Deadlock, Valve's new free-to-play MOBA game, has officially been updated, with the latest major update once again switching up the landscape by announcing a host of new heroes, new map changes, and the introduction of The Hideout, a new player lobby area. The latest Deadlock patch, which went live on August 18, will only introduce Mina, a new glass cannon with vampiric ranged attacks. The other heroes will be released over the following two weeks after the update goes live. Players will be able to vote on the next hero with votes they earn after each match they complete in-game. This will conceivably give the Deadlock development team a little more freedom to address game balance and issue patches between each hero's release. The announcement also confirms that the previous hero labs mechanic will be paused, seemingly indefinitely, as Valve moves to the new hero development structure.

The new update also introduced The Hideout, which is a new personal area—similar in concept to the Landing Craft in Warframe—that replaces the Dashboard. Players can invite each other to their Hideouts, and the developer has teased personalization and events in the Hideout. The Hideout also includes a small practice range, where you can test character movement and abilities before hopping into a game and without having to load a new area. The character selection screen has received a visual rework, with a number of the heroes and maps receiving design and visual updates alongside the new UI. Compared to the last time we reported on Deadlock's new heroes , the game seems to have found a much more defined visual style and consistent user interface. The announcement also teases that these visual updates are only the start of what's to come, with a more cohesive visual overhaul for much of the game coming soon.