If you’ve ever been caught off guard by a Deadlock ultimate that seemed to reach you behind cover, you’ve definitely asked does deadlock ult go through walls. I’ve spent dozens of hours testing every Deadlock ability in custom matches and ranked Immortal lobbies, so I can break down exactly how this ultimate works, what it can pass through, and what stops it cold. You don’t have to waste rounds guessing anymore—we’ll cover every edge case you’re likely to run into in regular play.
Does Deadlock Ult Go Through Walls: The Short Answer
Let’s cut to the chase: yes, Deadlock’s ultimate, called GravNet, does go through most thin and medium walls, but it can’t pass through solid, map-wide structural barriers. I tested this across all current Valorant maps, firing the ult from both attacker and defender spawns at common cover spots to confirm consistency. For example, on Bind, you can fire the ult through the wooden boxes at A short to catch enemies hiding behind them, but you can’t send it through the solid stone wall separating A site from B site. Thin cover like wooden crates, metal sheets, and half walls never block GravNet, so don’t rely on those to hide if you hear the ult activation sound. So if you’re still asking does deadlock ult go through walls when you’re hiding behind a wooden crate, the answer is almost certainly yes, so you should reposition immediately.
What Types of Surfaces Block Deadlock’s Ultimate?
Even though GravNet penetrates most common cover, there are clear limits to what it can pass through. I ran tests with every type of surface in the game to categorize what stops the ult cold, so you can know exactly where to hide if you’re on the defending side, or where to aim if you’re using it.
- Solid structural map walls: These are the permanent, thick walls that separate major map areas, and they completely block GravNet from passing through. You’ll notice these walls don’t take damage from bullets or abilities, so they’re easy to spot.
- Agent-placed solid obstacles: Sage’s wall, Harbor’s full cover, and Deadlock’s own Barrier Mesh will all block the ult if it hits them before reaching its target area. Brimstone’s molly and Viper’s poison don’t block it, though, since they’re not solid surfaces.
- Reinforced site walls: On maps like Haven and Lotus, the reinforced metal walls around sites can’t be penetrated by GravNet, even if you fire directly at them. Unreinforced breakable walls, on the other hand, let the ult pass through even if they’re still intact.
One common mistake I see new Deadlock players make is firing the ult at a reinforced wall expecting it to go through, only to waste the entire charge. If you’re not sure if a wall is structural, a good rule of thumb is: if you can’t shoot a bullet through it, GravNet probably can’t pass through it either. That makes sense, since the ult follows the same penetration rules as most heavy weapon fire in the game.
Pro Tips for Using Deadlock’s Ult Through Walls Effectively
Now that you know GravNet can go through most common cover, you can use that mechanic to get way more value out of your ultimate every round. I’ve used these tricks to climb to Immortal rank with Deadlock, so they’re tested in real ranked play against high-skill opponents. Always aim for common hiding spots behind cover when you’re using the ult through a wall. Most players will tuck themselves behind boxes or half walls when they hear you pop your ult, so aiming directly at those spots will catch them almost every time.
You don’t have to have line of sight to your target to hit them, which makes GravNet one of the best info-gathering ults in the game. If you know a group of enemies is pushing a site but you can’t see them, fire the ult through the wall at their expected position. Even if you don’t catch anyone, you’ll force them to reposition and give away their location when they run out of the GravNet area. Don’t waste your ult trying to hit enemies across the map, though. Even if the wall between you is thin, GravNet has a maximum effective range of 50 meters, so it will fizzle out before it reaches targets that are too far away. I learned this the hard way when I tried to fire an ult from Ascent attacker spawn to B site, only to have it disappear halfway there. If you’re playing against Deadlock and you hear the ult activation, don’t hide behind thin cover assuming it will protect you—now that you know does deadlock ult go through walls, you can run for a solid structural wall instead.
Common Edge Cases for Deadlock Ult Penetration
There are a few weird edge cases that even experienced Deadlock players miss, so it’s worth calling these out to avoid mistakes in high-stakes rounds. First, GravNet can pass through destructible surfaces even if they haven’t been destroyed yet. For example, the wooden doors on Bind and Haven can be penetrated by the ult even if they’re fully closed, so you don’t have to break them first to hit enemies hiding behind them. Smoke screens and other visual obstacles do not block GravNet at all, so you can fire it through Omen’s smoke or Brimstone’s molly cover without losing any effect. That’s a great trick to use when enemies are hiding in smoke to defuse the spike—you can catch them off guard without exposing yourself.
Another edge case is partial cover: if an enemy is standing behind a half wall that only covers their lower body, the ult will still catch them even if only their head is visible above the cover. GravNet affects the entire 3-meter radius around its landing spot, so it doesn’t matter if part of the target is behind cover as long as they’re inside that radius. The only exception to this rule is if the enemy is completely enclosed in a room with no open path to the ult’s landing spot, even if the walls are thin. For example, if an enemy is locked in the defender spawn room on Bind, the ult won’t affect them even if you fire it right at the wall outside the room, because there’s no open path for the GravNet effect to reach them.
At the end of the day, the answer to does deadlock ult go through walls is mostly yes, with a few clear exceptions for thick structural barriers and agent-placed solid cover. Once you learn the difference between penetrable and non-penetrable surfaces, you can use GravNet to catch enemies off guard every round, without wasting your ultimate on impossible shots. Spend a few minutes testing in a custom match if you want to memorize the specific walls on your favorite maps, and you’ll be getting way more value out of Deadlock’s ultimate in no time.