Deadlock May 19, 2025 patch notes

The new Deadlock patch has introduced changes to many heroes and items, good and bad, plus yet more map changes!

Deadlock May 19, 2025 patch notes

UPDATE: The May 19, 2025 patch was expanded upon only two days later with some additional changes which have been appended to the bottom of this article. 

A new Deadlock update typically means only one thing: the meta is going to shift once again. However, Valve seems to be taking a lot of fan feedback to heart, updating the Deadlock map, introducing a clearer indicator for when Soul Orbs can be stolen, and nerfing a number of Deadlock heroes and Deadlock items.

General

  • Troopers now gain 50% resistance when near the base (up from 30%).
  • Shrine shooting distance increased by 7m.
  • Hero Kill Bounty increased from 175–1600 to 250–1800 (maxes out at 45 minutes).
  • 2-hero soul split ratio increased from 60% to 65%.
  • Walker HP increased by 10%.
  • Walker resistance vs troopers reaches -40% at 20 minutes instead of 16 minutes.
  • Objectives Spirit Resistance reduced from 50% to 40%.
  • Soul orb securing advantage over deniers reduced.
  • Soul orb claimability now has a flash at the start of the window.

Map

  • Moved outer lane Base Guardians down to the lower landing.
  • Added interior connection from lower landing to the ropes.
  • Flattened the shape of the outer lane base bridges.

Deadlock heroes

  • Abrams: Move Speed reduced from 6.8 to 6.5
  • Dynamo: Rejuvenating Aurora T3 reduced from 3% to 2.5%
  • Kelvin: Stamina Cooldown increased from 5s to 6s
  • Lady Geist:
    • Health per boon reduced from 86 to 82
    • Essence Bomb self-damage spirit scaling increased from 1.3 to 1.6
    • Life Drain cast range reduced from 20m to 18m
  • McGinnis: Medicinal Specter T3 reduced from 3.5% to 3%
  • Shiv:
    • Move Speed reduced from 7 to 6.8
    • Health per boon reduced from 81 to 77
    • Base gun damage reduced from 4.95 to 4.6
  • Vyper:
    • Health per boon reduced from 64 to 53
    • Now has -20% Crit Bonus Scale (like Kelvin)
    • Bullet damage growth reduced from 0.33 to 0.28
  • Warden:
    • Last Stand T2 reduced from +70 DPS to +60
    • Last Stand spirit power scaling increased from 1.3 to 1.4
  • Wraith:
    • Health per boon reduced from 65 to 57
    • Full Auto T2 spirit damage per bullet reduced from 5 to 4
  • Yamato: Crimson Slash T2 heal reduced from 8% to 6%

