The big Deadlock hero tier list: Who is dominating Valve's new MOBA in the early days

GamesMOBADeadlockThe big Deadlock hero tier list: Who is dominating Valve’s new MOBA in the early daysWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

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A hero in combat

Jump to:S TierA TierB TierC Tier

The sepia-soaked noir roster of Deadlock is packed with character, and characters it turns out—a total of 22 of them so far, with more in the murky future. There’s an argument for anything of them as the best Deadlock character, each having nuances that could fill a textbook: with four abilities per character, base and scaling attributes, and any number of ways to equip them from Deadlock’s packed item shop, the options are truly dizzying. We’ve all been there, when you’re new to a game and trying to get the lay of the land to decide which character you should try out, or have a really bad game and are left wondering—was it me, or is that big blue demon guy really strong?

Thankfully, between deep dives into strategy chats, tournament footage, community opinions, and hundreds of hours of gameplay, Deadlock’s pecking order is starting to take shape. RIsing from the foggy mists of MOBA island, down near hero shooter bay, a Deadlock tier list sits on an amorphous throne, prepared to guide your picks and remind you why you might be struggling in lane. Just remember that the team at Valve is tweaking Deadlock regularly, sometimes multiple times a week, so this list is as fluid as Viscous himself.

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The best Deadlock characters in 2024, in short

S Tier heroes

AbramsGood at:Nearly everything| Bad at:Long rangeIncredibly durable and packed with crowd control, Abrams is a monster who can thoroughly control every part of the game when in the hands of a skilled player. With how tough he is to kill, Abrams excels in teamfights, dealing a ton of damage with his heavy melee strikes and shotgun while pinning down the most dangerous enemies. His laning phase is also strong—especially given his ability to stay healed up using his life drain ability and passive regeneration ability.

AbramsGood at:Nearly everything| Bad at:Long range

Incredibly durable and packed with crowd control, Abrams is a monster who can thoroughly control every part of the game when in the hands of a skilled player. With how tough he is to kill, Abrams excels in teamfights, dealing a ton of damage with his heavy melee strikes and shotgun while pinning down the most dangerous enemies. His laning phase is also strong—especially given his ability to stay healed up using his life drain ability and passive regeneration ability.

DynamoGood at:Big teamfight plays| Bad at:Not a lot

HazeGood at:High damage teamfighting| Bad at:Playing from behindAt the top of the small pile of late-game hyper carries is Haze, who can come out of stealth into a teamfight and use her ultimate to quite literally delete the entire enemy team. Haze can chase down fleeing enemies, 1v1 players who don’t have the crowd control to stop her, and then clean up in both skirmishes and teamfights with her ultimate. A Haze that gets ahead can scale until they’re nearly unstoppable, so take care.

HazeGood at:High damage teamfighting| Bad at:Playing from behind

At the top of the small pile of late-game hyper carries is Haze, who can come out of stealth into a teamfight and use her ultimate to quite literally delete the entire enemy team. Haze can chase down fleeing enemies, 1v1 players who don’t have the crowd control to stop her, and then clean up in both skirmishes and teamfights with her ultimate. A Haze that gets ahead can scale until they’re nearly unstoppable, so take care.

A Tier heroes

PocketGood at:Mobility, trickery, and survival| Bad at:Surviving Silence GlyphThe most slippery and impossible to pin down of all Deadlock’s heroes, Pocket is an all-star in skilled hands, able to drop into the middle of the enemy team and shred them to pieces with his ultimate Affliction, which debuffs enemies with damage over time. His teleport ability can give him an engage tool, but veteran Pocket players will engage with other mobility items, saving his teleport to deal damage and make a quick escape. With a Pocket in the match, you have to be extra careful.

PocketGood at:Mobility, trickery, and survival| Bad at:Surviving Silence Glyph

The most slippery and impossible to pin down of all Deadlock’s heroes, Pocket is an all-star in skilled hands, able to drop into the middle of the enemy team and shred them to pieces with his ultimate Affliction, which debuffs enemies with damage over time. His teleport ability can give him an engage tool, but veteran Pocket players will engage with other mobility items, saving his teleport to deal damage and make a quick escape. With a Pocket in the match, you have to be extra careful.

BebopGood at:Big flashy plays| Bad at:Escaping enemiesLoved and hated in equal measures, Bebop is a powerful hero for pulling enemies out of position with his hook ability. More than that, he can be built a variety of ways, scaling his bomb ability with both Spirit and its built-in stacking mechanic, focusing on his Hyper Beam ultimate, or on his powerful gun with Bullet items. With his ability to set up a kill on a crucial enemy at the core of his power, Bebop is a terror that forces the other team to play around the lethality of his hook.

