Deadlock’s Sept 4 update reshaped the battlefield. Mina, Shiv, and Vyper emerged as the patch’s biggest winners, gaining buffs that make them stronger, stickier, and more dangerous in every fight.
The Deadlock patch notes from Sept. 4, shook up the battlefield with hero buffs, item nerfs, and big changes to game systems like rejuv and tower deaths. But the real story is in the winners: Mina, Shiv, and Vyper, who all got major power spikes. Vyper especially should see a new lease of life after the latest Deadlock update.
Here’s a breakdown of the patch and why these three are suddenly the names you’ll likely be seeing a lot more of.
Biggest winners in Deadlock patch notes
Mina - Love Bites buff & Spirit scaling
Mina - Now has Faster Love Bites proc (1 less shot), higher damage and Spirit scaling. Her Rake heal scales better plus her ultimate cooldown was reduced by 15 seconds (11% quicker).
The buffs to Love Bites means Mina will be a bigger threat in lane harassment early game. So don't underestimate how quick it will proc when you're trading. Changes to Spirit Scaling should also make her more impactful in the mid-game. Mina was the first hero added in the major Deadlock update in August, expect to see more of her.
- Rake heal spirit scaling: 1 → 1.5
- Love Bites buildup: 1 less shot required
- Love Bites (proc) damage: 45 → 55
- Love Bites (proc) spirit scaling: 1.5 → 1.7
- Nox Nostra cooldown: 130s → 115s
Shiv - Dash God is back
Shiv's changes in the new Deadlock patch notes mean he will be even deadlier and slippier. Bloodletting's cooldown has been reduced from 25 to 20, meaning he can tank burst damage more frequently. Plus, the deferred damage has been increased from 25% to 30%. What is more, the Slide and Dice max CD reduction has been improved, meaning he not only can tank more damage but he can dash more often!
Shiv got perhaps a bit too much love in this patch. Yet, Shiv mains are of course... delighted.
- Serrated Knives T3: +37 Damage/+6.5 Bleed DPS → +40 Damage/+7 Bleed DPS
- Slice and Dice T3 max CD reduction: -6s → -8s
- Bloodletting cooldown: 25s → 20s
- Bloodletting deferred damage: 25% → 30%
- Bloodletting T3: +35% Cleared → +45%
Vyper - Even more poisonous...
Unlike Shiv, Vyper is about damage over time, but the hero felt clunky and has been a mid-tier pick. The new Deadlock patch has breathed new poisonous life into her. Vyper buffs are real.
Vyper's poke Screwjab Dagger's cooldown is 1s less and the spirit scaling has been increased. Allowing for more impact itemization in the mid to late game. Meanwhile, the slow effect at T3 has been doubled. Good luck trying to just walk it off now.
Vyper's ultimate Lethal Venom also now has only a 20s cooldown instead of 26s, ensuring a good chance for it to be up every fight. Finally Vyper's crowd control has been improved in this Deadlock patch, with Petrifying Bola's range increased and its cooldown dropped by 20 seconds.
- Falloff min range: 13m → 15m
- Screwjab Dagger spirit scaling: 0.74 → 1.0
- Screwjab Dagger cooldown: 10s → 9s
- Screwjab Dagger T3: +1s Slow → +2s
- Lethal Venom cooldown: 26s → 20s
- Petrifying Bola range: 6m → 8m
- Petrifying Bola cooldown: 110s → 90s
General: Rejuv and Non-player death changes
Valve have removed two loopholes in the latest Deadlock update that let players reap benefits without direct contributions. The first change is to Rejuv, which will now only heal the person hitting the crystal, removing the free sustain to nearby team-mates that existed before.
The second change in the new balance patch is an anti-tower suicide change. Players who die to a non-player will now have their respawn time increased by 10 seconds for that death.
- Rejuv only heals the person hitting the crystal.
- Dying to a non-player (when there is no bounty/assists) now increases respawn time for that death by +10 seconds.
- Patron first death time is now a constant 12s (previously variable between 8–15s).
