Deadlock Tier List: Best Heroes to Dominate the Meta

What Is the Deadlock Tier List with the Best Characters in 2025?

You know what? There’s nothing quite like the chaos of a late-game team fight in Valve’s Deadlock. One second you’re farming souls comfortably in your lane, and the next, a Seven is raining lightning from the sky while an Abrams charges you like a runaway freight train. It’s hectic, it’s loud, and honestly? It’s brilliant. But let’s be real for a second – not all heroes are created equal. Especially not right now. That is when you need the Deadlock tier list with the best characters to pick after all these updates.

If you’ve been grinding matches, you’ve probably noticed that some characters just feel… unfair. You dump three mags into them, and they just shrug it off. Meanwhile, other heroes feel like you need a PhD in geometry just to land a single stun. That’s exactly why we need to talk about the current hierarchy. Whether you’re a solo-queue warrior trying to carry four strangers or a team player looking for that perfect wombo-combo, knowing who’s on top matters.

So, I’ve spent way too many hours getting destroyed by Haze players and missing hooks with Bebop to bring you this guide. Here is the definitive ranking of who’s broken, who’s viable, and who you should probably avoid unless you enjoy pain.

The Current Meta: Understanding the Deadlock Tier List

The thing is, Deadlock isn’t just a shooter, and it’s not just a MOBA. It’s this weird, beautiful hybrid where aim matters, but cooldown management matters more. Right now, the meta is heavily favoring heroes who can either sustain through a fight or delete an enemy before they can react. It’s a burst-heavy, tank-heavy world out there.

If you look at the top of the Deadlock tier list, you’ll see a pattern. The best heroes dominate lane control. They clear waves fast, secure the Soul Urn, and don’t fold the moment a gank happens. Mobility is king, but survivability is the crown. If you can’t survive the initial burst from a Vindicta snipe or a Lash slam, you’re just walking currency for the enemy team.

And hey, don’t get me wrong – skill expression is huge. A god-tier Paradox swap can win a game. But why work ten times as hard for the same result you could get by just pressing ‘4’ on Seven? Let’s break it down.

S-Tier: The Deadlock Tier List Kings & Queens

These are the heroes you see in almost every match. If they aren’t banned (assuming we get a draft mode soon), they are picked instantly. They shape the game. If you have one of these on your team, you’re chilling. If you don’t? Good luck.

Haze

Honestly, Haze is a nightmare. She’s the definition of a hyper-carry. Early game, she’s annoying with her Sleep Dagger, just poking you and making you miss last hits. But once she gets a few items? It’s over. Her ultimate, Bullet Dance, is basically a “delete team” button if you don’t have a stun ready. She sneaks in, presses one button, and suddenly everyone is dead. The fix? Buy Metal Skin or run away. But usually, you’re dead before you can react.

Seven

You knew he’d be here. Seven is the pub-stomper of the century. His farming speed is unmatched thanks to his lightning chaining through creep waves. He gets rich fast, and in a MOBA, money is power. But the real reason he’s S-Tier is that massive Storm Cloud ultimate. It zones out an entire city block. You can’t fight in it. You can’t hide from it. You just have to leave. It forces the entire enemy team to disengage, giving Seven’s team free reign over objectives.

Abrams

This guy just doesn’t die. Playing against a good Abrams feels like punching a brick wall. He has built-in damage mitigation, a charge that interrupts everything, and a shotgun that hurts way more than it should. He loves long, drawn-out fights where he can just drain health and disrupt your backline. If you see an Abrams running at you, and you’re a squishy sniper? Just run. Don’t try to be a hero.

Kelvin

Kelvin in Deadlock might look like a support, but he’s secretly the best tank in the game. His Ice Beam slows are obnoxious, making it impossible to escape. But his Ice Dome is the game-changer. It can save a teammate from certain death or trap an enemy carry with your entire team. Plus, he can heal. He does everything. He’s the glue that holds a messy team comp together.

Vindicta

A sniper with a finishing move that gives extra souls? Yes, please. Vindicta rewards good aim like no other. If you can land your shots, you can snowball out of control before the ten-minute mark. Her ability to fly gives her angles that other heroes just can’t deal with. She’s oppressive in lane and terrifying in the late game.

