Valorant Deadlock: Abilities, Tips & Tricks, and More

Valorant has been teasing players with a lot of hidden art for a possible new agent, be it two hands on a desk with nanowires art on Twitter or a battle pass card with an electric device. Another teaser of Sova’s drone approaching a snowy location to track down something was also shared online to build anticipation. And finally, on the night of the Valorant Masters Tokyo Grand finals, Riot Games showcased their 23rd agent Deadlock coming with Valorant’s Episode 7 Act 1 update. so, let’s discuss Deadlock and her abilities in detail.

Deadlock was added to Valorant with the Episode 7 Act 1 update, which went live at 2:00PM PT (5:00PM ET) on June 27. That said, here’s all you need to about Deadlock’s abilities and gameplay:

Valorant Deadlock Abilities

Riot never disappoints with its unique approach to a new agent’s abilities and Deadlock in Valorant is no exception. Here is all you need to know about Deadlock’s abilities:

GravNet (C)

Deadlock can throw a grenade that detonates and turns into a circular netted trap. It makes enemies go into crouch mode. Along with it, movement speed slows down when the enemy walks while trapped. Combine it with any ability like Raze paint shell, Viper snake bite, or Gekko moshpit for great damaging potential. Any movement ability like Dash, Teleport, or Gatecrash will negate the slow and crouch effect.

Sonic Sensor (Q)

Throw a sensor on a structure or surface, and it attaches to it. The sensor detects footsteps, gunfire, reloading, or any noise and applies a concussion in the nearby area. The sensor doesn’t trigger if the enemy walks using shift.

Place the sensor outside hookah on Bind drop in B-site or Fracture drop in A-site for the easy effect of the ability as the enemy must jump down in these places making a definite sound queue. This ability makes Deadlock a more fight-active sentinel on Valorant maps.

Barrier Mesh (E)

Deadlock’s signature ability is the Barrier Mesh. Throw a disc at a point where it creates a core. Around it becomes an X-shaped barrier that blocks enemies from moving through it. The barrier cannot block bullets, only enemies. It is created by destructible nanowire balls, which can be destroyed to break the barrier.

The barrier can be a crucial utility for spike plant situations. You can stop the enemy at the last second by blocking entries in the site or use it on a spike when they have to defuse. Enemies must destroy the barrier to be able to move forward in such time crunching scenario.

Annihilation (X)

Deadlock weaves a thread of nanowires in a structure or wall. The wires enclose an enemy into a cocoon once it comes in contact. The cocooned enemy is disarmed, cannot move, and is pulled toward the start point of the wires. Once Deadlock’s ultimate pulls the cocoon to its start point, it kills the affected enemy. The cocoon can be destroyed with gunfire to free a teammate.

If you use it wisely, you can make the whole team confused about their priority, and it can be super useful in clutch situations. Deadlocks Annihilation is one of the most precision-based skills in Valorant which requires proper timing and accuracy to hit an enemy.

Valorant Deadlock: Tips & Tricks

Ever since Deadlock joined the Valorant roster, she has been one of the least-picked agents after her debut. One of the main reasons for her lower pick rate is that Deadlock can be hard to adapt and master. So, if you have unlocked the agent already, we give you the tips and tricks that can make you play so well that your friends will also try to instantly lock Deadlock.

1. Deadlock Gameplay Role and Style

Deadlock is a Sentinel with a more utility-based approach. Where most of the Sentinels are primarily defense focused, except Chamber, Deadlock is more focused on ability usage and skill shots. So the objective to play as Deadlock will always be using utility first before going into a gunfight. Remember that you are not a traditional defensive Sentinel, and you have to swing and peek to take fights, unlike a Killjoy or Cypher.

2. Best Maps & Agents to Pair with Deadlock

Another major part of playing Deadlock is to pair her with the right agents, and of course, the Valorant maps that perfectly fit her gameplay style.

Starting it off with the maps. Deadlock has a solid utility skill set that can help her clutch any round or help teammates with early chain kills. The maps that have a lot of close corners or structures can benefit her well. With that being said, our tried and tested map picks for Deadlock will be Ascent, Fracture, Bind, and Haven.

All these maps in Valorant contain multiple spots where you can stick the enemy to the ground using the Gravnet or kill them with your teammates’ area damage abilities like Raze’s Paint Shell or Viper’s Snakebite. The maps also have a lot of structure and walls to perform your ultimate easily. But most importantly, as Deadlock, you can block off enemy movement in these close-end map sites for faster and easier plants.

After choosing Deadlock on one of these maps you now can select agents that go perfectly with her as a team. Deadlock is a good crowd-control agent. So pair her with agents that have an area of effect abilities. Agents like Raze, Viper, Sova, and Gekko can fit with her abilities right away. These agents can deal heavy damage and can locate enemies while Deadlock locks them up.

3. Deadlock Ability Usage Tips & Tricks

You can be very creative with Deadlock and her abilities. A traditional Sentinel like Killjoy or Cypher needs to sit down at the site throw her utilities early and wait. However, Deadlock can absolutely shut down enemy movement right away. We have noted down our best findings on how to utilize Deaadlock’s powers in the best way possible:

• Early Gravnet: The most common utility to use will be using the Gravnet early on in the round. For example, if you are in Ascent, throw the Gravnet from A main to A main entry point (see GIF below). This will help you get an early kill on anyone trying to get an early peek.

