How to Play Deadlock is the first question every new player asks after their invite arrives. The game mixes a fast hero shooter with MOBA strategy, and it can feel overwhelming at first.
Learning How to Play Deadlock properly saves you many frustrating losses. Once you understand souls, lanes and objectives, every match starts to make sense.
This How to Play Deadlock guide covers everything as of October 2026: the objective of the game, the map, how to farm souls, how items work, which heroes to pick first and the best tips for beginners.
What Is the Objective of Deadlock?
Deadlock is a 6v6 hero shooter with MOBA mechanics. Two teams fight across a city map, pushing lanes and destroying objectives on the way to the enemy base.
When you learn How to Play Deadlock, the main goal is simple: you win by destroying the enemy Patron, a giant structure deep inside their base. Before you can damage it, you must break through several layers of defenses.
The Four Phases of a Match
Every match follows a similar flow:
- Laning phase: Farm souls in your lane and fight your lane opponents.
- Mid game: Lanes open up, players roam and teams fight over objectives.
- Base siege: Teams push into the enemy base and attack its defenses.
- Finish: The winning team destroys the enemy Patron.
Why Objectives Matter More Than Kills
Kills feel great, but they mainly matter because they open windows to take objectives. A team with fewer kills can still win by pushing smartly.
Always look for an objective to take right after winning a fight, while enemies are respawning.
Deadlock Objectives Explained
Understanding Deadlock Objectives is the key to winning games. Each objective you destroy weakens the enemy and rewards your team.
Objectives in Order
Here is the order of objectives from the middle of the map toward the enemy base:
| Objective | What It Does When Destroyed | Notes |
| Lane Guardian | Closes that lane's side shop for the enemy | First tower in each lane |
| Walker | Gives your team an extra item slot | Large and powerful defender |
| Base Guardians | Turns your zipline into a faster express line | Two per lane |
| Shrines | Turns your troopers into Super Troopers | Two per base |
| Patron | Wins the game | Has two phases |
The Patron and the Final Push
Both enemy Shrines must fall before the Patron can be damaged. The Patron fights back in two phases, so your team needs to stay grouped for the final push.
Taking the Mid Boss before a big push can also give your team a powerful advantage through the Rejuvenator buff.
Deadlock Map Guide for Beginners
This Deadlock Map Guide helps you understand where to go and how to move around. The map is a city with three lanes connecting both bases.
Lanes, Camps and Ziplines
Here are the key parts of the map to learn first:
- Three lanes where troopers march toward the enemy base
- Neutral camps between lanes that give extra souls
- Ziplines above each lane for fast travel
- Shops where you spend souls on items
The Soul Urn and Mid Boss
The Soul Urn is a valuable objective that teams fight over. Delivering it gives a big boost of souls. The Mid Boss sits in the center of the map. Defeating it gives your team a strong buff for pushing objectives, so it is often the focus of big team fights.
How to Farm Souls in Deadlock
Souls are at the heart of How to Play Deadlock, since they are the main currency in the game. You use them to buy items and grow stronger, so farming well is one of the most important skills to learn.
Last Hits and Soul Orbs
When you land the final hit on an enemy trooper, it drops a soul orb. You must shoot that orb to bank the souls.
If you leave an orb behind, enemies can shoot it first and deny you those souls. Confirming your orbs is a basic skill that wins lanes.
Denying Enemy Souls
You can also shoot the enemy's soul orbs before they collect them. Denying costs them souls and gives you the same amount.
That makes the laning phase a farming contest as much as a duel. Here are the main ways to gain souls:
- Last hitting enemy troopers and confirming orbs
- Denying the enemy's soul orbs
- Clearing neutral camps between lanes
- Taking objectives and winning fights
Deadlock Items and Shops
Items are a big part of How to Play Deadlock, since they make your hero stronger as the match goes on. Spending souls regularly is just as important as earning them.
The Three Item Categories
Items fall into three main categories:
- Weapon: More gun damage, fire rate, ammo and range
- Vitality: More health, healing, resistances and movement
- Spirit: More ability power and shorter cooldowns
Most heroes lean toward one category, but good builds usually mix a little of each for balance.
