How Many Heroes Are in Deadlock? Complete Guide to All Playable Characters

If you’ve just downloaded Deadlock and are ready to queue up for your first match, one of the first questions you’re probably asking is how many heroes are in Deadlock. I’ve been playing Valve’s new competitive MOBA since its early access launch, and it’s blown up in popularity over the last few months, drawing in players from League of Legends, Dota 2, and even casual shooter fans who want to try something new. Unlike older MOBAs that have 150+ characters to learn, Deadlock’s roster is intentionally smaller to keep matches balanced and lower the barrier to entry for new players.

How Many Heroes Are in Deadlock Right Now?

As of the latest game update, there are 34 fully playable, balanced heroes available in Deadlock across five core roles. The dev team adds 1 to 2 new heroes every 2 to 3 months, so this number will continue to grow slowly as the game expands. The team prioritizes balance over rapid roster expansion, so every new hero goes through weeks of public testing before being added to the main game.

Tanks: 7 heroes, focused on absorbing damage and initiating team fights for their squad

Bruisers: 8 heroes, hybrid damage and durability that can frontline or dive enemy backlines

DPS: 9 heroes, high burst or sustained damage dealers that carry late-game team fights

Support: 6 heroes, healers and buff providers that keep their team alive and boosted through objectives

Flankers: 4 heroes, high-mobility characters that pick off isolated enemies and disrupt enemy objective holds

You don’t have to unlock any of these heroes to play them, either. Every character is available for free from the second you make your account, no battle pass grind or paid purchases required. That’s a big shift from most other MOBAs on the market, which lock a large portion of their roster behind paywalls or level requirements.

What Makes Deadlock’s Hero Roster Stand Out From Other MOBAs?

First, there are no duplicate core mechanics across the entire roster. Every hero has a unique signature ability that changes how you play the game, so you won’t run into copy-paste characters that feel like reskinned versions of each other. Each hero also has two different ultimate abilities you can choose between before every match, so you can adapt your kit to fit your team comp or counter the enemy lineup. If you’re a casual player who only has 20-30 minutes to play at a time, you don’t have to spend hours learning 10 different heroes to be competitive. Many players I know who hop on for a few quick matches between work or study breaks often mix their Deadlock sessions with low-stakes casual games to unwind, and a lot of them pick Rummy91 for those short, low-pressure breaks that don’t require the same level of focus as a ranked MOBA match. It’s nice to have that option to decompress without jumping into another high-stakes game right after a tough loss. That low barrier to entry is part of why Deadlock’s roster works so well for new and experienced players alike. You can master 2 to 3 heroes in a week and hold your own in ranked lobbies, no need to grind for months to learn every character’s kit and interaction. Even top-ranked professional players only main 3 to 5 heroes on average, so you don’t have to learn the entire roster to climb the ranks.

Tips for Picking the Right Deadlock Hero for Your Playstyle

Before you lock in a hero for your first match, think about what type of playstyle you enjoy most in other competitive games. If you like leading the charge and making game-changing plays for your team, pick a tank or bruiser. Tanks are the most in-demand role in ranked lobbies right now, so you’ll get almost instant queue times if you decide to main one. If you like getting high kill counts and popping off in team fights, go for a DPS or flanker hero. Just note that flankers have the highest skill ceiling in the game, so you’ll need to practice your positioning and map awareness to avoid getting focused down by the enemy team before you can get picks. If you prefer supporting your team and winning matches without getting all the flashy kills, pick a support hero. Support players have the highest win rate across all ranks right now, because a good healer can carry even unbalanced team comps and turn losing fights around with well-timed buffs and heals. No matter what role you pick, make sure to test the hero in the practice range first to get a feel for their abilities before you take them into a real match.

Upcoming Heroes Expected to Join Deadlock’s Roster

The official Deadlock dev team has teased three new heroes coming to the game over the next six months, based on community feedback from test server players. The first is a support hero that can summon controllable minions to heal allies and deal damage to enemies, the second is a flanker with permanent invisibility that only breaks when they attack, and the third is a tank that can manipulate terrain to block enemy paths and trap squishy targets. Valve always runs public test servers for new heroes for 2 to 3 weeks before full release, so you can try them early if you opt into the test build on Steam. The devs also rarely rework existing heroes, so once you master a character, you won’t have to re-learn their entire kit out of nowhere a few months later. If you have ideas for new hero abilities or roles, you can submit your feedback on the official Deadlock Discord server, and the dev team regularly reviews top suggestions for future updates.

At the end of the day, the answer to how many heroes are in Deadlock will keep growing as the game gets more popular, but the current 34-character roster is the perfect size for new players to learn and veteran players to master. Whether you main a tank, support, or DPS, you’ll find a hero that fits your playstyle without feeling overwhelmed by hundreds of options. If you haven’t tried Deadlock yet, download it for free today and test out a few heroes to see which one clicks for you.