To thrive in Valve’s genre-bending third-person hero shooter crossed with a MOBA, you must get acquainted with the unique Deadlock characters. Once you’ve learned the basics of gameplay with our Deadlock beginner’s guide, you’ll want to diversify your portfolio of heroes so you can dominate The Cursed Apple.
Let’s discuss the complete roster of Deadlock characters, hero traits pointing to potential roles in a team, the unique abilities that power each one, and how you can learn to play them all.
Complete Roster Of Deadlock Characters
There are 38 characters in Deadlock, with the number likely to balloon to more than 50 before it hits 1.0. The characters, also referred to in-game as “heroes,” have their own unique primary weapons and ability kits.
Deadlock’s characters have base stats, such as Health, Move Speed, and Stamina, with values that increase as they collect more Souls and level up. They use Spirit Power for abilities, which also differ from one character to the next, and some stats scale with Spirit Power. When you add in the fact that there are tons of items as well, you have a game where every single character plays differently.
We’ll explain the general playstyles later in this guide. First, check out an overview of the complete roster of Deadlock characters below, including voice actors who bring these heroes to life, sorted by release date.
| Character | Release Date | Voice Actor |
| Abrams | April 16, 2024 | Samoa Joe |
| Bebop | April 16, 2024 | JB Blanc |
| Dynamo | April 16, 2024 | John Patrick Lowrie |
| Grey Talon | April 16, 2024 | Robbie Daymond |
| Haze | April 16, 2024 | Eve Lindley |
| Infernus | April 16, 2024 | Phil Morris |
| Ivy | April 16, 2024 | Jeannie Tirado |
| Kelvin | April 16, 2024 | Bruce DuBose |
| Lady Geist | April 16, 2024 | Abigail Marlowe |
| Lash | April 16, 2024 | Andrew Bowen |
| McGinnis | April 16, 2024 | Bennett Abara |
| Mo & Krill | April 16, 2024 | Ray Chase |
| Paradox | April 16, 2024 | Elle Newlands |
| April 16, 2024 | Greg Chun | |
| Seven | April 16, 2024 | Oliver Vaquer |
| Vindicta | April 16, 2024 | Eden Riegel |
| Warden | April 16, 2024 | Rick D. Wasserman |
| Wraith | April 16, 2024 | Danielle Nicolet |
| Yamato | April 16, 2024 | Alpha Takahashi |
| Viscous | August 1, 2024 | Yuri Lowenthal |
| Shiv | August 15, 2024 | Greg Chun |
| Mirage | September 26, 2024 | Fareed Ward |
| Calico | January 17, 2025 | Toks Olagundoye |
| Holliday | January 17, 2025 | Melanie Minichino |
| Sinclair | January 17, 2025 | Andia Winslow |
| Vyper | January 17, 2025 | Stephanie Kerbis |
| Mina | August 18, 2025 | Victoria Grace |
| Billy | August 20, 2025 | Ari Kappatos |
| The Doorman | August 22, 2025 | Harry S. Robins |
| Paige | August 25, 2025 | Jacqueline Emerson |
| Drifter | August 27, 2025 | Matthew Mercer |
| Victor | August 29, 2025 | Jason Spisak |
| Rem | January 26, 2026 | Unknown |
| Graves | January 29, 2026 | Katy Bentz |
| Silver | February 3, 2026 | Erica Lindbeck |
| Venator | February 5, 2026 | Unknown |
| Celeste | February 9, 2026 | Natalie Lander |
| Apollo | February 12, 2026 | Chester Rushing |
Core Roles & Playstyle Themes In Deadlock
Each Deadlock hero is unique and offers different playstyles and roles within a team of six. For example, Paige is excellent at supporting teammates, with a focus on crowd control and mobility. On the other hand, Victor is a tank that takes damage to deal damage, boasting an “Aura of Suffering” for sustained damage in a teamfight.
In the backline, your team may want to employ Dynamo, a powerful healer that also provides excellent utility. Choosing a balanced team composition with, at the very least, a tank, healer, crowd-controller, and damage dealers is imperative to success in The Cursed Apple.
