If you’ve just jumped into Valve’s fast-paced new MOBA, one of the first questions you’re probably asking is how many characters in Deadlock you can pick for your first match. Unlike older MOBAs that launch with 50+ heroes and overwhelming rosters, Deadlock takes a more focused approach to its character lineup, so even new players can learn the ins and outs of every pick in a few weeks of play. I’ve been grinding the game since its closed beta launch, and I’ve put together this breakdown to cover every playable character, hidden unlocks, and what’s coming next for the roster.
How Many Characters in Deadlock Are Playable Right Now?
As of the latest 2024 game update, there are 22 total playable characters in Deadlock, split across four core classes that fit standard MOBA team roles. That count doesn’t include the two test characters only available in custom lobbies, or the three confirmed upcoming heroes that are still in active development. You won’t have to grind for hours to unlock most of these picks either, 18 of the 22 characters are available for free as soon as you make your account. The remaining four are locked behind simple account level challenges, which most players complete within their first 10 hours of play. If you’re coming from a game like League of Legends, this small roster might feel limiting at first, but it’s a deliberate choice by the dev team to keep match balance fair and reduce the learning curve for new players.
You also don’t have to worry about duplicate picks in public matches, as the game uses a standard draft system that only lets one player per team pick each character. This means you’ll get to experiment with different picks regularly, even if you only have a few favorite characters you like to play.
Breakdown of Deadlock Character Classes
Every character in Deadlock fits into one of four distinct classes, each with a clear role to fill in a standard 5v5 match. Picking a balanced mix of classes is the easiest way to set your team up for success before the match even starts. The four classes are:
How to Unlock Locked Deadlock Characters
As I mentioned earlier, only 4 of the 22 total characters are locked when you first make your account, and none of them require paid currency to unlock. The dev team has explicitly stated they won’t add pay-to-unlock playable characters in the future, so you never have to worry about missing out on meta picks because you don’t want to spend real money. Each locked character is unlocked by reaching a specific account level, which increases as you play matches, win or lose. You don’t have to complete any complicated challenges or get a specific number of kills to unlock them, just play the game normally and you’ll get access to all of them in no time.
If you want to speed up the process, you can group up with friends for bonus experience per match, which cuts the grind almost in half. If you’re curious about how other popular MOBAs handle character unlocks, you can read our full breakdown of MOBA character access models to see how Deadlock stacks up against competitors. This approach to unlocks is a big part of why Deadlock has built such a positive community so quickly, since no one gets an advantage just for spending more money on the game.
The only paid content related to characters is cosmetic skins, which don’t affect gameplay at all. You can earn most skins for free through battle passes that you unlock just by playing matches, too.
Upcoming Deadlock Characters to Look Out For
The dev team releases regular roadmap updates, so we already have confirmation of three new characters coming to the game over the next 6 months. All three will be added for free for all players, no unlock requirements, as soon as they launch. The first upcoming character is a support class hero with healing abilities that scale with damage dealt, which will fill a gap in the current support roster for players who prefer aggressive playstyles. Devs have also confirmed they will add at least 4 new characters per year moving forward, so the roster will grow slowly but steadily, without overwhelming players with too many new picks at once.
They also run public test servers for new characters a few weeks before launch, so you can sign up to test them early and give feedback if you want to help shape how the final version plays. One thing to note: the devs rarely rework existing characters, so once you learn how to play a pick, you won’t have to re-learn their entire kit out of the blue a few months later. All balance changes are small and targeted, so you don’t have to worry about your main character becoming unplayable after a random update.
At the end of the day, the small, focused roster is one of Deadlock’s biggest strengths, especially for players who don’t have 20+ hours a week to keep up with constant new character additions. Whether you’re a casual player who only jumps in for a few matches a week or a competitive player climbing the ranked ladder, knowing how many characters in Deadlock are available and what each one does will help you pick the right hero for every match. If you want to stay up to date on new character drops, make sure to follow the official Deadlock social media accounts for early teasers and test server sign-ups.