If you’ve ever been stuck in a lopsided Deadlock match where your team is down three tiers, two players are AFK, and there’s zero chance of a comeback, you’ve probably wondered can you FF in Deadlock to cut your losses early. I’ve been there too—last week I queued for a casual match right before a family dinner, only to get stuck in a 45-minute slog because I didn’t know how the forfeit system worked at the time. This guide breaks down everything you need to know about forfeiting in Deadlock, including eligibility rules, vote requirements, and common mistakes that can block your FF request.
Can You FF in Deadlock? Core Forfeit Eligibility Rules
The short answer is yes, you can forfeit matches in Deadlock, but there are strict, non-negotiable eligibility rules to prevent trolling and early giveups that ruin the experience for other players. Valve implemented these restrictions specifically to cut down on abuse, which was a huge issue in early beta versions of the game where players would call forfeit votes after losing one team fight early on. The 12-minute wait gives both teams enough time to get through the early laning phase and get a feel for how the match is going before anyone can call it quits.
You can only initiate a forfeit vote after the 12-minute mark of a match, no exceptions, even if half your team left before that timer hits. At least 80% of your active team must vote yes to pass the FF request, so if you have 5 players, that’s 4 yes votes; if one is AFK, you need 3 out of 4 remaining players to agree. You can only trigger one FF vote every 3 minutes, so don’t waste it if you know your team won’t agree right after a close team fight.
How to Initiate an FF Vote in Deadlock Step-by-Step
The forfeit option isn’t super obvious if you’re new to the game, so it’s easy to miss if you don’t know where to look. First, open the in-game menu by pressing Escape, then navigate to the Match Options tab. You’ll see a button labeled Call Forfeit Vote that will be grayed out until you hit the 12-minute eligibility window. Once you click it, a pop-up will appear on all your teammates' screens for 15 seconds, asking them to vote yes or no.
If the vote passes, the match will end immediately, and you’ll get your post-match rewards and ranking adjustment right away. If it fails, you’ll have to wait the full 3 minutes before you can call another vote. I once accidentally clicked the forfeit button 10 seconds before the 12-minute mark, and had to wait an extra 3 minutes to call a proper vote, so double check the match timer before you hit the button. If you're playing with a pre-made group, you can also use the quick chat wheel to send a pre-written forfeit request to your teammates before you call the official vote, to make sure everyone is on the same page first.
Common Reasons Your FF Vote Fails in Deadlock
Even if you meet the basic eligibility rules, there are a handful of common issues that can block your forfeit request from passing or even being called in the first place. Most of these are easy to avoid once you know what to look for, and you won’t have to waste time trying to call votes that will never go through.
A lot of new players get frustrated when their FF vote is rejected out of nowhere, but 9 times out of 10, it’s one of the reasons above causing the issue. Just wait a minute or two and try again, and it will almost always work if you meet all requirements. If it still fails, check the in-game notifications tab for a specific explanation of what’s blocking the request.
Should You FF in Deadlock? Pros and Cons to Consider
Just because you can FF doesn’t mean you always should. I’ve been in multiple matches where my team called a forfeit vote at 12 minutes down two tiers, only to turn the game around 10 minutes later after a few good team fights. It’s important to weigh the tradeoffs before you trigger a vote, to avoid wasting potential wins and annoying your teammates.
The biggest upside of forfeiting is that you save time if the match is truly unwinnable. You don’t have to sit through 20 more minutes of being steamrolled, and you can queue up for another match faster, or log off to take care of real life responsibilities without abandoning the match and getting a penalty. The downsides are that you lose out on any potential win bonuses, which include extra character XP and in-game currency, and if you FF too often, you might develop a habit of giving up too early when matches get tough. Only call an FF vote if 100% of your active team agrees the match is unwinnable before you trigger the request, so you avoid annoying teammates who still want to fight for a comeback. I once was in a match where we were down two tiers and one of our players was AFK for the first 10 minutes, but he reconnected right as we were about to call an FF vote, and we ended up winning 15 minutes later. That experience taught me to wait an extra minute or two before calling a vote, even if things look bleak at first.
At the end of the day, the question can you FF in Deadlock has a clear yes, but the system is designed to make sure you don’t waste potential wins or troll other players with unnecessary forfeit votes. Take the time to learn the eligibility rules, only call votes when your whole team is on the same page, and don’t be afraid to stick out a tough match if there’s still a chance to turn things around. You’ll save yourself a lot of frustration and get more out of every match you play, whether you choose to forfeit or fight to the end.