During the Valorant Masters Tokyo tournament, Riot Games introduced the game's 22nd agent, named Deadlock.
Deadlock is a Norwegian operative that deploys an array of cutting-edge nanowires to secure the battlefield from even the most lethal assault.
As a Sentinel agent, her abilities focus on slowing down or trapping enemies on the battlefield, making her a formidable force against aggressive offensive lineups.
However, initial impressions suggest that her effectiveness on the offensive side may be limited.
Special Abilities
One of her abilities, called GravNet, deploys a large net that ensnares any enemies within its range.
Trapped opponents are forced to crouch and move slowly, either needing to escape the net's area or remove the net from themselves, leaving them vulnerable.
Sonic Sensor, her Q ability, is a small device that detects enemy sounds, such as weapon fire or footsteps. Once triggered, it emits a concussive effect that affects enemies within its line of fire. This ability provides additional protection and can be strategically placed to cover blind spots.
Barrier Mesh, her E ability, is particularly intriguing. When activated, it creates four barriers in an X shape that obstruct enemy movement.
Although the barriers do not provide complete cover, they can effectively block off pathways and impede enemy advancement. The barriers can be destroyed individually by targeting their endpoints or completely by shooting the central disk.
Deadlock's ultimate ability, Annihilation (X), may seem perplexing on paper but becomes clear once witnessed in action. After bouncing off a surface, the ability traps an enemy inside a cocoon.
The cocooned enemy is then propelled along the path of the initial ability trajectory and will perish if they remain cocooned until the end. However, teammates have the option to shoot the cocoon to free their trapped ally.
Alexander Mistakidis, a game designer on Valorant, explained that Deadlock was created for players who prefer actively holding their ground with utility rather than setting up utility in advance.
“Our gameplay goal for Deadlock was to create an Agent for players who wanted to hold their ground actively with their utility, as opposed to needing to set up their utility in advance,” he said.
Deadlock, with her distinctive kit, offers a defensive playstyle.
The new agent was launched as part of Episode 7 Act 1 on June 27, accompanied by a new battle pass featuring skins and the introduction of the Team Deathmatch game mode.
