It’s a small and early sample size, but Deadlock already finds herself amongst the top tier of agents in VALORANT Episode Seven. But while she may be a popular choice among the masses, it doesn’t appear she has the same sentiment amongst VALORANT pros.
While competitive data hasn’t been made available yet, the early results coming from all game modes and unrated in particular shows that Deadlock is doing very well. According to data from Blitz.gg at time of writing, she has the third highest win rate amongst all agents in unrated play at 50.9 percent behind Killjoy in first and Raze in second. She’s also sixth overall in K/D at 1.04, and that’s with the game’s fourth highest pick rate at 7.5 percent.
Across all game modes, it’s a similar showing for Deadlock. Her win rate overall is actually number one amongst all agents at 48.9 percent. Her K/D and pick rate slip a little bit overall though, falling to eighth in both categories. Still, she’s in the upper echelon for the three major usage statistics across unrated and VALORANT overall.
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This strong start might eventually fizzle out though, just based on the overall thoughts towards Deadlock we’ve seen from members of the professional scene. Numerous players and notable people from the pro side of the game have already expressed their disappointment with her. Before she even released, analyst Lothar called her “turboweak,” and broke down why each individual part of her ability kit was lacking.
He’s not alone, with others speaking up now Deadlock has been released. G2 Gozen player and Game Changers world champion mimi brought up how hard it is to connect with the ultimate. Evil Geniuses’ Ethan said she “might be the worst in the game,” with Team Liquid player Sayf succinctly saying she’s “shit.”
Her kit feels very hit-or-miss. Barrier Mesh is a great obstacle for deterring pushes and holding off retakes, but both Sonic Sensor and GravNet feel very weak. Her ultimate, Annihilation, is quite literally a hit-or-miss ability, but lacks the same fear factor as a hit-or-miss ultimate like Raze’s.
Deadlock is enjoying her time on top for now, but there’s a strong chance that her period of dominance won’t be a long one.
