Deadlock players uncover another “game-breaking” pause exploit
ValveDeadlock players have discovered a potentially game-winning exploit involving its pause feature and they want it fixed immediately.
The mid-boss, an NPC enemy that drops the potent Rejuvenator buff upon defeat, is a prime endgame objective for both teams and essential to win if both sides are locked in a stalemate.
Rather than confer the buff immediately after being killed à la League of Legends’ Baron Nashor, the Rejuvenator is a physical pick-up, taking several seconds to descend to the ground. The idea is to allow the opposing team a chance to swoop in and steal the buff.
However, that counterplay scenario becomes impossible when Deadlock’s in-match pause is misused. As documented in a clip posted on Reddit, the Rejuvenator continues to descend even when a match is paused.
Unsurprisingly, responses immediately encouraged the thread’s author to post the clip through official channels to notify Valve as soon as possible.
“Please report this on the forums ASAP instead of Reddit so I won’t face abusers in my games,” came one reply, while others considered the development, yet another example of why pausing “needs some work.”
It’s tough to disagree with that statement. Numerous instances of players abusing the ability to bring play to a standstill have been documented since Valve officially acknowledged Deadlock’s existence. With concurrent player counts constantly in the tens of thousands, an influx of toxic-minded players was inevitable.
As Deadlock remains in Closed Alpha, however, nothing is set in stone, so expect to see all of the above addressed in some capacity as the game inches closer to release.
Still undecided on who you want to main in Deadlock? Check out our constantly updated, in-depth tier list ranking every playable hero, as well as individual build guides for popular picks such as Seven, Lash, and Kelvin.