen now features a better layout, while a number of maps and characters have received cleaner designs. Valve states this is the start of a larger visual redesign designed to make Deadlock look more refined and unified.

With a new hero, new lobby design, and player-managed release scheme, Deadlock’s recent patch is one of the largest leaps forward since its initial launch.