Heroes show as locked in Deadlock for one of three reasons: they haven't been released yet (new heroes are unlocked one at a time after a community vote), your roster has too many new heroes to queue, or, in ranked, the hero needs 15 wins in Standard before you can pick it.
New heroes unlock after a vote
Valve releases new heroes in rounds of six, and players vote on the order. While a round is running, the game counts down to the next unlock ("until next hero unlocks"), and heroes that haven't come out yet show as locked.
- How to vote: play a Standard match or Street Brawl to earn votes, then cast them at the Voting Machine during pre-game. The winning team's votes count double, and your first win of the day doubles them again.
- The latest round (September 2026) released one hero every few days: Rat King on 2 October, Baba on 6 October, Solomon on 9 October, Deadman Danny on 13 October, Violet on 16 October and Nurse Harrow on 20 October. All six are playable now.
- Earlier rounds released Victor, Paige, The Doorman, Billy, Drifter and Mina (2025), then Venator, Graves, Apollo, Rem, Silver and Celeste (January 2026).
"Your roster contains mostly new heroes"
Before a match you pick a roster of at least three heroes, and the game gives you one of them. If most of your roster is new heroes, you can't queue: the game asks for "some heroes that are not new" so matches can be made. Add a few older heroes and you're fine.
Two more rules for new heroes:
- You can't ban them. The game won't let you avoid a new hero.
- Priority tokens help you get one. You earn New Hero Priority Tokens by playing matches. Drag one onto a hero card for the best chance of getting that hero; the token is only spent if you get it.
Ranked: 15 wins per hero
In ranked you can only pick heroes you've won 15 Standard matches with, and you need 3 such heroes (plus 60 wins in total) to play ranked at all. So a brand new hero can't be picked in ranked until you've won with it in Standard. The full rules are in how to unlock ranked.
Good first heroes
If you're new, the game recommends Graves, Haze, Infernus, Mina, Seven and Venator. The beginner's guide covers your first matches.
Quick answers
Why are new heroes locked in Deadlock?
They haven't been released yet. New heroes come out in rounds of six, one at a time, in an order players vote on.
How do you unlock new heroes in Deadlock?
You don't unlock them yourself: each one becomes playable for everyone when its release date comes. Play Standard or Street Brawl matches to earn votes and help decide the order.
Why can't I queue with new heroes?
Your roster can't be mostly new heroes. Add some older heroes to your roster and you can queue again.
Why can't I play a new hero in ranked?
Ranked only allows heroes you've won 15 Standard matches with.
Can you ban new heroes in Deadlock?
No. New heroes can't be avoided.