The official Deadlock character traits might prove confusing. For example, Abrams’ one descriptor is “Bull-Headed,” which nods to his personality, while the “Brawler” trait indicates his close-range combat prowess. Another prime example is how Bebop’s three traits all point toward abilities: Hook points to the Grapple Arm, while Bomb points to Sticky Bomb, and Punch points to the Exploding Uppercut ability.
For a clear indicator of Deadlock’s playstyles and roles specific characters excel at, we’ve added descriptions such as Tank, Carry, Attack Damage Carry (ADC), Assassin, and Support. Further descriptions include Mage, a character who focuses on magic damage; Disruptor, a character who excels at crowd control; Duelist, perfect for taking down enemies 1v1; Burst, specializing in big hits; and Bruiser, who gets up close and personal.
See all the Deadlock heroes outlined below, including official traits from Valve and their playstyles/roles, sorted in alphabetical order.
| Deadlock Heroes | Playstyles/Roles | Official Traits |
| Abrams | Tank / Bruiser | Tank, Brawler, Bull-Headed |
| Apollo | Carry / Duelist | Finesse, Mobility, A Cut Above |
| Bebop | Roamer / Initiator | Hook, Bomb, Punch |
| Billy | Tank / Bruiser | Punk, Chaotic, G.O.A.T. |
| Calico | Assassin / Burst | Tricksy, Slippery, Burst Damage |
| Celeste | Disruptor / Mage | Performer, Disruptive, Dazzling |
| The Doorman | Disruptor / Utility | Disorienting, Map Control, Mind Games |
| Drifter | Assassin / Carry | Stalker, Bloodthirsty, Cruel |
| Dynamo | Support / Healer | Teamplay, Initiator, Clutch |
| Graves | Mage / Disruptor | Morbid, Area Denial, Necromancer |
| Grey Talon | ADC / Disruptor | Precision, Hunter, Area Denial |
| Haze | ADC / Assassin | Assassin, Stealthy, Lethal |
| Holliday | Support / Sniper | Crackshot, Explosive, Apprehender |
| Infernus | ADC / Duelist | Arsonist, Explosive, Burn Rubber |
| Ivy | Support / Carry | Team-up, Disruptor, Rock Solid |
| Kelvin | Tank / Bruiser / Support | Protector, Explorer, Ice Cold |
| Lady Geist | ADC / Brawler | Lifesteal, Self Damage, Fatale |
| Lash | Assassin / Initiator | Initiator, High Flying, Arrogant |
| McGinnis | Support / Pusher | Inventor, Support, Disruption |
| Mina | Assassin / Burst | Harasser, Nimble, Vexing |
| Mirage | ADC / Roamer | Bodyguard, Traveler, Focused |
| Mo & Krill | Tank / Initiator | Tag-Team, Initiator, Burrower |
| Paige | Support / Initiator | Helpful, Protector, Booksmart |
| Paradox | Disruptor / Roamer | Calculated, Disruptor, Tactician |
| Support / Roamer | Trickster, Burst Damage, Frogs | |
| Rem | Support / Utility | Helpful, Tiny, ZZZ |
| Seven | ADC / Disruptor | High Voltage, Merciless, Area Denial |
| Shiv | ADC / Brawler | Rage, Bleed, Repeat |
| Silver | Tank / Bruiser | Feral, Hot Mess, Transformation |
| Sinclair | Disruptor / Utility | Trickster, Copycat, Versatile |
| Venator | ADC / Tactical | Devout, Arms Expert, Tactical |
| Victor | Tank / Brawler | You, Can’t, Kill Me |
| Vindicta | ADC / Sniper | Sniper, Soaring, One Shot Kill |
| Viscous | Support / Tank | Evasive, Disruptor, Gooey |
| Vyper | ADC / Roamer | Gunner, Slippery, Rat-a-Rat |
| Warden | ADC / Tank | Initiator, Fearless, One Man Army |
| Wraith | ADC / Duelist | Duelist, Isolator, Telekinetic |
| Yamato | Tank / Bruiser | Relentless, Acrobatics, Pursuer |
Note: As Valve continues to make sweeping changes and gamers explore different build options, the playstyles for Deadlock characters may shift. Characters are not bound to specific playstyles, so a Support may deal the most damage in a match, or a Tank / Bruiser could provide crowd control or support.
