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Deadlock Beginner Guide: Roles, Souls & Items
Hero roles, how souls and items work, and how to pick a first hero in Deadlock.
City Never Sleeps · updated October 16, 2026
What is Deadlock?
Deadlock is Valve's hero shooter with lane-based team fights. You earn souls during a match and spend them in the item shop. Everything resets when the match ends.
Hero roles
The hero list uses seven roles: Tank, Assassin, Initiator, Disruptor, Support, Gun carry and Spirit carry. Gun carries scale with weapon items and spirit carries scale with spirit power.
Picking a first hero
The tier list is based on win rate, so it shows what is winning, not what is easiest. Strong entries with solid numbers include Haze (gun carry), Paige (support) and Rat King (tank).
Spending souls
Start with a cheap Tier 1 item such as Extra Health or Extended Magazine, then work toward the higher tiers. You have 4 Weapon, 4 Vitality, 4 Spirit and 4 flex slots.
Ranked
New heroes need 15 Standard wins before they can be used in Ranked.
FAQ
What roles are there in Deadlock?
Tank, Assassin, Initiator, Disruptor, Support, Gun carry and Spirit carry.