At a glance#
Role (our classification)
- Brawler — Starts and survives close-range fights, soaking damage while dealing plenty back.
Damage
- Hybrid-leaning kit
Weapon
- Sovereign's Decree
Released
- 2 Oct 2026
Rat King emerges from the sewers to lead the rats in taking over the streets of Manhattan.
Rat King’s abilities explained#
Rat King has three regular abilities and an ultimate. Ability names and behaviour below were checked on 27 Oct 2026; numbers are left out on purpose because they change with almost every patch — the in-game tooltip shows the current values.
Ability 1
Scrap Grenade
Throws a scrap grenade that detonates several times, dealing bullet damage and slowing enemies. It can be meleed away.
Ability 2
Rat Swarm
Calls rats that leap onto enemies, dealing spirit damage over time and lowering bullet resist with each bite. Dashing shakes them off.
Ability 3
Royal Pestments
Scrappy armour that grants a barrier based on max health; bullets may be deflected back at attackers while it holds.
Ultimate
Rule, Ratannia!
Plants a banner that speeds up nearby allies, grants slow immunity and reduces incoming damage. Slamming it damages, knocks up and slows enemies and summons rats.
How to play Rat King#
Take the space in front of your team, but pick engagements your carries can follow. Durability items let you stay in fights long enough to matter; buy them early.
Tips from the current kit
- Crouch next to a vent to enter tunnels when out of combat.
- Rat King double-jumps higher than other heroes.
- Royal Pestments mitigates pure damage, unlike most barriers.
- Items can be used during Rule, Ratannia! after the wind-up.
Build framework#
A starting framework, not a tested build
This section explains what kind of items Rat King’s kit rewards, built from how the abilities work. It isn’t a win-rate-tested build. For community builds with current stats, open the in-game Build Browser and filter by hero, then check our items explainer to understand why each item is there.
Hybrid lean. The kit mixes weapon and spirit damage, so builds lean whichever way your abilities and the game call for — often spirit items for the abilities you level first, then weapon items as the gun takes over.
| Stage | What to look for |
|---|---|
| Laning | Cheap 800-soul items that help you trade and sustain in lane, plus one that boosts your main damage source. |
| Mid game | Your first 3,200-soul item is usually the biggest single jump in power — buy toward the one that makes your best ability or your gun stronger. |
| Late game | Fill slots with 6,400-soul items, and swap cheap starters for upgrades. Leave room for an answer to what the enemy is doing. |
| Defence | Match the enemy’s damage: shields and resistance against whichever type is hurting you most. |
Items that fit a hybrid kit
Defensive options
Ability points#
Ability unlocks come from levelling up; ability points then buy upgrade tiers. A sensible default for Rat King:
- Unlock the ability that helps you farm or trade in lane first — for most players that’s Scrap Grenade or the ability you can hit most reliably.
- Unlock all three regular abilities early so you have every tool in the first fights.
- Unlock Rule, Ratannia! as soon as it’s available.
- Put upgrade points into the ability you use most, then into whichever upgrade tier changes how an ability works (tier 3 upgrades often do).
General guidance; upgrade tiers and costs are shown in game.
Playing against Rat King#
- Dash to shake off Rat Swarm rats early.
- Melee the Scrap Grenade to knock it away.
- Break line of sight before the banner slams — only enemies in view get hit.
- Fight away from the banner's area.
The full breakdown — abilities to play around, counter items with reasons and mistakes to avoid — is in how to counter Rat King.
Recent changes#
| Date | Change |
|---|---|
| 30 Oct 2026 | Nerfs: base bullet damage −5% and growth −20%; Scrap Grenade damage 70 → 60 (T3 300 → 275) with slightly longer fuses; Rule, Ratannia! cooldown 160s → 180s and knock-up duration halved. |
| 5 Oct 2026 | Rule, Ratannia! cooldown 130s→160s. |
Every update that touches heroes is summarised in patch notes explained and the patch impact tracker.