Deadlock Patch Notes: Official Changelog and Current Update
Where Valve publishes Deadlock patch notes, what City Never Sleeps changed, and which recent hero hotfixes affect the guides on this site.
Applies to: Valve's official Deadlock announcements and changelog through October 17, 2026
Quick answer
Use Valve's Deadlock Changelog forum or the Steam All News page for the current patch notes. The present major update is City Never Sleeps, published September 29, 2026. Its follow-up posts added Rat King, Baba, Solomon, Deadman Danny and Violet; Nurse Harrow is scheduled for October 20. October 5 and October 14 hotfixes materially changed Rat King and Baba.
Official patch-note links
| Official source | Best use | Limitation |
|---|---|---|
| Deadlock Changelog forum | Full dated change threads and appended hotfixes | A hotfix may be added to an older thread, so read its edit history and replies. |
| Steam All News | Major updates, new heroes and public announcements | Small balance follow-ups may be easier to find in the forum. |
| City Never Sleeps | The current major update overview and map presentation | It is an overview, not the complete numeric changelog. |
Current major update
City Never Sleeps, published September 29, 2026, is the current major baseline for this guide set. Valve presents a redesigned Cursed Apple with three main lanes and four districts, a new Broker progression system, six announced heroes, interface and quality-of-life work, and accessibility additions.
The landing page explains the headline systems. The dated forum thread is the better source when an exact balance change matters.
Recent update timeline
| Date | Update | Guide impact |
|---|---|---|
| Sep 29 | City Never Sleeps launches | Sets the current map, districts and major-system baseline. |
| Oct 2 | Rat King becomes playable | Adds him to the roster and establishes his released kit. |
| Oct 5 | Rat King follow-up balance changes | Changes Scrap Grenade, Rat Swarm and Rule, Ratannia!; older launch numbers are stale. |
| Oct 6 | Baba becomes playable | Adds her released kit and revises the first Ranked season end date. |
| Oct 9 | Solomon becomes playable | Adds the four chess-piece abilities documented here. |
| Oct 13 | Deadman Danny becomes playable | Adds him to the current roster and establishes his released kit. |
| Oct 14 | Baba follow-up balance changes | Reduces several defenses and mobility effects while increasing cooldowns. |
| Oct 16 | Violet becomes playable | Raises the current roster to 43; Valve schedules Nurse Harrow for October 20. |
Which guides need rechecking
| Page | Recheck when Valve changes… |
|---|---|
| Release and access | Store availability, invite language, platform listings or requirements. |
| How to play | Lane count, district layout, objectives, Souls or the Patron flow. |
| Characters | A hero release, rename, removal or new official hero forum. |
| Ranks | Unlock thresholds, rank names, calibration, RP or party rules. |
| Hero references | Ability behaviour, official wording or a material balance patch. |
How to read dated notes
- Start with the newest official post that mentions the system or hero.
- Check whether Valve appended a later hotfix to the same dated thread.
- Apply changes in date order; a launch announcement does not override a later balance note.
- Use the current client for behaviour that Valve has not documented publicly.
Sources and review scope
- Valve — September 29, 2026 update thread — detailed City Never Sleeps changes and appended follow-ups.
- Valve — Deadlock Changelog — official dated patch index.
- Valve — Deadlock Steam news — public major-update and hero announcements.
- Valve — City Never Sleeps — official major-update overview.
Checked October 17, 2026. This page is an index and impact summary; the linked Valve changelog is authoritative for exact values.
The source set was checked on October 16, 2026 against Valve's Steam listing, official Deadlock forum, City Never Sleeps page, changelog and Steam announcements; the live roster and news timeline were rechecked on October 17 after Violet became playable. Clearly labelled third-party sources are used only where Valve does not publish a complete beginner rules page or exhaustive interaction reference. Deadlock is still in development, so roster, rules, mechanics and access conditions must be rechecked after major updates.
Not independently play-tested. This is not a claim that every platform or game version was tested. Source review: Oct 17, 2026.
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The current Deadlock hero roster from Valve's official forum and playable announcements, plus the City Never Sleeps release status for Rat King, Baba, Solomon, Deadman Danny, Violet and Nurse Harrow.
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