BebopGood at:Big flashy plays| Bad at:Escaping enemies

Loved and hated in equal measures, Bebop is a powerful hero for pulling enemies out of position with his hook ability. More than that, he can be built a variety of ways, scaling his bomb ability with both Spirit and its built-in stacking mechanic, focusing on his Hyper Beam ultimate, or on his powerful gun with Bullet items. With his ability to set up a kill on a crucial enemy at the core of his power, Bebop is a terror that forces the other team to play around the lethality of his hook.

IvyGood at:Countering enemy plays and defending| Bad at:Not a whole lotWith her abilities covering the full range of utility, Ivy is exactly what you want from a support hero. Her ultimate lets her pick up an ally to set up an incredible combo (you haven’t known fear until you’ve seen Ivy flying around the middle of your team carrying a Bebop blasting Hyper Beam or a Haze using Bullet Dance) or just zip an ally across the map carrying the Urn objective. Don’t make the mistake of underestimating her.

ShivGood at:Mobility and survival| Bad at:Overcoming anti-healIn a game absolutely packed with burst damage, Shiv is Deadlock’s version of a cockroach—with his passive Bloodletting turning a third of damage he takes into a damage over time instead. His ultimate, Killing Blow, is a powerful fight ender that guarantees enemies below roughly 30% health are in danger of instant death even at medium range, and making use of it helps Shiv continue to snowball his lead if he gets ahead of his opponents.

ShivGood at:Mobility and survival| Bad at:Overcoming anti-heal

In a game absolutely packed with burst damage, Shiv is Deadlock’s version of a cockroach—with his passive Bloodletting turning a third of damage he takes into a damage over time instead. His ultimate, Killing Blow, is a powerful fight ender that guarantees enemies below roughly 30% health are in danger of instant death even at medium range, and making use of it helps Shiv continue to snowball his lead if he gets ahead of his opponents.

KelvinGood at:Rotations, picks, and counter-engage| Bad at:Overcoming anti-heal, long rangeEvery game has its share of frustrating characters to go up against, and Kelvin is best friends with them all. As a sort of long-range ice mage, Kelvin has powerful poke with his Frost Grenade and Arctic Beam abilities, but his true power is in his Ice Path, which creates an ice bridge under his feet as he moves anywhere he wants. His ultimate Frozen Shelter is also an incredibly useful tool, allowing him to protect his team or lock an enemy into a dome with him for a sure execution.

KelvinGood at:Rotations, picks, and counter-engage| Bad at:Overcoming anti-heal, long range

Every game has its share of frustrating characters to go up against, and Kelvin is best friends with them all. As a sort of long-range ice mage, Kelvin has powerful poke with his Frost Grenade and Arctic Beam abilities, but his true power is in his Ice Path, which creates an ice bridge under his feet as he moves anywhere he wants. His ultimate Frozen Shelter is also an incredibly useful tool, allowing him to protect his team or lock an enemy into a dome with him for a sure execution.

YamatoGood at:Mobility and burst damage| Bad at:Long range, playing when her ultimate is downYamato rides to success on the back of a versatile kit and powerful weapon. Her shurikens are strong on their own (and have been nerfed as a result), but her alternate fire is a handful of small bombs that explode in an area of effect when they hit anything. Yamato’s true ace in the hole is her ultimate, Shadow Transformation, which enables her to make big plays at crucial times. With this buff active, Yamato can set up the ultimate Midboss steal, or just reach and assassinate a pesky enemy.

YamatoGood at:Mobility and burst damage| Bad at:Long range, playing when her ultimate is down

Yamato rides to success on the back of a versatile kit and powerful weapon. Her shurikens are strong on their own (and have been nerfed as a result), but her alternate fire is a handful of small bombs that explode in an area of effect when they hit anything. Yamato’s true ace in the hole is her ultimate, Shadow Transformation, which enables her to make big plays at crucial times. With this buff active, Yamato can set up the ultimate Midboss steal, or just reach and assassinate a pesky enemy.

MirageGood at:Poke damage and map pressure| Bad at:Surviving burst damageThe latest addition to Deadlock’s roster, Mirage has an unusual combination of abilities that have positioned him as a powerhouse during the early and mid game. With his Djinn’s Mark ability and strong medium range rifle, he can rack up a multiplier between last hits and drive even durable opponents out of lane to heal. His ultimate ability, Traveler, teleports him anywhere on the map in seconds, allowing him to pose a threat at all times.

MirageGood at:Poke damage and map pressure| Bad at:Surviving burst damage

The latest addition to Deadlock’s roster, Mirage has an unusual combination of abilities that have positioned him as a powerhouse during the early and mid game. With his Djinn’s Mark ability and strong medium range rifle, he can rack up a multiplier between last hits and drive even durable opponents out of lane to heal. His ultimate ability, Traveler, teleports him anywhere on the map in seconds, allowing him to pose a threat at all times.

