Valve has officially dropped a massive update for its limited-access MOBA shooter, Deadlock, introducing six new heroes and a revamped social lobby just one month after claiming no patches were imminent.
A Surprise Expansion to the Roster
Despite previous statements suggesting that updates would be paused for some time, Valve has expanded the Deadlock roster significantly. The six new arrivals include Mina the vampire, Billy the demonic goat, Paige—who possesses the ability to bring books to life—The Doorman, the unstoppable monster Victor, and the city-terrorizing Drifter.
Staggered Releases and Community Voting
Valve is pivoting to a new deployment strategy for these characters. Rather than a bulk release, the studio is staggering the launch, unlocking one hero every two days. The process begins with Mina, a “glass cannon” character specializing in rapid ranged attacks. Players will influence the order of subsequent releases by casting votes within “The Hideout,” a new pre-game lobby.
“The Hideout replaces the existing Dashboard UI and is your personal area to play around in while waiting for a match,” Valve explained. “You can invite friends to your hideout, or join them in theirs. We hope it will be a fun place to spend time as well as provide future opportunities for personalization, achievements, and events.”
Map Overhauls and Visual Upgrades
Beyond the new character additions, the update brings substantial technical and aesthetic improvements to the game. The map has undergone a visual overhaul, featuring enhanced lighting and structural refinements. Valve has confirmed that further map improvements are currently in development for future patches.
The update also introduces a complete visual refresh for the hero selection screen and updated character art. Following the initial release of Mina, the remaining heroes are scheduled to join the game on a strict timeline—specifically Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays over the next two weeks—followed by a series of balance adjustments.
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