Hero Changes - Deadlock Patch Notes Sept. 4
Abrams
- Infernal Resilience damage regenerated increased: 12% → 13%
Bebop
- Weapon Range growth per boon: 1.2 → 1.5
- Bullet damage growth per boon: 0.13 → 0.14
- Exploding Uppercut cooldown: 21s → 19s
- Exploding Uppercut T1: -10.5s → -11s
- Hyperbeam cooldown: 120s → 105s
Billy
- Base health: 730 → 740
- Rising Ram cooldown: 33s → 30s
Calico
- Gloom Bombs T3: +2 Bombs → +3
- Leaping Slash melee damage scaling: 1.3 → 1.5
- Leaping Slash heal spirit scaling: 1.2 → 1.4
- Ava T3 cooldown: -15s → -20s
- Ava T3 health regen: +25 → +35
- Return to Shadows cooldown: 110s → 100s
Doorman
- Call Bell explosion damage: 70 → 60
- Call Bell explosion damage spirit scaling: 1.4 → 1.5
- Hotel Guest now teleports the target back to the beginning of the hotel if they fall into the void.
Drifter
- Health gain per boon: 41 → 39
- Weapon falloff start distance: 24m → 22m
- Weapon damage gain per boon: 0.55 → 0.52
- Bloodscent T3 Bonus amp damage: +11% → +10%
- Rend now causes brief floating during cast time.
Grey Talon
- Bullet damage growth (Spirit Power): 0.07 → 0.08
- Spirit Snare Curse duration: 2s → 2.25s
- Spirit Snare T2: changed to “Applies -15% Bullet Resistance for 10s.”
- Spirit Snare T3: now “+1s Curse Duration and +1.5m Radius.”
Holliday
- Base bullet damage: 26 → 22
- Bullet damage growth: 1.08 → 1.23
- Powder Keg displacement: 1s → 0.4s
- Powder Keg damage: 90 → 80
- Powder Keg T2 damage: 75 → 65
- Powder Keg spirit scaling: 1.4 → 1.6
- Powder Keg T3 charges: +3 → +2
- Powder Keg T3 now also increases displacement duration by 0.4s.
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Infernus
- Flame Dash DPS: 33 → 30
- Flame Dash T2: +37 DPS → +35
Kelvin
- Frost Grenade cooldown: 22s → 20s
Mina
- Rake heal spirit scaling: 1 → 1.5
- Love Bites buildup: 1 less shot required
- Love Bites (proc) damage: 45 → 55
- Love Bites (proc) spirit scaling: 1.5 → 1.7
- Nox Nostra cooldown: 130s → 115s
Mirage
- Fire Scarabs T3: +60 Max Health Steal → +70
Mo & Krill
- Combo cast range: 5m → 4.75m
Paige
- Defend and Fight! barrier spirit scaling: 1.4 → 1.6
Paradox
- Bullet damage growth: 0.275 → 0.27
Seven
- Move speed: 6.9 → 6.8
- Incoming crit resistance: -35% → -25%
- Power Surge T3 spirit scaling: 0.34 → 0.3
- Storm Cloud DPS spirit scaling: 0.65 → 0.6
- Storm Cloud initial radius: 12m → 10m
Shiv
- Serrated Knives T3: +37 Damage/+6.5 Bleed DPS → +40 Damage/+7 Bleed DPS
- Slice and Dice T3 max CD reduction: -6s → -8s
- Bloodletting cooldown: 25s → 20s
- Bloodletting deferred damage: 25% → 30%
- Bloodletting T3: +35% Cleared → +45%
Sinclair
- Vexing Bolt radius: 3.5 → 3.25
- Spectral Assistant base damage: 18 → 15
- Spectral Assistant spirit scaling: 0.28 → 0.36
- Spectral Assistant T3: +45% Fire Rate → +60%
- Rabbit Hex T3: +5% Amp → +7%
- Audience Participation cooldown: 100s → 85s
- Audience Participation duration: 10s → 12s
Victor
- Health per boon: 45 → 41
- Jumpstart recharge: 3s → 8s
- Aura of Suffering range: 9m → 8m
