If you’ve ever hunkered down behind a wall mid Valorant round only to hear Deadlock’s ultimate audio cue blare, you’ve almost certainly wondered: can deadlocks ult go through walls. It’s one of the most common questions new players ask about the agent, and getting the answer wrong can cost you a round, or even an entire ranked game. I’ve spent dozens of hours testing Deadlock’s abilities in custom lobbies and playing her in ranked up to Ascent, so I’m breaking down exactly how her ultimate works, what it can and can’t pass through, and how to use that knowledge to win more rounds.
Can Deadlock's Ult Go Through Walls? The Short, Definitive Answer
The short answer is no, Deadlock’s ultimate (officially called Annihilation) cannot pass through solid, intact map geometry under normal gameplay conditions. The ability fires a straight-line projectile that attaches to the first enemy or solid object it hits, so if there’s a full wall between you and Deadlock when she fires, the projectile will hit the wall and dissipate without reaching you. This applies to all solid surfaces, including stone walls, metal crates, intact doors, and agent-made solid barriers like Sage’s wall or Harbor’s high tide shield.
That said, a lot of players report situations where it looks like the ult went through a wall, and those cases are almost always tied to small edge cases most players don’t notice mid-round. For example, if you’re standing behind a half wall with your upper body peeking over the top, the ult will hit your exposed body even if most of you is hidden, which can feel like it passed through the wall. It only takes a sliver of exposed hitbox for the ult to attach, so even a tiny peek over cover is enough to get hit.
The only non-solid barriers the ult can pass through are vision-obscuring effects like Omen’s smoke, Brimstone’s molotov clouds, or Viper’s poison gas. Those effects don’t have a physical hitbox, so the ult will travel right through them to hit enemies hiding on the other side. That’s a key distinction a lot of new players miss, and it’s why you might think the ult went through a wall when it actually went through a smoke.
Common Edge Cases That Seem Like Deadlock's Ult Passes Through Walls
There are a handful of common scenarios where players swear Deadlock’s ult went through a solid wall, but they’re almost always tied to small map details or timing quirks you can learn to spot. I’ve tested all of these myself in custom lobbies to confirm what’s actually happening, so you don’t have to waste your time guessing.
You can test all of these edge cases yourself in a private custom lobby in 10 minutes or less, and it’s well worth the time if you play Deadlock often or face her a lot in ranked. Knowing what gaps the ult can fit through will help you land more picks as Deadlock, and avoid getting hit when you’re playing against her.
One of the most common misplays I see from new Deadlock players is firing the ult at a thin wooden wall assuming it will pass through, only to have it dissipate immediately. Even the thinnest solid surface in Valorant has a full hitbox that will block the ult, so don’t waste your charge on shots you aren’t sure will land.
Actionable Tips for Using Deadlock's Ult Effectively Around Walls
Since you know the ult can’t go through walls, you can adjust how you use it to maximize your hit rate and win more rounds. The biggest tip is to never fire the ult blindly at a wall unless you’re 100% sure there’s a gap you can shoot through, or you’re timing it for when an enemy is about to peek. Always pre-aim common peeking angles before popping your ult so you can fire immediately when an enemy shows themselves, instead of fumbling with your aim and letting them duck back behind cover.
You can also use walls to your advantage to catch enemies off guard. For example, if you know an enemy is hiding behind a destructible wooden door, you can shoot a few rounds from your primary weapon to break the door, then fire your ult immediately before they have time to reposition. I’ve used this trick dozens of times on Haven’s A site door to catch enemies hiding behind the frame, and it works almost every time because most players don’t expect the ult to come through right after the door breaks.
If you’re playing with a coordinated team, ask a teammate with a stun or flash to hit the other side of a wall where an enemy is hiding right before you fire your ult. Most enemies will stand up and try to run away when they get hit by a stun or flash, which exposes their hitbox long enough for you to land the ult. Never waste your ultimate firing at a solid wall unless you have a plan to force the enemy out of cover, because it has one of the longest ultimate cooldowns in the game, and throwing it away puts your team at a huge disadvantage for the rest of the round.
How to Counter Deadlock's Ult When Hiding Behind Walls
If you’re playing against Deadlock, knowing her ult can’t go through walls makes countering it way easier. The first and most important tip is to stay completely behind solid cover as soon as you hear her ultimate audio cue, and don’t peek until you hear the ult dissipate or hit another object. The audio cue for Deadlock's ultimate is distinct and plays across the entire map, so you’ll always know when it’s active no matter where you are on the map.
If you’re hiding behind a destructible surface like a wooden door or crate, don’t shoot it or break it while her ult is active, because that will give her a clear line of sight to hit you. If you’re playing an agent with a deployable solid barrier like Sage or Harbor, you can place it between you and Deadlock even if she already has line of sight on you, and it will block the ult immediately. I’ve used Sage’s wall to block Deadlock’s ult mid-flight more times than I can count, and it’s one of the most reliable counters in the game.
If you have a teammate close by, you can also ask them to stun or flash Deadlock while she’s winding up her ult, which will cancel the ability entirely and waste her charge. A lot of players make the mistake of panicking and running out from behind cover when they hear the ult activate, which is exactly what Deadlock wants you to do. If you stay fully hidden behind a solid wall, she can’t hit you no matter how well she aims.
To wrap it all up, the clear answer to can deadlocks ult go through walls is no, under all standard gameplay conditions. The few times it seems like it passed through a wall are almost always tied to exposed hitboxes, map gaps, or broken surfaces that you can learn to spot with a little practice. Whether you play Deadlock or spend most of your time countering her, keeping these rules in mind will help you make smarter plays and avoid costly mistakes in your next match. Next time you hear that familiar ultimate audio cue, you’ll know exactly what to do instead of panicking.