Deadlock items

  • Close Quarters: Melee Resistance increased from 15% to 20%
  • Extended Magazine: Max Ammo increased from 25% to 30%
  • Headshot Booster: Cooldown increased from 6s to 8s
  • Monster Rounds: Out of Combat regen reduced from 1.5 to 1
  • Restorative Shot:
    • Weapon Damage increased from 6% to 8%
    • Cooldown reduced from 7s to 6s
  • Active Reload:
    • No longer goes on cooldown when it doesn’t trigger
    • Now grants +1 Move Speed during the active
  • Backstabber: Now only triggers when hitting an enemy within 25m
  • Fleetfoot: Cooldown reduced from 11s to 10s
  • Intensifying Magazine: Weapon Damage increased from 40% to 45%
  • Long Range: Weapon Damage increased from 35% to 40%
  • Melee Charge: Bonus Heavy Damage reduced from 30% to 25%
  • Slowing Bullets: Dash distance slow reduced from -25% to -20%
  • Titanic Magazine: Weapon Damage reduced from 15% to 12%
  • Weakening Headshot: Health bonus increased from +50 to +75
  • Alchemical Fire: Spirit power scaling increased from 0.056 to 0.07
  • Berserker: Bullet Resistance reduced from 18% to 16%
  • Burst Fire:
    • Now grants +10% Fire Rate
    • Active Fire Rate reduced from +45% to +35%
    • Cooldown reduced from 8s to 7s
    • Duration reduced from 4s to 3.5s
  • Cultist Sacrifice:
    • Buff no longer expires on death
    • Buff duration reduced from 180s to 170s
    • Bonus health reduced from 300 to 275
  • Escalating Resilience:
    • Bonus health increased from +100 to +125
    • Stack duration increased from 20s to 24s
  • Express Shot: Weapon Damage reduced from +150% to +125%
  • Headhunter:
    • Cooldown increased from 6s to 8s
    • Weapon Damage reduced from +8% to +5%
  • Hollow Point: Bullet Resistance Reduction increased from -10% to -12%
  • Hunter’s Aura: Bullet Resistance Reduction increased from -7% to -8%
  • Point Blank: Melee Resistance increased from +25% to +30%
  • Sharpshooter: Weapon Fall-off Range increased from +18% to +20%
  • Spirit Rend: Debuff duration reduced from 8s to 7s
  • Tesla Bullets: Damage reduced from 45 to 40
  • Toxic Bullets: Bleed reduced from 2.6% to 2.5%
  • Armor Piercing Rounds: Chance reduced from 65% to 60%
  • Capacitor:
    • Active damage reduced from 200 to 100
    • Damage reduced from 45 to 40
  • Crushing Fists:
    • Bonus Heavy Damage reduced from 30% to 25%
    • Melee damage reduced from 25% to 20%
  • Frenzy: Bullet Resistance bonuses changed to Spirit Resistance
  • Glass Cannon: Fire Rate per stack increased from +7% to +8%
  • Lucky Shot: Chance increased from 20% to 25%
  • Shadow Weave: Cooldown reduced from 48s to 40s
  • Spiritual Overflow:
    • Fire Rate reduced from +40% to +30%
    • Active now also grants +20% Ability Duration
  • Enduring Speed:
    • Now upgrades from Sprint Boots
    • Move Speed increased from +1.75 to +2
    • Slow Resistance reduced from 50% to 30%
    • No longer grants +75 Bonus Health
    • Now grants +2 Out of Combat Regen
  • Bullet Lifesteal: Bonus Health increased from +70 to +90
  • Debuff Reducer: Bonus Health reduced from +75 to +50
  • Enchanter’s Emblem: Out of Combat Regen reduced from +3 to +2
  • Guardian Ward: Bonus Range increased from +8% to +10%
  • Healing Booster: Healing Effectiveness reduced from +25% to +20%
  • Healing Nova:
    • Heal reduced from 300 to 260
    • Spirit power scaling increased from 0.93 to 1.3
  • Reactive Barrier: Now grants +5% Spirit Resistance
  • Restorative Locket:
    • Charge up range reduced from 35m to 30m
    • Heal spirit scaling reduced from 0.23 to 0.17
  • Return Fire: Cooldown reduced from 30s to 25s
  • Spirit Shielding: Now grants +1 Move Speed after the shield triggers
  • Weapon Shielding: Now grants +1 Move Speed after the shield triggers
  • Bullet Resilience: Low HP trigger increased from +30% to +35%
  • Debuff Remover: Move Speed buff duration reduced from 4s to 3s
  • Fury Trance:
    • Bonus health increased from +50 to +100
    • Active Bullet Resistance changed to Spirit Resistance
  • Lifestrike: Heal reduced from 60% to 50%
  • Majestic Leap:
    • Cooldown reduced from 32s to 28s
    • Barrier increased from 300 to 350
  • Metal Skin: Dash Distance penalty reduced from 25% to 20%
  • Rescue Beam: Heal reduced from 25% to 20%
  • Spirit Resilience: Low HP trigger increased from +30% to +35%
  • Stamina Mastery: Air Jump/Dash Distance increased from +25% to +30%
  • Trophy Collector: Max Stacks increased from 14 to 16
  • Veil Walker: Invis duration reduced from 7s to 6s
  • Cheat Death:
    • Duration increased from 4s to 4.5s
    • Cooldown reduced from 130s to 120s
  • Healing Tempo: Healing Effectiveness reduced from +30% to +25%
  • Infuser: Spirit Power reduced from +35 to +30
  • Phantom Strike: Cooldown increased from 30s to 35s
  • Plated Armor: On-Hit Prevention Percent reduced from 60% to 50%
  • Siphon Bullets:
    • No longer grants +10% Bullet Resistance
    • Now grants +12% Spirit Resistance
    • Cooldown reduced from 0.8s to 0.7s
  • Spellbreaker: Cooldown reduced from 14s to 10s
  • Extra Charge: Charged Spirit Power increased from +5 to +7
  • Mystic Burst: Chargeup time reduced from 14s to 12s
  • Mystic Regeneration:
    • No longer scales with Spirit Power
    • Now upgrades to new T3: Radiant Regeneration
  • Rusted Barrel: Fire Rate reduction increased from -30% to -35%
  • Arcane Surge:
    • Ability Range reduced from +20% to +15%
    • Ability Duration reduced from +20% to +15%
  • Bullet Resist Shredder: Duration increased from 6s to 8s
  • Cold Front: Cooldown reduced from 30s to 24s
  • Compress Cooldown: Imbued Cooldown Reduction increased from +18% to +22%
  • Duration Extender: Imbued Ability Duration increased from +20% to +22%
  • Quicksilver Reload: Chargeup time increased from 16s to 18s
  • Decay:
    • Damage reduced from 2.75% to 2.5%
    • Cooldown increased from 24s to 30s
  • Rapid Recharge: Charged Spirit Power increased from +10 to +16
  • Silence Wave:
    • Cooldown increased from 28s to 30s
    • Silence duration reduced from 4s to 3.75s
  • Surge of Power: Spirit Power increased from 22 to 25
  • Tankbuster:
    • Damage reduced from 7% to 6%
    • Chargeup time increased from 8s to 12s
  • Torment Pulse: Bonus Health increased from 110 to 125
  • Radiant Regeneration: (New T3) Upgrades from Mystic Regeneration. Dealing damage to enemy heroes grants +5 HP regen (with 0.04 spirit scaling) for 5s. On ability cast, heals you for +100 and grants +2 Move Speed for 3s. Cooldown: 6s
  • Arctic Blast: Cooldown reduced from 30s to 24s
  • Boundless Spirit:
    • No longer heals and grants movement speed on ability cast
    • Now grants +10% Spirit Power
    • Spirit Power reduced from 40 to 35
  • Echo Shard: Cooldown reduced from 35s to 30s
  • Escalating Exposure:
    • Spirit Amp per Stack increased from 4% to 4.5%
    • Max Stacks reduced from 14 to 12
  • Ethereal Shift: Cooldown reduced from 24s to 22s
  • Focus Lens: Cooldown increased from 27s to 28s
  • Mercurial Magnum: Chargeup time increased from 10s to 14s
  • Scourge: Damage reduced from 3.5% to 3.25%
  • Spirit Burn: Damage Threshold increased from 400 to 500

