The October 24, 2024 update for Deadlock was an extensive overhaul, integrating a variety of changes that impact gameplay balance, character mechanics, item systems, map layout, and reward structures. Here’s a deep dive into the most significant additions and updates in this patch.
1. Introduction of Six New Experimental Heroes in Hero Labs
The Hero Labs mode now features six new experimental heroes: Holliday, Calico, Wrecker, Fathom, Viper, and Magician. This mode allows players to try out these early-stage characters and offer feedback to help developers refine their design and abilities.
Hero Breakdown:
- Holliday: A gunslinger equipped with crowd control abilities and magical skills. With Powder Keg, she can place explosive barrels that detonate upon impact, and Spirit Lasso slows and stuns enemies, giving her powerful control over the battlefield from medium to long range.
- Calico: A stealthy assassin with high mobility. Her Queen of Shadows grants invisibility, making her perfect for surprise attacks, while Siamese Strike enables sudden pounces on enemies, slowing them down and dealing high damage.
- Wrecker: A tanky character with robust crowd-control abilities, using Wrecking Ball to create a massive metal orb that stuns and damages enemies. His Consume ability allows him to absorb health from enemies, making him a formidable force in team battles.
- Fathom: A melee fighter with water-based magic, Fathom’s Riptide launches waves that lift and damage foes, and Ambush Predator grants invisibility and health regeneration.
- Viper: A trap specialist who excels at slowing enemies. Occilioblade throws a boomerang that slows enemies, and her Trapper’s Delight ability lets her set traps to immobilize opponents, inflicting continuous damage.
- Magician: A master of illusions and space manipulation. With Switcheroo, he can swap positions of allies or enemies, and Illusionary Wall creates barriers that block enemy movement.
These characters are exclusive to Hero Labs for now and will undergo tweaks based on player feedback before potential integration into standard gameplay
2. Extensive Character Rebalancing
The update also focused on adjusting existing characters to improve team dynamics and ability utility.
- Viscous
- Bullet damage was reduced from 12 to 11, and resistance to spirit damage was lowered by 10%, making him more susceptible to magical attacks. Splatter now deals less damage at Tier 2, balancing his power in early stages.
- The Cube was moved to Tier 3, granting +35 to health regeneration, making it more beneficial in later stages.
- Warden
- Alchemical Flask duration was shortened from 6 seconds to 3, but its effect duration was extended, making it better suited for close-range crowd control. Binding Word now makes it easier to trap enemies, improving his ability to assist teammates in combat.
- Yamato
- Shadow Transformation now has a reduced cooldown (from 106 to 90 seconds), enhancing his ability to launch surprise attacks and reposition in the field.
3. Comprehensive Item System Overhaul
The patch significantly adjusted various categories of items, enhancing their versatility and strategic utility.
- High-Velocity Mag
- Bullet speed was reduced from 25% to 20%, while shield strength increased from 50 to 65, making it ideal for tanks and medium-range fighters who need survivability and damage.
- Tesla Bullets
- Spirit scaling was increased from 0.13 to 0.16, making it more effective for magic-based attacks, raising its value for characters relying on spirit-based skills.
- Vampiric Burst
- The cooldown was reduced to 34 seconds, and ammo capacity increased by 75%, making it a solid choice for close-combat fighters seeking health restoration.
- Fortitude
- Health reserve was boosted from 325 to 365, and recovery time was shortened, increasing its value for characters needing durability during extended fights.
4. Map Enhancements and Mobility Improvements
Map updates included new teleportation routes and improved traversal for better accessibility and strategic maneuvering.
- New Teleport Points:
- Teleports are now placed closer to central areas and subway levels, allowing faster access to key locations. After using a teleport, players receive a temporary speed boost (for 5 seconds), aiding in quickly reaching critical points or returning to base.
- Bridges and Canals:
- New bridges and widened canals in the central Temple area and other vital points increase visibility and movement options, making it easier for teams to control key territories and retreat if needed.
5. Revamped Reward System and Respawn Mechanics
The reward system and respawn mechanics were reworked to encourage strategic teamwork and map control:
- Urn and Golden Statue Mechanics:
- Now, capturing the Urn grants an 8% team-wide boost to overall value, improving damage and regeneration. This adds a new layer of strategic importance, particularly during late-game phases.
- If the Urn is not delivered within 90 seconds, it returns to its starting point, requiring teams to coordinate and actively battle for its control.
- Boss and Camp Respawns:
- Boss respawn times decrease with each kill, starting at 7 minutes, then 6, and finally 5, allowing teams to accumulate buffs more quickly. Neutral camps now respawn every 5 minutes, increasing resource availability and speeding up gameplay.
Also improved is the visibility of characters in all areas, lighting and sky.
The October 24, 2024 patch for Deadlock brought major upgrades across all facets of the game, adding new experimental heroes, rebalancing items and characters, and enhancing map layouts.