VALORANT’s newest agent, Deadlock, has quickly earned the title of being the worst character in the game just two months after her release. The community has pointed out a major inconsistency that sets her apart from other sentinel agents and hampers her ability to compete.
During the recent 2023 VCT Champions tournament, Deadlock was the only agent who didn’t see any playtime. Her pick rate in ranked matches has also been steadily declining, according to stats site Blitz. Players have identified several issues with Deadlock, but one stands out above the rest.
Unlike other sentinel agents in VALORANT who have flank-watching utility, Deadlock faces a significant disadvantage because she cannot retrieve her traps once they have been placed in a round. Once they’re set, there’s no way to change their position or pick them up.
A Reddit thread on Sept. 5 highlighted a player’s frustration with this inconsistency. Other notable flank-watching utilities, such as Cypher’s Trapwires, Chamber’s Trap, and Killjoy’s Alarm Bot, can all be recalled and repositioned within a round, albeit with a small cooldown. However, Deadlock’s Sonic Sensors cannot be retrieved or relocated once placed.
This limitation poses several problems. Firstly, if the sensors are positioned too low or too high, they can be easily dodged by enemies. If the placement is incorrect, there’s nothing you can do about it. Additionally, if you set the sensors to watch one entry point of a site but the opposing team attacks from a different direction, your utility becomes useless and a waste of credits.
“It’s too easy to see and break, you can’t pick it up mid-round, the fact that it can just be slow-walked past offers no real site control, and even if it does go off and stun you can dodge it fairly easily,” one player commented on Deadlock’s Sonic Sensor ability.
Not being able to reposition or recall Deadlock’s utility in the middle of a round highlights a significant inconsistency among agents of the same class, particularly Sentinels. It also contradicts Riot’s recent efforts to improve “game state clarity” and make it easier for players to understand what is happening on the map. By allowing some Sentinels to recall utility while others cannot, it not only affects agent balance but also creates an additional barrier for new players trying to grasp the different roles in VALORANT.
Many players agree that being able to retrieve the sensors mid-round would be a significant buff for Deadlock. However, they also acknowledge that she likely needs broader changes to her kit. One player even suggested that the 200 credit cost of the net grenade should be set on fire instead, emphasizing its lack of usefulness.
Despite the consensus among players that Deadlock is in a terrible state, Riot did not make any adjustments to the agent in the latest game patch, which included changes to over half of the roster. It remains to be seen whether Riot will revisit Deadlock in a future update if her pick and win rates continue to decline.
Source: DOTESPORTS
