Deadlock Votes: 🗳️ Win The Hero Race, Full Guide 🏆

Every few weeks, Valve hands the community a rare power: deciding which hero arrives next. Deadlock Votes are the tool that makes it happen, and October is a big month for them. The City Never Sleeps update went live on September 29, and six new heroes are now waiting behind a ballot. Understanding how Deadlock Votes work helps you push your favorite pick to the front of the line. In short, Deadlock Votes are ballots you earn by playing matches, then cast in the game to choose the release order of new heroes. Every hero still arrives eventually, so you are only voting on the order. Any Deadlock Character Vote is therefore about timing, not about which hero survives.

What Are Deadlock Votes And How Do They Work?

The system is simple on paper. You play, you earn votes, and you spend them on the hero you want first. However, the details matter if you want to maximize your impact.

The Basic Voting Loop

Here is the loop most players follow:

1. Finish a match in a supported mode, such as a Standard Match or Street Brawl.
2. Earn votes for that match, with bonus votes for winning.
3. Open the ballot in your Hideout, or use the in-game ballot before a match.
4. Pick a hero and confirm your Deadlock Vote.
5. Wait for the next scheduled release to see the result.

Notably, you must actually finish games. Just sitting in the queue does not earn anything.

What The Vote Actually Decides

The vote sets the order of releases, not the roster. Two heroes are scheduled each week, on Tuesdays and Fridays at 2 PM PT, starting October 2. That means the top two vote getters arrive first, and the others follow in later weeks. Consequently, a hero sitting in last place still shows up before the month ends.

Detail	What It Means For You
Vote type	Release order only, never elimination
Release rhythm	Two heroes per week (Tuesday and Friday)
Earning votes	Play matches, with win bonuses
Where to vote	The ballot in your Hideout and in-game
Roster size	Six new heroes in this batch

Which Heroes Are On The Ballot Right Now?

The current batch includes six heroes:

• Nurse Harrow
• Deadman Danny
• Baba
• Solomon
• Rat King
• Violet

Rat King has been reported as an early favorite on community ballots, but standings change quickly. Treat any percentage you see on third-party sites as a snapshot, not a final result.

How Did The Last Deadlock Character Vote Turn Out?

The previous Hero Voting event, tied to the Old Gods, New Blood update, gives us a useful blueprint. It ran for the release of six heroes and ended in February. Looking at it shows how players behave when votes matter.

The Final Release Order

Community votes produced this order:

1. Rem
2. Graves
3. Silver
4. Venator
5. Celeste
6. Apollo

Rem won the first round, and the community reaction was a mix of excitement and nervous jokes about balance. As a result, many players learned how strong an early pick can feel in a fresh meta.

The Numbers Behind The Event

Valve's developers later shared totals for the event. More than 60 million votes were cast overall, which shows how engaged players were. A few details stood out:

• Exactly 600 players voted only for the eventual winner every round.
• The largest margin was Venator beating Celeste by 11%.
• One player reportedly cast 813 votes, all for Celeste.

Meanwhile, those numbers prove that dedicated players can swing results more than casual ones.

How Do You Earn More Deadlock Votes?

More matches mean more votes, but smart habits matter more than raw grinding. A few small choices stack up fast.

Smart Ways To Stack Votes

Use this checklist to make every session count:

• Play your first win of the day early, since win bonuses are the biggest source of votes.
• Queue in supported modes only, because other modes may not grant ballots.
• Finish matches instead of leaving, since abandoned games usually waste your effort.
• Spend your votes before a release window closes, so none go to waste.

Reports differ on the exact bonus amounts for this batch, so check the in-game ballot for the real numbers. Indeed, Valve can adjust these values between events.

