The Deadlock Rat King went from a fan art meme to one of the most talked about heroes in Valve's hero shooter. He arrives with the City Never Sleeps update, and the whole community is arguing about when he drops.
If you want to be ready on day one, you need more than a release date. You need to know how heroes are being released, what the Rat King is meant to be, and how to keep your connection clean.
In short, the Deadlock Rat King is one of six new heroes in City Never Sleeps, and his release day depends on the community hero vote. Valve is rolling heroes out in pairs each week, so he lands sometime in the first few weeks of the rollout. Until he is live, you can prepare your settings, your shop habits, and your network.
This guide covers everything we can confirm about Rat King Deadlock right now. It also gives you practical prep steps and a clear plan for avoiding lag when the new heroes hit the lobby.
Keep in mind that the exact order is not locked until the votes are counted. Always confirm on the official Deadlock channels before you plan your evening around it.
What Is the Deadlock Rat King?
Understanding who he is helps you decide whether he fits your playstyle. Here is what is known so far.Where The Rat King Came From
Rat King started as community fan art and a running joke among players. Valve picked up the idea and turned it into an actual hero, which is rare for a competitive shooter. The name comes from the real phenomenon of rats whose tails are tangled together. In Deadlock, the character is a crowned rodent with a scrappy, regal attitude. Reported personality tags for him include:- Scrappy
- Regal
- Tenacious
- Pizza-loving, a nod to a famous viral rat video
How Does He Fit Into City Never Sleeps?
The City Never Sleeps update is a large content drop. It brings a visual overhaul of the map and neutrals, six new heroes, HUD improvements, quality-of-life additions, and accessibility options. Alongside The Rat King Deadlock fans have been waiting for, the update adds a nurse, a chess strategist, a skeleton, a witch, and a young artist. Each one is being released in stages rather than all at once. You can read the official overview of the update on the Deadlock City Never Sleeps page.What Do We Know About His Abilities?
Ability details have been limited in early coverage, and some community pages still list his kit as incomplete. Because of that, treat any detailed ability breakdown you see online with caution. What is safe to say is that his role descriptors point toward a durable, aggressive hero. Always check the in-game hero page once he unlocks, since numbers can change in patches.When Does the Rat King Release in Deadlock?
The release question is the one everybody asks first. The answer depends on the vote.How The Hero Vote Works
Valve is releasing two heroes per week, and the order is decided by player voting in the pregame lobby. According to community coverage, wins and first-of-the-day votes carry extra weight. That means your own votes can help decide when the Deadlock Rat King shows up. If you want him early, vote every day.Possible Release Windows
Community outlets list Tuesdays and Fridays as the release days, at 2:00 PM PT. Here is how the schedule looks for October:| Release Day | Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Friday | October 2 | First hero pair, if Rat King wins the vote |
| Tuesday | October 6 | Second pair |
| Friday | October 9 | Third pair |
| Tuesday | October 13 | Fourth pair |
| Friday | October 16 | Fifth pair |
| Tuesday | October 20 | Final pair |
How Do You Prepare For Launch Day?
A new hero always brings chaos, so a little prep pays off. Follow these steps:- Update the game and restart Steam before the scheduled time.
- Vote for Rat King in the pregame lobby each day.
- Check the hero page for ability text and any patch notes.
- Run a quick ping test so you know your baseline.
- Queue with friends if possible, since team communication matters more with new kits.
How Should You Play Rat King Deadlock?
Even before his full kit is public, you can build good habits. Treat this section as a flexible plan.Think Like A Scrappy Brawler
His tags suggest a hero who thrives in close, messy fights. Therefore, positioning and map awareness will matter more than raw aim. Practice these fundamentals with any frontline hero in the meantime:- Track enemy cooldowns before committing to a fight
- Use lanes and vertical space to break line of sight
- Rotate with your team instead of chasing solo kills
- Spend souls on time, not just on the most expensive item
Early Build Thinking
Because specifics are not final, avoid copying a build from a stranger. Instead, ask what your team lacks and buy toward that. A simple decision flow helps:- If your team lacks durability, prioritize survivability items.
- If fights end too slowly, add damage scaling.
- If you keep getting caught, add mobility or crowd control resistance.
- Re-check your shop every time you respawn.
Pro Tips: Getting Ready For New Heroes
- Practice in the bot mode: The update adds bot practice tools, so you can test movement and timing without risking ranked results.
- Watch the first week: New heroes are often buffed or nerfed fast, which is why early data is more reliable after a few days.
- Learn the counter first: Knowing how to fight a hero teaches you his weaknesses, and that knowledge carries into your own games.
- Use the new ping systems: Clearer pings reduce the need for voice chat during chaotic fights, and your team will thank you.
Why Lag Matters More With A New Hero
Launch days bring a flood of players. Consequently, servers and routes get busier, and small connection problems become visible.What Does Lag Look Like In Deadlock?
Hero shooters punish delay because every dodge and ability has a short window. Typical symptoms include:- Abilities that fire late or not at all
- Rubberbanding during fights
- Shots that clearly hit but do not register
- Sudden spikes right when a team fight starts
Router And Home Network Basics
Your home setup is the first thing to check. Wired connections beat Wi-Fi almost every time. Read the gaming router guide for a low latency setup to see what a router can and cannot fix. It controls your local traffic, but it cannot choose the route your data takes across the internet. If you play other hero shooters too, the Marvel Rivals high ping guide explains routing problems that apply to almost any online shooter.Common Mistakes Deadlock Players Make
- Playing on weak Wi-Fi: Signal drops cause jitter and packet loss. Fix: use an Ethernet cable or sit closer to the router.
- Downloading during matches: Background updates eat bandwidth. Fix: pause downloads and cloud syncs before queueing.
- Blaming the game first: Many players assume a bug when the route is the issue. Fix: test your ping and packet loss before changing settings.
- Ignoring the first-day rush: Busy servers reveal weak connections. Fix: warm up with a match before ranked.
How Does ExitLag Help With Rat King Deadlock?
ExitLag is not a VPN. It is a game connection optimizer that checks multiple network paths in real time and picks the fastest, most stable route to the game's servers. It does not encrypt your traffic or mask your IP. It simply works on routing, which is where most lag in a shooter comes from.Features That Matter For Hero Shooters
Several features are especially useful when the lobby is crowded:- Real-time Optimization: Reduces delay and packet loss so abilities register faster.
- Multipath Technology: Sends packets through multiple routes, so one bad path does not ruin a fight.
- Multi-Internet: Supports up to 4 simultaneous connections, with instant failover.
- PC Boost: Frees up RAM and background processes for steadier FPS.
