Quick answer#
- Default key
- F
- What it does
- Blocks an incoming enemy melee hit.
- On success
- The attacker is stunned for 2.75 s and takes +25% damage while stunned.
- Cooldown
- Starts when you use it. A successful parry against a hero refunds it instantly.
How parry works#
Press parry just before an enemy’s melee attack lands. If your timing is right, you block the hit and the attacker is left stunned and vulnerable — a 2.75-second window where your whole team’s damage is 25% stronger against them.
- Against heroes: a successful parry refunds the cooldown immediately, so you’re ready to parry again.
- Against troopers and Guardians: you can parry them, but there’s no cooldown refund.
- Since City Never Sleeps (29 Sep 2026): parrying objectives no longer resets your parry cooldown.
The parry’s active window and cooldown length aren’t stated in our sources, and the penalty for a missed parry still needs testing. Pending in-game verification
Can you parry it?#
| Target | Parryable? | Cooldown refund? | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Enemy hero melee | Yes | Yes | Confirmed |
| Light vs heavy melee differences | Testing | — | Sandbox test planned |
| Melee-based abilities | Hero by hero | — | Sandbox test planned |
| Troopers | Yes | No | Confirmed |
| Guardians | Yes | No | Confirmed |
| Walkers | Testing | — | Sandbox test planned |
| Base Guardians | Testing | — | Sandbox test planned |
| Bosses | Testing | — | Sandbox test planned |
Rows marked “Sandbox test planned” are still being tested.
Reading wind-ups: when to press#
Heavy melee attacks have a visible wind-up before they land. That wind-up is your cue: react to the animation, not to the moment the enemy closes distance. Pressing as soon as an enemy gets near is the most common way to waste the parry.
Timing clips and a frame-by-frame breakdown will be added from our sandbox recordings. Pending in-game verification
Baiting and countering parries#
Parry is a guessing game in both directions.
- Feint the approach. Step in as if to melee, then shoot instead — if they parry early, their parry is on cooldown and they’re exposed.
- Mix up your timing. Predictable heavy melee is the easiest thing in the game to parry.
- Use spacing. Melee only when the enemy can’t afford to guess wrong, such as when they’re low or locked in place.
How to practise#
City Never Sleeps expanded the sandbox and added bot recording, which is ideal for drilling parries against the same attack again and again. Step-by-step setup is being written from the current build. Pending in-game verification
- Practise against one hero’s heavy melee until you can parry it consistently.
- Then practise against a second hero with a different wind-up.
- In real matches, start by parrying only when you’re sure — a missed parry is worse than no parry.
FAQ#
How do you parry in Deadlock?
Press the parry key (default F) just before an enemy melee hit lands.
What can you parry?
Enemy melee hits, including from troopers and Guardians. We’re testing light melee, abilities, Walkers, Base Guardians and bosses one by one.
Can you parry abilities, Walkers or Guardians?
Guardians, yes (without a cooldown refund). Abilities and Walkers are being tested.
How long is the parry stun?
2.75 seconds, during which the stunned enemy takes 25% more damage.
What happens if you miss a parry?
Your parry goes on cooldown. Any further penalty is being confirmed in testing.
How do you practise parrying?
Use the sandbox’s bot recording to repeat the same melee attack until your timing is consistent.