• The early Gravnet also works in Ascent as a defender. Stand on B site alley and throw it down from the window. After that, your duelist can peek from B main or you can spam the B wall with Ares or Odin to secure a kill. Just remember not to stand in the open when you are trying to throw the Gravnet. You can also throw the Gravnet on the other side of the wall, as the affected trap field pierces through walls.

• Block the Movement: Now usually in a classic Valorant team composition, you should not pick more than 2 Sentinels. However, in certain maps where attacking is stronger, you can always opt for a Sage, or in case you do not have a Sage any Controller will do it too. The first thing you need to do is stall enemies and not give early kills. When there is less window of time for enemies to plant the spike, simply throw the Barrier mesh on the entry so that only the big nanowire ball is visible. In that scenario, the enemies must focus on the barrier first and will lose a lot of time on it. If you have a Sage, you can use both barriers one by one to halt their plans to enter the B site. Remember the barrier can also help in blocking abilities like Prowler and Trailblazer to block any information enemy wants to gather.

• Controlling the Site: If you are playing Deadlock on maps like Bind or Haven with a smaller CT, it is easier to take control of the site. After you have planted the spike make sure to throw the Barrier mesh in the CT entry. This will make it harder for enemies to retake the site and the only option for them will be by entering from other angles, which will eat up a lot of time.

• Best Placement for Sonic Sensors: Deadlocks Sonic Sensors can be a bit unlikely to check backstab during the attack side. So on the attacking side, use Sonic Sensor to stall opponents from defusing the spike or retaking the site. However, on defending side, Sonic Sensor can work nicely. In Fracture A site or Bind B site, you can use the Sonic Sensors right under the drop locations.
• The sensors must be triggered by a jump sound as enemies cannot avoid making noise in these two spots. You can also place the Sonic Sensors right by the planting spots on site. This will trigger the sensors as soon as enemies try to plant the spike. It can catch them off guard and you can get a few kills on concussed enemies. Remember the sensors can also trigger through walls if there is enough sound detected.

• Using Annihilation: Valorant has made Deadlocks Ultimate arguably the hardest to master. The ultimate takes little to no time to activate but can also miss easily. The ideal way to use Annihilation is after knowing a certain enemy’s location. It is always better to combine it with Sova’s revealing abilities or Gekko’s concuss or detain abilities. This can allow you to easily hit your target. Remember Annihilation can ricochet off any wall or structure. As you don’t need to look at an enemy to use the ability make sure you are in cover while using the ability.

• Stalling Defuse Time: We never recommend going weaponless in a spike-defuse scenario but if you are in a situation where you can use your Barrier mesh, use it in a way so that the enemy cannot reach the spike to defuse it. To defuse, they must break your barrier, and it can delay the same.

• Barrier Boost: Yes, this must be on the list unless Riot just removes it telling us it is a glitch. So if you are standing by a box throw the Barrier mesh on your right. Once the barrier settles, press jump and use the movement keys to get on the barrier for a moment, which will help you get on the box. This trick can be hard to master but can put your enemies in a situation where they won’t expect you in an elevated position.

• Barrier Odin Combo: This particular trick is exactly for Ascent B main. Yes, this trick can easily get you a good amount of kills if your teammates can take control of B main. After they get control of B main, trap the enemies with the barrier. Throw your Barrier mesh through the window and spam the wall with odin.

4. Deadlock Weakness and Counters

As you can read above, Deadlock can be really useful for multiple team compositions, but there are restrictions and counters to the agent as well. You should always know your weakness before jumping into the arena.

• The most common counter for any utility-based agent is Kay/o, so it can be really good on maps where Deadlock is a must-pick. Kay/o can shut down Deadlock in any situation with the knife or his ultimate.
• Do not use Barrier mesh to hold a backstab. Remember you might need to rotate if a site entry does not work out. The barrier will work as an obstacle for your rotation.
• Annihilation can be cast through windows or over barriers but remember there can be a big problem. When there is an obstacle that the cocoon cannot pass directly, the effect gets canceled after a small duration. It frees the affected enemy with full HP. So, if you have a Sage in your team and your teammate is trapped, please try to block their path using Sage’s barrier or shoot the cocoon to free them.
• Use abilities like Paint Shell to damage the Barrier mesh to destroy it faster. Remember if you are playing Jett, Yoru, Chamber, Reyna, or Raze, you can pass through or over the Barrier mesh too. Reyna must use Dismiss to pass through the barrier. Others can use their teleport or movement-related abilities to move past the barrier.

Deadlock (codenamed Cable) is originally from Norway. She lost her arm while on a mission while fighting a bear and rescuing a Kingdom scientist. She collapsed and Sova saved her. In the game, Deadlock is a Sentinel agent with an aggressive gameplay approach, unlike other Sentinels. Deadlock’s voice actor is Nora Gjestvang, a Norwegian actor who has done several voice acting in TV shows and movies.