Deadlock Oldgods: First Major Update in 2026 Brings Six New Heroes, Quick Game Mode, Balance and UI Changes

Deadlock's January 2026 update, titled "Old Gods New Blood," has been released, bringing a host of major changes to the game. The update introduces six new heroes, a fast-paced 4v4 game mode called Street Brawl, and a significant visual overhaul of the game's bases and patrons. It also includes two new items, numerous UI improvements, and a revamped post-game screen with an MVP award. This is the first major patch of 2026, and it is available to download now on Steam.

Six New Arrivals in Deadlock

Valve is releasing two new heroes per week on Mondays and Tuesdays at 2:00 p.m. Pacific time, starting January 26. Players can vote for the release order by playing matches to earn votes, with the first win of the day granting four extra votes. Priority tokens have also been introduced, giving players a better chance to select a new hero they have performed well with previously.

• Silver
• Rem
• Graves
• Apollo
• Celeste
• Venator

According to Deadlock’s official site, the six new heroes introduce a range of archetypes to the game. Silver is described as a shapeshifter. Rem appears to be a sleep or crowd-control-focused character with a pajama-clad design. Graves fits a necromancer and summoner role. Apollo is designed as a high-skill duelist. Celeste features a pink and violet color palette. Venator is presented as an accessible, fundamentals-based shooter hero.

Street Brawl — Deadlock's New Mode

Street Brawl is a new 4v4 game mode designed for quicker matches. It is a best-of-five format, with each round lasting only a few minutes. This mode is intended to help new players learn the game's combat mechanics without the complexities of the standard game's macro strategy.

• Short game format: a quick 4v4 battle over a best-of-five match, with each round taking a couple of minutes.
• Level playing field: each round starts with equal resources, and there is no farming.
• Streamlined shopping: players choose from a random set of items, adding three to their inventory each round.

In Street Brawl, players do not need to farm for resources, as everyone starts each round with an equal amount. The item system is also streamlined; players select three items from a randomized pool at the start of each round. The mode also features the chance for Enhanced or Legendary items with powerful effects to appear.

Balance, UI Changes & Other

The update brings significant gameplay changes to the base defense mechanics. Base guardians can no longer be parried. Shrines are now elevated on pedestals, requiring players to stand on them to inflict damage, and they now deal periodic burst damage and apply a Curse. The patron's initial phase is now stationary, while its second phase also deals area-of-effect burst damage. Actual changes are intended to make late-game pushes more challenging and reduce snowballing. Here’s Deadlock Oldgods' patch notes list:

• New Heroes (Silver, Rem, Graves, Apollo, Celeste, and Venator)
• New Game Mode: Street Brawl, a fast-paced 4v4 mode.
• Patron & Base Rework: two new patrons, The Hidden King and The Arch Mother, with overhauled base designs and defensive mechanics.
• New Items: Ballistic Enchantment and Recharging Rush.
• Postgame Overhaul: MVP scoring system and a redesigned summary screen.
• UI Improvements: reactive hero portraits, killstreak indicators, improved chat visuals, custom channel bars for abilities, and a "hole punch" camera system.
• Quality of Life: mid boss timer on the minimap, rejuv duration timer, improved visibility outlines, and a settings search bar.
• Map Art Updates: enhanced lighting, textures, and environmental details.
• Audio: new music, item sounds, and improved ultimate voice-over clarity.
• Performance: various rendering and network prediction improvements.

According to SteamDB, the concurrent player count jumped following the January 22nd patch, with 67,668 online players on the next day, so the update has successfully drawn both new and returning players to the game.

This update is bigger than the major patch released on October 24, 2024, which also introduced a batch of six experimental heroes in a mode called Hero Labs. That update was focused on early-stage feedback and included more temporary assets for its new characters. In contrast, the "Old Gods New Blood" heroes appear more polished and fully realized from the start. Both patches, however, demonstrate Valve's strategy of delivering large, content-rich updates to sustain player engagement and evolve the game's core experience.