Valorant Episode 7 is coming soon, and with it comes the introduction of the newest Agent Deadlock, who looks to be a solid addition to the Sentinel role.
A new act is coming to Valorant, which means one of two things: either a new map or a new Agent. As much as a new map could be a nice change of pace, a new Norwegian-based Sentinel operative has joined the scene: Deadlock. Deadlock will be playable immediately at the start of the new episode and act, which is Tuesday, June 27, 2023. The start of a new act will also refresh the Battle Pass, giving players plenty of time to grab some awesome, funny player cards, gun skins, gun buddies and more!
With Deadlock being the fifth Sentinel, she will be a game-changing character, especially for competitive play. Chamber has been almost completely irrelevant as a Sentinel, so having a fourth viable option is always a plus. Deadlock will also counter some of the other stronger, aggressive Agents (most likely hard pushes like Dualists) right now, such as Jett, Reyna and Raze.
Deadlock has a great arsenal of traps to cover flanks or entry points, along with some abilities that can either stun/slow opponents or force them to move out of cover. Her use of nanowire technology is meant to lockdown battlefields with detection and deterring enemies from getting an intel advantage.
One of the game designers, Alexander Mistakidis, noted how they drew inspiration of adding an Agent who can hook other Agents in a similar way that Blitzcrank hooks enemy champions in League of Legends. He said, “As a player who loves playing hook characters like Blitzcrank in any game, I took it as a personal challenge to explore ways to bring the thrill of a hook ability while also ensuring that it was tactical.”
Here is a breakdown of all of Deadlock’s abilities from Riot Games and Valorant:
GravNet (C)
EQUIP a GravNet grenade. FIRE to throw. ALT FIRE to lob the grenade underhand. The
GravNet detonates upon landing, forcing any enemies caught within to crouch and move slowly.
Sonic Sensor (Q)
EQUIP a Sonic Sensor. FIRE to deploy. The sensor monitors an area for enemies making
sound. It concusses that area if footsteps, weapons fire, or significant noise are detected.
Barrier Mesh (E)
EQUIP a Barrier Mesh disc. FIRE to throw forward. Upon landing, the disc generates barriers
from the origin point that block character movement.
Annihilation (X)
EQUIP a Nanowire Accelerator. FIRE to unleash a pulse of nanowires that captures the first
enemy contacted. The cocooned enemy is pulled along a nanowire path and will die if they
reach the end, unless they are freed. The nanowire cocoon is destructible.
The Agent Gear list was also shared with us for Deadlock:
- Tier 1: Cyber Oak, Spray
- Tier 2: VALORANT Deadlock, Player Card
- Tier 3: Wired, Title
- Tier 4: Crossed Wires, Spray
- Tier 5: Kingdom Credits
- Tier 6: Nanowire Cartridge, Gun Buddy
- Tier 7: Deadlock Spray, Spray
- Tier 8: Ståljeger, Title
- Tier 9: Into the Vault, Player Card
- Tier 10: Resolution, Gun Skin (Classic)
Valorant Episode 7 Act I will also bring a new Battle Pass and the new Neo Frontier Skinline. Other great cosmetics to get from the new Battle Pass are the Composite Phantom, Blush Operator, Smoke Maze spray and Pancake Pile-Up. The developers discussed how they wanted to create some more futuristic designs for the weapons. I would say the knife for this Battle Pass was not as appealing as some of the past ones.
Check back with us on CGMagazine to hear what we think of Deadlock’s abilities and potentials that could change up the meta for the new act. Also, be sure to read about the new TDM game mode, the three new TDM maps, and the revamped progression system that will be utilizing Kingdom Credits as a new in-game currency.
UPDATE – Following the Valorant Influencer Livestream Event on 6/27/2023
Another glorious day on Valorant was had, learning first-hand how to use the new Agent: Deadlock. Everyone was excited to learn all about this nanowire tech fiend, but even more so to try out the new Neo Frontier Skinline Bundle. Boy oh boy was it fancy, and made me feel like the cowboy Cassidy from Overwatch. From the guitar riffs to the cybernetic sounds of inspecting each gun and the tomahawk axe was deeply satisfying. I could tell the inspiration could have been pulled from Red Dead Redemption as well, with all of the wild wild west references.
But back to Deadlock. She has a bit of a learning curve at first, but it is quick to see where some similarities with other Agents crossover with hers. Her Sonic Sensors (Q) work like Cypher’s trips, where they can be placed to cover a certain angle; however, these were better because you could not really jump over them. The only downside I found was that it does not notify if the trap was tripped the way Cypher’s does.
GravNet (C) was an interesting one as well. It can be thrown as a molly to slightly disrupt defusing the bomb and stall out gunfights. It can be combo’d annoyingly with Astra’s star abilities, and with stuns from Agents like Neon and Breach. Barrier Mesh (E) was so essential to controlling fights and pathing where enemies could go. This ability was mostly used like a Sage wall, but a bit more disruptive since it took a lot of bullets to break. And yes, it could block a whole entry point like the chokehold on A Main on Fracture. What’s the best counter: spraying down an Odin of course.
Annihilation (X) was definitely the highlight of the day. Everyone had some interesting reactions to getting cocooned in it, and doing the cocooning themselves. I found it was not super OP because it could be broken fairly easily, if your teammates decide to bail you out. But it can be a great way to end the round because if it hits, it is a guaranteed kill—unless the path of the ult is blocked by the map in some way. Otherwise, the ult times out and the cocooned person is freed.
Overall, Episode 7 looks to be bringing some heat this summer. The new TDM game mode will be going live in this patch too! I cannot wait to test out more Deadlock, see how she fits into the competitive meta, and grabbing the Neo Frontier Skinline is a must for my main account.