Unique Abilities Of Deadlock Characters
Each character in Deadlock has a unique set of abilities that shape the core gameplay experience. There are four abilities in total, with one of them being a long-cooldown “Ultimate” ability. A few heroes have a Passive ability taking up one of the four slots, which is constantly active without the need to press any buttons.
As you level up in a Deadlock match, your abilities grow stronger, often scaling with Spirit Power. Players can upgrade their abilities three times using Ability Points, earned when leveling up.
For an overview of how diverse the Deadlock characters and their respective abilities are, we’ve got five popular examples.
Abrams Abilities (Tank / Bruiser)
If you are starting out in the tank role and don’t mind going into melee range, Abrams is the right fit. He is an easy-to-learn character with a powerful Passive ability (Infernal Resilience) that will keep you alive during dire situations.
Using the close-range, spreadshot weapon called Case Closed, Abrams quickly closes the gap on enemies with Shoulder Charge, stuns them with ease, and deals a fair share of damage up close and personal.
- Siphon Life: Drain health from nearby enemies, dealing spirit damage over time and healing for a portion of the damage dealt.
- Shoulder Charge: Charge forward, pulling enemies you hit. Pushing a hero into a wall applies stun.
- Infernal Resilience (Passive): Gain bonus defensive attributes. Taking damage grants temporary regeneration for a portion of the damage taken.
- Seismic Impact (Ultimate): Leap high into the air before crashing into the ground, dealing spirit damage and applying stun.
To complement Abrams’ abilities, we recommend building toward late-game items such as Plated Armor, Transcendent Cooldown, and Torment Pulse.
Apollo Abilities (Carry / Duelist)
Apollo is one of the strongest damage dealers in Deadlock. Using Pride of Ixia, his mid-range projectile weapon, can prove highly effective. However, his damage-dealing capabilities rely mostly on his deadly abilities.
The character can win duels with ease using well-timed Riposte, making him perfect in the Duelist role. Apollo boasts extremely high spirit damage that can decimate foes if left unchecked.
- Disengaging Sigil: Draw a sigil sphere in front of you and then leap backwards as it explodes, damaging and slowing enemies caught in it.
- Riposte: Prepare to deflect the next incoming attack. On a successful deflection, briefly become invulnerable and target an enemy hero to dash toward them, stunning them and reducing their Melee Resist.
- Flawless Advance: Perform a series of lunges in any direction, delivering piercing stabs ahead of you. Hold your ability key to time your attacks, dealing more damage the longer it’s held. Releasing your attack during the perfect window deals maximum damage.
- Itani Lo Sahn (Ultimate): Charge up and perform a long-range slash. Struck enemies cannot take action or heal and are stuck in slow motion. When this effect expires, they suffer devastating damage, dealing bonus damage against half-health enemies.
Build toward late-game items such as Witchmail, Mystic Reverb, and Ethereal Shift for high survivability while dealing tons of damage.
Bebop Abilities (Roamer / Initiator)
Playing as Bebop is all about initiating on enemies with the Grapple Arm ability, pulling them in and chaining an Exploding Uppercut to knock them into oblivion. Combined with Sticky Bombs to deal damage, Bebop is the perfect initiator that can also roam through multiple lanes to help out teammates.
Bebop uses the “Humble Pie” medium-range beam weapon to great effect. The beam doesn’t have bullet travel time and deals solid damage, making it perfect for pushing highly contested objectives.
- Exploding Uppercut: Deal melee damage to nearby enemies and apply knockback. When they land, they deal spirit damage and apply reduced fire rate to other nearby enemies.
- Sticky Bomb: Attach a bomb that explodes after a delay, dealing spirit damage to nearby enemies. If the bomb hits or kills a hero, you gain permanent bonus damage on Sticky Bomb. Stacks diminish by half after 60 hits and seven kills.
- Grapple Arm: Launch out a mechanical hand that pulls the first character it hits, reeling them in. Can be used on allies.
- Hyper Beam (Ultimate): Channel a powerful torrent of energy that deals spirit damage and applies slow.
To complement Bebop’s abilities, we recommend building into late-game items such as Greater Expansion, Juggernaut, and Transcendent Cooldown.
Dynamo Abilities (Support / Healer)
Arguably the most support-focused character in the game, Dynamo aids his team with area-of-effect healing and a bit of damage that can apply debuffs to enemies. One of Dynamo’s most useful abilities is Quantum Entanglement, which allows him to teleport to a target location and bring allies along for the ride.