A-Tier: Solid Picks for Climbing the Deadlock Tier List

These characters are fantastic. They might lack the raw “press button to win” power of the S-Tier, or they might require a bit more brain power to execute, but they are reliable, strong, and can easily carry games.

Infernus

Infernus is Mr. Consistent. He runs fast, he burns things, and he has a great engagement with his ultimate. The damage over time (DoT) he applies is deceptive. You think you escaped with 100 HP, and then you just burn out behind cover. He’s great for beginners but scales well into high MMR because his kit is just so functional. He doesn’t do anything flashy; he just kills people.

Warden

Warden is a weird one. He’s a tanky brawler who wants to be in your face, but he also has a root that takes a few seconds to trigger. When it works, it’s devastating. He effectively locks down an area just by existing. If you ignore him, he kills you. If you focus him, he uses his shield and ult to survive while his team cleans up. He’s the definition of a “damned if you do, damned if you don’t” hero.

Wraith

If you like Call of Duty-style gunplay, Wraith is your girl. She shoots fast, she has a teleport for outplays, and her cards deal surprising burst damage. She’s an excellent duelist. In a 1v1 situation, Wraith usually wins. Her ultimate is a point-and-click stun, which is incredibly valuable in a game where everyone is dashing around like maniacs.

Ivy

Ivy is the best friend everyone wants. She can tether to a teammate to buff them, heal them, and even fly them across the map. The “Air Drop” mechanic is hilarious and effective. Imagine dropping a fully charged Seven right on top of the enemy team. It’s chaos. She’s A-Tier because she relies on having a teammate worth saving, but in a coordinated duo, she’s S-Tier material.

Pocket

Pocket is slippery. Like, impossible to catch slippery. They hide in a suitcase, teleport to their cloak, and deal massive AoE damage. A good Pocket player is the most annoying thing on the planet. They jump in, nuke your team, and vanish before you can click a button. The only reason they aren’t S-Tier is that if you mess up your combo, you die instantly. High risk, high reward.

B-Tier: Situational but Deadly

Here is where things get a bit dicey. These heroes can be good. Heck, they can be amazing. But they usually have a glaring weakness – maybe they are too squishy, maybe they lack mobility, or maybe they just get countered too easily by the top-tier picks.

Grey Talon

Legolas with a guided missile. Grey Talon has insane poke range. He can annoy you from across the lane without ever putting himself in danger. His ultimate, a controllable spirit owl, is great for picking off low-health targets. The problem? If anyone gets close to him, he pops like a balloon. He has very little defensive utility. If an Abrams charges him, he’s dead.

McGinnis

She’s the engineer of the group. Turrets, walls, and a big heavy gun. McGinnis is a pushing machine. If you leave her alone in a lane, she will take your walker and your base in five minutes. However, her turrets feed souls to the enemy if they destroy them, and she’s a huge target. In team fights, she can feel a bit stationary in a game that rewards movement.

Lash

Lash is all about movement. He flings himself around the map, stomping on people. It’s incredibly fun. But it’s also incredibly easy to feed. If you go in at the wrong time, you have no way out. He’s a “win-more” hero. If you’re ahead, you feel like a god. If you’re behind, you’re just a mosquito buzzing around before getting swatted.

Mo & Krill

The dig-trio (duo?). They have a burrow, a disarm, and a single-target lockdown ult. They are great at ganking. If Mo & Krill catch you alone, you’re probably dead. But in a 6v6 team fight, their single-target focus can be a liability. While they are holding one person down, the other five enemies are shooting them. They need a team that follows up instantly.

Yamato

Yamato is an anime protagonist. She charges up strikes, dashes through people, and has an ult that makes her invincible for a short time. Sounds OP, right? It is, if you have the mechanical skill of a pro player. For the average Joe, Yamato is tough. You have to land everything perfectly. If you miss your power slash, you do nothing.

C-Tier: High Effort, Questionable Reward

Look, I love these heroes. Their designs are cool. But right now? They are struggling. You have to work twice as hard to get the same value that a Haze gets by accidentally pressing a button.

Viscous

The Goo Ball. Viscous is weird. He can turn into a ball and roll around, he can cube teammates to save them. It’s a very disruptive kit. But he does very little damage compared to everyone else. He’s a pure utility tank in a game that often demands damage. Unless you are a physics genius with your goo bounces, you’re often just being annoying rather than useful.