Mo & KrillGood at:Crowd control and laning sustain| Bad at:Surviving his huge hitboxAn incredibly powerful laning duo, Mo & Krill bring the most extensive single target crowd control kit to Deadlock. With a nearly five-second area disarm on their Sand Blast ability, a 1.5 second knock-up when they follow up with their Burrow ability, and over three seconds of stun on their Combo ultimate—Mo & Krill are a dangerous and frustrating 1v1 matchup. They’re deadly in small skirmishes and can also lock down and pick off targets for their allies in team fights.

Mo & KrillGood at:Crowd control and laning sustain| Bad at:Surviving his huge hitbox

An incredibly powerful laning duo, Mo & Krill bring the most extensive single target crowd control kit to Deadlock. With a nearly five-second area disarm on their Sand Blast ability, a 1.5 second knock-up when they follow up with their Burrow ability, and over three seconds of stun on their Combo ultimate—Mo & Krill are a dangerous and frustrating 1v1 matchup. They’re deadly in small skirmishes and can also lock down and pick off targets for their allies in team fights.

B Tier heroes

ViscousGood at:Mobility and being a jack of all trades| Bad at:Surviving Silence GlyphViscous is a powerful laning hero who can poke enemies relentlessly with his Splatter and Puddle Punch abilities, while always having a backup plan: The Cube, an ability that makes him (or an ally) invulnerable and gives increased health regen for a few seconds. Being able to simply deflect any number of direct attacks The Cube makes him valuable at all stages of the match. Viscous has clear limits, though: his ultimate isn’t as impactful in open spaces and his gun is on the weak side. A true utility man.

ViscousGood at:Mobility and being a jack of all trades| Bad at:Surviving Silence Glyph

Viscous is a powerful laning hero who can poke enemies relentlessly with his Splatter and Puddle Punch abilities, while always having a backup plan: The Cube, an ability that makes him (or an ally) invulnerable and gives increased health regen for a few seconds. Being able to simply deflect any number of direct attacks The Cube makes him valuable at all stages of the match. Viscous has clear limits, though: his ultimate isn’t as impactful in open spaces and his gun is on the weak side. A true utility man.

VindictaGood at:Finishing targets| Bad at:Playing from behind, providing utilityDeadlock’s sniper is still a powerful hybrid damage source who can snowball out of control, but with her rifle’s damage falloff range reduced in recent patches, she has to get in closer to deal damage now, making her easier to deal with despite zipping around with her Flight ability. Vindicta does her best work when she is hanging out in the back of a skirmish or team fight, free to rain down automatic fire and well-timed Assassinates to secure kills.

VindictaGood at:Finishing targets| Bad at:Playing from behind, providing utility

Deadlock’s sniper is still a powerful hybrid damage source who can snowball out of control, but with her rifle’s damage falloff range reduced in recent patches, she has to get in closer to deal damage now, making her easier to deal with despite zipping around with her Flight ability. Vindicta does her best work when she is hanging out in the back of a skirmish or team fight, free to rain down automatic fire and well-timed Assassinates to secure kills.

LashGood at:Rotations and big teamfight plays| Bad at:Overcoming Slowing HexDespite recent nerfs, Lash is still the most mobile character in Deadlock and maintains a high skill ceiling. While his burst firing gauntlet-gun isn’t among the best, he has Flog to top up his HP while laning. Central to Lash’s power is the impact his Death Slam ultimate can have in controlling teamfights. Good Lash players find creative paths through the map and set up high-damage uses of his Ground Strike on multiple enemies, but he’s more situational than heroes higher on the list.

LashGood at:Rotations and big teamfight plays| Bad at:Overcoming Slowing Hex

Despite recent nerfs, Lash is still the most mobile character in Deadlock and maintains a high skill ceiling. While his burst firing gauntlet-gun isn’t among the best, he has Flog to top up his HP while laning. Central to Lash’s power is the impact his Death Slam ultimate can have in controlling teamfights. Good Lash players find creative paths through the map and set up high-damage uses of his Ground Strike on multiple enemies, but he’s more situational than heroes higher on the list.

WraithGood at:Single target damage and escapes| Bad at:Targets that can escape Telekinesis

ParadoxGood at:Setting up huge plays and poking| Bad at:Enemies who position well against herTricky to learn and with a complex kit, Paradox can use their Paradoxical Swap ultimate to pull enemies out of position for a definite kill while blocking damage with their Time Wall ability. As a hybrid damage dealer, Paradox can deal intense damage with their Kinetic Carbine ability when specced for Bullet, and the burst-fire of their basic left-flick attack is no slouch either. Most of what limits Paradox is the skill required to land their skill shot ultimate, Paradoxical Swap, while setting up Time Walls to swap through and then escape the position you’ve just swapped into.