Pro Tips: Deadlock Votes

• Vote with the meta in mind: A support like Nurse Harrow can change how teams heal and fight, so think about what your matches lack. This helps you enjoy the hero sooner.
• Play with a premade group: A winning team earns more, so coordinated play boosts your vote total and your win rate together.
• Watch the standings before you commit: If your favorite is far ahead, your votes matter more on a close second choice. This is how small groups tip tight races.
• Learn the hero before it drops: Read the abilities and watch early gameplay, then you can pick on day one. Studying a tank like Abrams is a good template for judging any kit.

Is Your Deadlock Vote Worth Casting Every Time?

Yes, because every ballot is free and every match already earns you something. A single vote will not decide a race, but thousands of small votes do. Moreover, voting is a good excuse to learn the shape of the incoming meta.

Picking By Role, Not Hype

New heroes often get chosen for their looks or lore. That is fine, but a role-based pick usually pays off more in ranked games. Consider these questions before you vote:

• Does your team usually lack healing, crowd control, or damage?
• Do you prefer ranged or close combat?
• Will this hero work with the one you already play?

For a support example, look at Ivy to understand how healers shape a match.

Tracking Results After The Vote

Once a hero launches, stats help you judge whether your pick was a smart one. Check win rates, match history, and hero performance over time. Lobbies get messy when ping spikes, so see how to fix high ping in Steam games. Fans of other shooters can also read about Battlefield 6 high ping or a Counter-Strike 2 FPS boost. Therefore, you can vote with confidence next time.

Common Mistakes Deadlock Votes Players Make

1. Ignoring votes until the last day: Players forget and miss a release window. Fix: Vote after your first win each session.
2. Believing a single ballot site is final: Third-party percentages are only samples. Fix: Use the in-game ballot as your source of truth.
3. Voting only for the most hyped hero: Hype fades quickly after launch. Fix: Pick a hero that fits your role and your team.
4. Quitting matches early: Leaving costs you votes and hurts your team. Fix: Finish each game, even a losing one.

Why Lag Can Cost You Deadlock Votes

Votes come from finished matches, so your connection matters more than you might expect. A disconnect or a rubber-banding game can ruin a win, and wins are what grant bonus votes. Furthermore, high ping makes early abilities from new heroes feel unfair.

The Hidden Cost Of A Bad Connection

Think about what happens when your connection fails mid-match:

• You lose the win bonus on your vote.
• Your teammates carry your weight, which hurts your reputation.
• You may miss a release because you were stuck reconnecting.

Fast, stable routing keeps your sessions clean and your vote count growing.

How ExitLag Helps You Win More Matches

ExitLag is a game connection optimizer, not a VPN. It tests multiple network paths in real time and picks the fastest, most stable route between you and the game servers. It does not encrypt your traffic or hide your IP. For a hero shooter like Deadlock, that means faster inputs, lower ping, and less packet loss in fights. ExitLag supports 4,000+ titles with 1,500+ servers in 190+ countries. Its Multipath technology sends packets through several routes at once, so a weak link will not end your match. Traffic Shaper also prioritizes game data over background downloads. To protect your win bonuses, try ExitLag Download and test a route before your next ranked session. Remember, do not run ExitLag alongside a VPN.

Quick Connection Checklist Before You Queue

1. Close background apps that use bandwidth.
2. Connect with a cable when possible.
3. Open ExitLag and select the best route for your region.
4. Launch Deadlock and check your ping in the lobby.

Final Thoughts On Deadlock Votes

Deadlock Votes give players a real say in how the game grows, and the current batch of six heroes is a great chance to use that voice. Every match you finish earns you influence. Valve also keeps the official update details on the City Never Sleeps page, which is worth checking for confirmed changes.

Your Next Steps

• Win your first match of the day for bonus votes.
• Cast your Deadlock Vote before each release window.
• Keep a stable connection so wins count.

Remember The Big Picture

Deadlock Votes are about order, not exclusion, so enjoy the ride. Pick smart, play clean, and let the community shape the next hero. All game images used in this blog post belong to Valve Corporation. They are used for informational and educational purposes only and do not imply endorsement or affiliation with the rights holders.