Guides
How to play Deadlock
How a match works, souls, items, lanes and objectives — plus a ten-match plan for new players.
Unofficial Deadlock guidesChecked 26 Oct 2026
Masterthe cityof DeadlockGuides · Heroes · Fixes
Patch-stamped guides to Valve’s hero shooter-MOBA: how matches work, what to buy, how to read the reworked map, and how to fix the game when it won’t start. Every page says when it was checked — and what we haven’t verified yet.
YorkStock ExchangeShipyard DocksFairfax FactoriesBroadwayUptownTimes SquareDowntownGreenwichUmbria UniversityCentral ParkThe BrownstonesDistricts — Theater · Chinatown · Haunted Lot · Plaza
44heroes on the roster
156items in the shop
11ranks to climb
3lanes · 4 districts
6v6players per match
New to Deadlock?
Four stops from curious to your first match
Ride the line in order, or jump off at the stop you need.
- Stop 01
Understand access
It’s invite-only. How friend invites work — and how to avoid invite scams.
- Stop 02
Tune your PC
Settings, launch options and what Valve actually says about specs.
- Stop 03
Learn a match
Lanes, souls, objectives and a ten-match plan for your first week.
- Stop 04
Master the shop
Categories, tiers, slots, refunds and the 4.8k spike, end to end.
The roster
44 heroes, one page each
Every hero gets a portrait, a guide and a counter page. Search the full roster or start with the newest arrival.
Browse the rosterField guides
Explore the guides
Ten in-depth guides to the questions new and returning players ask most — each dated and kept current.
Items & builds
Items explained
Categories, tiers, slots, upgrades, refunds and the 4.8k spike, explained end to end.
Ranked
Ranks & ranked mode
Every rank in order, the unlock checklist, placements, points and season dates.
Counters
Counter items cheat sheet
What to buy against healing, crowd control, burst and invisibility, plus a 44-hero table.
Tech help
Best settings for FPS
Settings by PC tier, launch options and the honest answer on system requirements.
Tech help
Crash & launch fixes
Symptom-by-symptom fixes for launch failures, startup crashes and loading screens.
Guides
How Deadlock invites work
Is it still invite-only, how friend invites work, and what to do when one doesn’t show up.
City Never Sleeps · map
Three lanes. Four districts. One Patron.
Pick a lane to trace its route. The full guide covers districts, objectives and every timer.
Index
Discover by topic
Every topic on the site, from your first match to fixing crashes — 44 hero guides, 44 counter guides, tools and more.
The codex
Checked, dated, honest about gaps
- Every page shows when it was checkedAnd which patch it reflects.
- Unverified details are marked as pendingYou’ll see dashed labels instead of guesses.
- No invented numbersWin rates, timers and stats are checked and dated.
- No invites, accounts, boosting or VPN upsellsWe’re an information site, not a storefront — and not affiliated with Valve.