Paradox

Paradox has one of the coolest abilities in the game: the swap. Switching places with an enemy hero is powerful. But her gun feels weak, her wall is situational, and if you miss the swap, you are useless. She requires extreme precision. In the chaos of a pub match, precision is hard to come by.

Bebop

Wait, Bebop in C-Tier? Hear me out. Yes, the hook is great. Yes, the bomb does damage. But recently, players have learned how to play against him. He’s a one-trick pony. If he misses the hook, he’s a big, slow target. His ultimate (the laser) also roots him in place, making him an easy headshot target for Vindicta or Grey Talon. He’s fun, but inconsistent.

Deadlock Tier List – Hero Rankings by Role

I threw this table together to help you visualize where the power lies depending on what playstyle you prefer.

Role	Best Picks (S/A Tier)	Situational (B Tier)	Avoid (C Tier)
Carry / DPS	Haze, Seven, Vindicta, Wraith	Grey Talon, Yamato	Paradox
Tank / Bruiser	Abrams, Warden	Lash, Mo & Krill	Bebop
Support / Utility	Kelvin, Ivy	McGinnis, Pocket	Viscous

Difficulty vs. Reward

Sometimes you just want an easy win on your shiny new laptop. Sometimes you want to show off. Here’s who gives you the best bang for your buck.

Hero	Difficulty	Impact	Verdict
Seven	Low	Massive	Play this to climb
Haze	Medium	High	Main this for pentakills
Pocket	High	High	Only for confident players
Viscous	Very High	Low/Med	Don’t do it to yourself
Abrams	Low	High	Best for beginners

Why Is The Meta The Way It Is?

You might be wondering, “Why is Seven so good?” It comes down to the economy. Deadlock is a race for souls. The heroes who can flash-farm jungle camps and clear waves instantly (Seven, Haze) get their Tier 3 and Tier 4 items faster. A Seven with “Ricochet” and “Tesla Bullets” is farming two camps at once. A Paradox is struggling to single-target down a walker.

Also, crowd control (CC) is king. The time-to-kill (TTK) in Deadlock varies wildly. Sometimes you melt, sometimes you tank for days. But if you are stunned, silenced, or asleep, you are dead. Haze’s sleep, Seven’s stun, Abrams’ knockups – they all deny the enemy the ability to play the game.

FAQ

Who is the best hero for beginners in Deadlock?

Abrams or Seven. Abrams is very forgiving because he’s tanky, and Seven is great because you can just farm and press your ultimate to be useful.

How do I counter Haze?

Buy the item “Metal Skin.” It makes you immune to bullet damage for a few seconds. Pop it when she uses her ultimate, and she does zero damage to you.

Is the Deadlock tier list the same for solo and team play?

Not really. Heroes like Ivy and Dynamo (who didn’t make the top cut but is decent) are much better with a coordinated team who can capitalize on their buffs.

Does Valve nerf heroes often?

Yes, the game is in active development. Expect patches every couple of weeks that could completely flip this list upside down.

Can I climb with C-Tier heroes?

Absolutely. A master Viscous player will beat a bad Seven player any day. Skill still trumps the meta, but you’ll have to work harder for it.

What is the “Soul Urn” and why does it matter?

It’s an objective that spawns periodically. Carrying it to the drop-off point gives your whole team a massive soul bounty. It’s crucial for getting a lead.

Where can I find the best builds?

In the in-game shop, click “Browse Builds” in the top right. Look for builds with high “Favorites” counts from trusted players.

Conclusion

So, there you have it. The current state of the game. Haze and Seven are tearing up the lobbies, Abrams is refusing to die, and poor Viscous is just trying to roll around in peace. But here’s the thing: Deadlock is still evolving. What’s broken today might be nerfed tomorrow.

The best advice I can give you? Don’t just be a slave to the Deadlock tier list. Try the heroes. Find the one whose kit clicks with your brain. Maybe you’re a god at landing Grey Talon snipes. Maybe you have the spatial awareness to make Pocket work. The “best” hero is the one you enjoy playing enough to master.

Now, stop reading this, boot up the game, and go secure those souls. Just… please don’t feed the enemy Haze. We’ve all had enough of that.