May 21, 2025 update additions:

General

  • Troopers:
    • Now only flinch from player damage if hit with a headshot while running.
    • Resistance near base reduced from 50% to 40% (was previously 30% → 50% → now 40%).
  • Souls:
    • Fixed Breakable Souls being incorrectly counted as secured instead of unsecured (hotfix was released yesterday).
    • Added Breakable Souls to the post-game Souls by Source graph (previously bundled with Urn).
  • Melee Damage: Growth per boon reduced by 5%.

Map

  • Added statues in front of Mid Lane entrances for additional cover.
  • Moved Shrines away from back walls slightly.
  • Extended shrine low ground closer to the Throne.
  • Redesigned cover in front of the Throne.
  • Removed a tree in front of Mid Lane entrance.
  • Tweaked trooper paths to navigate around new statues.
  • Removed a misplaced Curiosity Shop sign.

Deadlock Items

  • Express Shot:
    • Weapon Damage increased from 125% to 150%.
    • Now deals reduced damage (75%) for non-primary gun sources (e.g., alt fires, carbine).
  • Headshot Booster: Health bonus reduced from 65 to 40.
  • Headhunter:
    • Heal reduced from 6% to 4%.
    • Heal now scales with Spirit Power (0.014).
    • Bonus Damage reduced from 120 to 100.
    • Bonus Damage now scales with Spirit Power (0.3).
  • Cultist’s Sacrifice:
    • Bonus Health reduced from 275 to 250.
    • Buff duration reduced from 170s to 160s.
  • Spirit Rend: Fixed a bug where players could gain 2 stacks without triggering the cooldown.
  • Frenzy: Active Spirit Resistance reduced from 40% to 30%.
  • Siphon Bullets:
    • Steal per hit reduced from 65 to 55.
    • Spirit Resistance reduced from 12% to 10%.
    • Fixed an issue where Plated Armor blocked the cooldown from being consumed.
  • Decay:
    • Cast range Spirit Power scaling reduced from 0.13 to 0.1.
    • Damage reduced from 2.5% to 2.4%.
    • Damage Spirit Power scaling reduced from 0.00465 to 0.0038.
    • Cooldown increased from 30s to 36s.
    • Healing Reduction effect increased from -35% to -40%.
  • Superior Cooldown: Cooldown Reduction decreased from 27% to 26%.

Make sure to follow Deadlock Rank on BlueSky and Twitter so you get the latest Deadlock news and updates, and keep an eye peeled for our latest build guides, which aim to get new players into the game.

Timothy Parry

Timothy Parry

If Tim isn't getting slaughtered as Viscous by freezing himself in The Cube right in the middle of the enemy camp, he's studying the latest Deadlock builds in an effort to improve his kill/death ratio. It seems his Heroes of the Storm prowess is not as transferable as he'd hoped.