- Aura of Suffering cooldown: 1s → 2.5s
Vindicta
- Stake no longer pulls (range unified at 6m–9m)
- Stake duration: 2s → 1.75s
- Stake slow: 30% → 40%
- Flight duration: 12s → 13s
- Flight spirit damage: 9 → 10
- Flight T2: +6s → +7s
- Flight T3: +11 Spirit Damage → +14
- Crow Familiar debuff duration: 6s → 4s
- Crow Familiar spirit scaling: 0.022 → 0.013
- Crow Familiar bleed/sec: 2.15% → 2.7%
- Crow Familiar T2 cooldown: -16s → -12s
Viscous
- Alt Fire base damage: 63 → 48
- Alt Fire growth: 0.45 → 1.25
Vyper
- Falloff min range: 13m → 15m
- Screwjab Dagger spirit scaling: 0.74 → 1.0
- Screwjab Dagger cooldown: 10s → 9s
- Screwjab Dagger T3: +1s Slow → +2s
- Lethal Venom cooldown: 26s → 20s
- Petrifying Bola range: 6m → 8m
- Petrifying Bola cooldown: 110s → 90s
Warden
- Base sprint speed: 2.5 → 2
- Alchemical Flask T2: +45 → +40
- Last Stand spirit scaling: 1.6 → 1.45
Perks & Upgrades
- Weakening Headshot: Bullet resist shred -12% → -13%, duration 10s → 12s
- Backstabber: CD 4s → 5s, DPS 20 → 17
- Long Range: Grants +4% Falloff Range
- Sharpshooter: Sprint 1 → 1.5
- Blood Tribute: Spirit Resist 8% → 10%, active movespeed 2 → 2.25
- Headhunter: Bonus damage boon scaling 3 → 4
- Shadow Weave: Invis Sprint +2 → +5
- Capacitor: Now grants +8% Fire Rate & +20% Projectile Speed
- Crippling Headshot: Duration 8s → 12s
- Ricochet: No longer targets ziplines
- Spellslinger: Duration 14 → 18
- Rebuttal: No longer +50% melee damage, now +30% Bonus Damage on parry (all damage)
- Weapon Shielding: Damage requirement 200 → 175
- Return Fire: Bullet Resist 6% → 8%
Items & Relics
- Restorative Locket: No longer Spirit scaling (0.17), now scales with boons (0.3)
- Guardian Ward: Cast range 35m → 40m
- Divine Barrier: Cast range 35m → 40m
- Veil Walker: Heal per boon 3 → 4, duration 6s → 7s
- Healing Nova: Heal per boon 4.4 → 6, now grants +6% Ability Range
- Metal Skin: Duration 4s → 5s
- Counterspell: Duration 1 → 0.9s
- Trophy Collector: OOC regen 3.5 → 4, Souls/min 23 → 25
- Cheat Death: Cooldown 100s → 90s
- Witchmail: Spirit Power bonus 10 → 14
- Siphon Bullets: Max HP Steal 55 → 35, now scales with Boons (0.8), duration 20s → 17s
- Inhibitor: Healing reduction -30% → -35%, duration 4s → 5s
- Rusted Barrel: Cast range 23m → 28m, shred -5% → -6%
- Bullet Resist Shredder: No longer +20% Melee Resist, now +7% Bullet Resist
- Cold Front: Damage 125 → 100
- Quicksilver Reload: Bonus damage 60 → 55
- Spirit Sap: Spirit Power reduction -18 → -24
- Silence Wave: Reduction -18 → -24, silence 3.75s → 3.25s, width +10%
- Torment Pulse: Cooldown 1.5 → 1.4s
- Decay: Cooldown 36 → 32s, bleed scaling 0.0038 → 0.055
- Magic Carpet: Spirit Power +10 → +14, speed 6 → 7
- Focus Lens: Now deals damage whenever debuff is removed (not just expire)
- Escalating Exposure: Spirit Resist 20% → 17%
- Spirit Burn: Ability Range 10% → 8%, proc damage 120 → 110
If you’re queuing this week, expect Mina to bite harder, Shiv to dance around you, and Vyper to finally feel poisonous - and relevant - again.
Source: Valve