SevenGood at:Big area of effect damage| Bad at:Overcoming KnockdownWith individual skills so impactful that you can build around any of them, Seven has a flashy ultimate in Storm Cloud that every player has fallen victim to at least once. But while he does have a strong ability kit, he lags a bit behind some of the other damage dealers in how his damage can be avoided or mitigated. It’s all-too-common to pop his ultimate Storm Cloud just to be killed in the process. Seven’s biggest strength is excellent crowd control in Static Charge.

SevenGood at:Big area of effect damage| Bad at:Overcoming Knockdown

With individual skills so impactful that you can build around any of them, Seven has a flashy ultimate in Storm Cloud that every player has fallen victim to at least once. But while he does have a strong ability kit, he lags a bit behind some of the other damage dealers in how his damage can be avoided or mitigated. It’s all-too-common to pop his ultimate Storm Cloud just to be killed in the process. Seven’s biggest strength is excellent crowd control in Static Charge.

WardenGood at:Chasing enemies| Bad at:Overcoming anti-heal and surviving burstWith a forgiving kit that allows him to harass and chase enemies courtesy of his Alchemical Flask and Willpower abilities, Warden can be a dangerous enemy to face when roaming in the early and mid game. Countless newer players have fallen victim to his Binding Word ability, which roots an enemy after a delay unless they manage to get far enough away, and his Last Stand ultimate gives him massive healing and damage for a brief time.

WardenGood at:Chasing enemies| Bad at:Overcoming anti-heal and surviving burst

With a forgiving kit that allows him to harass and chase enemies courtesy of his Alchemical Flask and Willpower abilities, Warden can be a dangerous enemy to face when roaming in the early and mid game. Countless newer players have fallen victim to his Binding Word ability, which roots an enemy after a delay unless they manage to get far enough away, and his Last Stand ultimate gives him massive healing and damage for a brief time.

C Tier heroes

Grey TalonGood at:Burst damage and finishing kills| Bad at:Surviving to scale, stretching out fightsDon’t get us wrong, Grey Talon has a useful kit—in particular, Charged Shot is a great ability for his Spirit build, piercing enemies and adding charges with upgrades so he can keep sending arrows downrange. His ultimate Guided Owl is a high-damage stun that can go anywhere, perfect for finishing off a laning opponent who doesn’t respect his damage. At high risk of being pounced on and killed before he can output consistent damage.

Grey TalonGood at:Burst damage and finishing kills| Bad at:Surviving to scale, stretching out fights

Don’t get us wrong, Grey Talon has a useful kit—in particular, Charged Shot is a great ability for his Spirit build, piercing enemies and adding charges with upgrades so he can keep sending arrows downrange. His ultimate Guided Owl is a high-damage stun that can go anywhere, perfect for finishing off a laning opponent who doesn’t respect his damage. At high risk of being pounced on and killed before he can output consistent damage.

Lady GeistGood at:Dueling and poking| Bad at:Overcoming anti-heal and landing her ultimatein the laning phase, Lady Geist can be an absolute terror to face, with her Essence Bomb providing her some of the lowest cooldown ranged area damage in the whole roster, and her Life Drain ability allowing her to win close-range fights and heal. But once team fights and skirmishes start breaking out, and her enemies start scaling, Lady Geist struggles. Her ultimate Soul Exchange in particular is difficult to get value out of with its short range.

Lady GeistGood at:Dueling and poking| Bad at:Overcoming anti-heal and landing her ultimate

in the laning phase, Lady Geist can be an absolute terror to face, with her Essence Bomb providing her some of the lowest cooldown ranged area damage in the whole roster, and her Life Drain ability allowing her to win close-range fights and heal. But once team fights and skirmishes start breaking out, and her enemies start scaling, Lady Geist struggles. Her ultimate Soul Exchange in particular is difficult to get value out of with its short range.

McGinnisGood at:Split pushing and sustaining| Bad at:Being a big impact teamfighterAs a split-pushing focused hero, McGinnis can be powerful against uncoordinated teams that react slowly to her pressure on side lanes, allowing her to farm up souls freely and destroy guardians, walkers, and break open the enemy base. However, unless she pulls massively ahead in souls, her impact in teamfights is significantly less than other heroes. There’s a lot working against her.

McGinnisGood at:Split pushing and sustaining| Bad at:Being a big impact teamfighter

As a split-pushing focused hero, McGinnis can be powerful against uncoordinated teams that react slowly to her pressure on side lanes, allowing her to farm up souls freely and destroy guardians, walkers, and break open the enemy base. However, unless she pulls massively ahead in souls, her impact in teamfights is significantly less than other heroes. There’s a lot working against her.

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The best Deadlock characters in 2024, in short#

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A Tier heroes#

B Tier heroes#

C Tier heroes#

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