- Primary Subject: Valve’s Deadlock – “Old Gods, New Blood” Update
- Key Update: The update adds six new heroes, including the tiny hero Rem, and introduces vents and a hidden subterranean area for small characters.
- Status: Confirmed
- Last Verified: January 26, 2026
- Quick Answer: Deadlock’s “Old Gods, New Blood” update brings six new heroes, unique vent mechanics for small characters, and new gameplay areas, launching January 26, 2026.
Valve’s Deadlock has slowly turned itself around since its invite-only beta release in May 2024. As part of its Early Access campaign, Valve has continued to change its MOBA slash hero-shooter gameplay with every major update based on community feedback from its growing playerbase.
Over the past few months, the game has implemented various gameplay changes, including reducing lanes from four to three, balance updates, and consistently adding wacky new heroes that push beyond the traditional hero-shooter format. And these heroes are one of the reasons why I enjoy Deadlock the most.
The latest update, “Old Gods, New Blood,” didn’t see much of a shift into its lane-based MOBA structure. However, it added six new heroes to its already colorful roster.
Silver, a Lycanthrope who can transform into a werewolf mid-fight, is among the game’s upcoming heroes. Celeste, a pop star in the vein of Marvel Rivals’ Luna Snow, dazzles the enemy team with her disruptive attacks. More traditional heroes like Venator (an arms expert), Apollo (melee-based), and Graves (a necromancer) are also coming to the roster with their own unique quirks.
But there’s one other hero that completely surprises me: Rem. He’s essentially one of the more “unique” heroes in Deadlock’s formula thanks to his puny appearance. From werewolves, vampires, and literal slime as heroes, I never would have expected Valve to add a tiny hero.
Armed with a nightcandle and a pillow as his weapon, Rem is a 2-foot-tall creature that can cast sleep spells on his opponents. That’s not even the best part. Rem basically has its own world under Deadlock’s “The Cursed Apple” map.
New to Deadlock’s “Old Gods, New Blood” update is the presence of vents. Although not yet live in-game, players have already datamined much of it. These are designed for its tinier heroes that fit through its 2-foot-tall opening. Interestingly, Rem is one of the few heroes who can use them with ease. Others, such as Calico in her cat form, can also enter these vents, though doing so requires significantly more effort compared to Rem, who can just waltz in.
This subterranean area is a unique concept built for these specific heroes. They each have their own set of stairs, breakable items, and NPC mobs for farming. It’s like an Alice in Wonderland world, a tiny realm hidden beneath Deadlock’s bustling lanes of York, Greenwich, and Broadway.
Entering these vents has a caveat, however. It will automatically close its doors when Rem gets damaged. This adds a layer of balance to its already bizarrely cute gameplay. He’s not entirely unstoppable, so there are a lot of things to counter him with.
For a third-person shooter MOBA, a small character does not always fit the mold, yet Valve executes Rem surprisingly well. At the moment, all six upcoming heroes have scheduled release dates, with two heroes launching per week on Mondays and Thursdays, starting January 26. Players can vote in-game to determine who releases first. Obviously, I had to pick the little sleepy goblin so I could enter its whole new world of Lilliputian shenanigans.
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