Smart Shopping Habits
Unspent souls are wasted power. Buy cheap items early and upgrade them later as your soul count grows. Remember that destroying a Walker gives your team an extra item slot, letting you carry more items at once.
Choosing Your First Deadlock Heroes
Hero choice makes a big difference when you learn How to Play Deadlock. Some heroes are forgiving, while others are fragile and harder to learn.
Best Heroes for Beginners
Start with sturdy, forgiving heroes like Abrams or McGinnis. They can survive mistakes while you learn the map and the flow of a match.
Save fragile carry heroes like Haze until you can farm well and read fights. They are powerful but punish bad positioning.
How to Learn a Hero Quickly
Follow these steps when trying a new hero:
- Read each ability in the hero menu before your first match.
- Practice the hero in the Hero Sandbox.
- Play a few matches with that hero only.
- Watch how stronger players build and use their abilities.
Deadlock Tips to Get Better Faster
These Deadlock Tips help you improve quickly as a beginner.
Laning Tips
Focus on confirming your own soul orbs and denying the enemy's. A strong lane gives you more items and more power later.
Do not chase kills you cannot finish. Overextending in lane often leads to deaths that cost you souls and tempo.
Mid Game and Teamwork Tips
Once lanes open, group with your team before pushing objectives. Ping missing enemies on the minimap so teammates know where threats might be.
Use ziplines to rotate quickly between lanes and objectives, and always look for chances to take the Soul Urn or Mid Boss.
Deadlock Cheat Sheet: How to Play Deadlock at a Glance
This quick cheat sheet sums up How to Play Deadlock in a few lines. Keep it in mind during your first matches.
Quick Reminders for Every Match
Use these reminders as a simple checklist:
- Confirm every soul orb you create
- Deny enemy soul orbs whenever it is safe
- Spend souls each time you visit a shop
- Group up before pushing objectives
- Ping enemies on the minimap for your team
How to Play Deadlock in Each Phase
In the laning phase, farm and stay safe. In the mid game, roam with your team and fight for the Soul Urn, camps and Walkers.
In the late game, push together, break Shrines and finish the Patron. Learning How to Play Deadlock is mostly about knowing what each phase asks of you.
Pro Tips for How to Play Deadlock Like a Veteran
This Deadlock Beginner Guide would not be complete without a few advanced habits:
- Watch the minimap constantly to track enemy movements.
- Spend souls every time you return to a shop.
- Take objectives right after winning team fights.
- Learn the timing of neutral camps to farm efficiently.
- Communicate with pings, even if you do not use voice chat.
Review Your Matches
After each match, think about the moments that decided it. Look for times you died without a reason, missed soul orbs or held souls too long.
Keep Up With Updates
Deadlock changes often, with new heroes, items and map adjustments. Read patch notes regularly so you always know what changed.
Common Mistakes When Learning How to Play Deadlock
New players learning How to Play Deadlock often repeat the same errors. Each one has a simple fix.
Mistakes and Corrections
- Not confirming soul orbs. You lose souls to the enemy. Correction: shoot every orb you create.
- Chasing kills too far. You die and lose tempo. Correction: return to lane or objectives after a fight.
- Saving souls without buying. Unspent souls give no power. Correction: buy items every time you can.
- Ignoring objectives. Kills alone do not win games. Correction: push objectives after every won fight.
Why You Might Feel Stuck
If you keep losing, focus on one skill at a time. Start with farming, then positioning, then objective timing.
Play Deadlock With Lower Ping Using ExitLag
Why Connection Matters in Deadlock
Deadlock mixes fast shooting, abilities and movement, so every millisecond counts. Lag spikes can make you miss last hits, lose duels or fail to dodge key abilities.
ExitLag optimizes your connection by testing multiple routes to the game servers and sending your data through the most stable path. That means lower ping, fewer spikes and less packet loss.
Start Simple and Build Up
How to Play Deadlock looks complex at first, but it becomes much easier once you understand souls, lanes and objectives. Focus on the basics first and the rest will follow.
Jump Into Your Next Match
Now you know How to Play Deadlock, from farming souls to destroying the Patron. Pick a forgiving hero, confirm your orbs and push objectives to win more matches.