Dynamo uses The Vonnegun, a medium-range projectile-based weapon. While his standard ability kit is excellent, Dynamo’s greatest asset is his Singularity Ultimate ability, which pulls in enemies and stuns them, making this Deadlock hero a powerful ally in any teamfight.
- Kinetic Pulse: Release an energy pulse that travels along the ground, dealing spirit damage and applying knockup.
- Quantum Entanglement: Briefly become untargetable while teleporting to the target location. Restores stamina upon use. Can bring allies with you.
- Rejuvenating Aurora: While channeling, restore health over time to you and any allies nearby.
- Singularity (Ultimate): Create a singularity in your hands, dealing spirit damage over time, applying stun, and pulling in nearby enemies.
Consider late-game items such as Bullet Resilience, Healing Tempo, and Colossus to push the enemy’s Patron.
Paige Abilities (Support / Initiator)
With a long-range, rapid-fire weapon called Chapter’s End, Paige is no slouch when it comes to dealing some decent damage. However, she is primarily used in a support role, giving allies barriers with Plot Armor and providing global healing with her Ultimate.
Paige can become a solid initiator with the right items. Thanks to her Captivating Read skill, she can initiate fights while firing from range. She is the perfect example of how Deadlock characters can fill multiple roles.
- Bookwyrm: Conjure a dragon that appears at the target location before flying forward, dealing spirit damage and leaving a burning path in its trail.
- Plot Armor: Grant an ally a barrier. While the barrier holds, they gain bonus weapon damage.
- Captivating Read: Target an area with latent magic, applying slow. The magic detonates after a delay, dealing spirit damage and applying immobilize.
- Rallying Charge (Ultimate): Release a wave of spectral knights and steeds that charge across the entire city, healing allies and dealing spirit damage to enemies. The strength of the heal and spirit damage is amplified as the knights travel further.
Build into late-game items such as Cheat Death, Vortex Web, and Diviner’s Kevlar to safeguard yourself and your allies.
Learning How To Play Each Deadlock Character
Practice makes perfect. The best possible way to learn how to play each Deadlock character proficiently is to jump into the game and join a 6v6 in The Cursed Apple or a faster-paced Street Brawl (4v4) mode to get the hang of each hero’s unique abilities.
We recommend starting with a few bot matches to alleviate any pressure real players might add. If you want to test specific item builds with a Deadlock character without anyone shooting at you, try Sandbox Mode.
In this dedicated practice mode, you can test hero abilities, item builds, and anything in between at your leisure. Testing tools are available in Sandbox Mode (press the Tab key), where you can change your hero level, spawn enemies for target practice, and get any items or upgrades you want, without needing to farm Souls.
The most important aspect of learning how to play each Deadlock character is that there are no wrong answers, especially in the game’s early development phase. Your “crazy” Dynamo item setup, focusing just on damage-dealing instead of support, could one day become the new best build.
FAQs About Deadlock Heroes
We’ve answered a handful of your most common questions about Deadlock characters below.
How Many Deadlock Characters Are There?
At the time of writing, there are 38 unique Deadlock characters.
What Roles Are Available Among Deadlock Characters?
There are many roles available, from Tanks to ADCs, Mages, Disruptors, Assassins, Bruisers, Supports, and Snipers.
Can I Play Deadlock Characters In Different Ways?
Absolutely, yes! Every single Deadlock character can excel in multiple roles, depending on your playstyle, item builds, and ability priorities.
Where Can I Learn How To Play Each Character?
Stay tuned as we’ll provide you with bespoke guides on Deadlock characters via our ever-expanding blog. While you wait for our expert guides, check out the fantastic Deadlock section over at Mobalytics, filled to the brim with detailed breakdowns of hero stats/abilities, optimal builds, tier lists, and strategies.
Is The Deadlock Roster Final Or Will More Characters Be Added?
Valve will likely add many more Deadlock characters as development progresses. From the initial 19 heroes in April 2024, the roster has more than doubled as of June 2026.
Are Playstyle Or Guide Materials Likely To Change Over Time?
Yes, the game is in an “early development” state. As Valve releases more updates, hero playstyles might change completely. Abilities could get added or removed, and Valve could release items that disrupt the meta.
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