Deadlock’s Old Gods, New Blood update has finally released, and with it new items, character votes, and most importantly today, a whole new game mode.
Enter: Street Brawl, Deadlock’s answer to ARAM. Looking for faster games? Tired of farming? Want to convince some new friends to try the game? Street Brawl is the perfect place to start. Let’s go over the game mode, what’s new, and just how it’s breathed new life into Deadlock.
How Does Street Brawl Work?
Street Brawl now appears right beside the standard queue in Deadlock’s menu, asking you to select at least three characters to play amidst the roster. If you’re really thirsting for the ARAM experience, you can also use the new random hero button.
Street Brawl games are 4v4, a bit of a scale down from Deadlock’s standard 6v6. Both teams spawn under their Patrons with three random rolls of three items. Each round, players select three of these items, with one free reroll every round.
Items can roll with extra smaller items, enhanced effects, or even be replaced by unique, Street Brawl-only items. Once 60 seconds pass, or after everyone selects their items, both teams are tossed down a single lane to destroy the other’s Guardian.
Games are first to 3, best of 5, with each taken objective counting as one point and ending the round. Once teams are on match point, they need to take the enemy’s Walker instead, giving teams extra time to fight over a larger part of the lane.
The game is decided once one team destroys a Walker, securing the final point and closing the game out. Due to the randomness of items on offer and the head-to-head nature, Street Brawl rewards players who can think on their feet, rather than relying on the longer form planning of standard Deadlock games.
Who to Play in Street Brawl
Street Brawl’s random, explosive nature means characters that can sustain themselves or duel well at any moment thrive. Farming isn’t a factor, but minion waves still provide healing as well as damage if enough swarm an enemy player. Alternatively, if you can ensure one of your teammates is a threat, supports can perform super well.
Your best bet is to stick with characters you’re comfortable with piloting in hectic fights, but if you’re willing to stick it out, Street Brawl is a great place for practical experience on characters you want to learn.
Here are what I feel would be the best characters for the Street Brawl Mode
6 of the best characters in Street Brawl so far
- Shiv – Stellar damage, sustain, and the ability to execute enemies thrives in a mode where fighting is all you do. Shiv can be built basically any way, so he can play with whatever good items he’s given as the match progresses.
- Dynamo – Already incredibly powerful in norms, Dynamo’s amazing utility and game-changing ult is just as strong in Street Brawl. Like other strong Street Brawl picks, Dynamo is effective no matter what his items are, thanks to his effective gun and universally strong abilities.
- Haze – One of the queens of carrying, Haze is right at home in Street Brawl. Her ability to stack up consistent damage from massive distances, great teamplay ult, and individual dueling power means as long as you can hit your shots, enemies have nowhere to run.
- McGinnis – Not nearly as flashy as some of our other picks, McGinnis’s power comes from consistent power. Her turrets are major problems once leveled, her heal is huge, and her wall can make or break fights. If you don’t mind taking the back seat to prop up your team, McGinnis is a perfect pick.
- Paige – As discussed, Paige’s abilities are already decent enough to warrant the pick, but her sheer versatility makes her a constant issue. Gun, burst, or support, Paige will be useful, especially if the other team underestimates her.
- Lady Geist – Geist is infamous for her phenomenal poke and damage sustain, making her an absolute lane bully. When both teams are bound to a single map, Geist is having the time of her life. A bit more reliant on items rolling well to reach her max efficiency, Geist still proves to be an absolute demon in Street Brawl.
What’s Next For Deadlock?
Street Brawl is a great showing of how much love Valve is prepared to pump into Deadlock. Between the new mode, the full map redesign, the new Patrons, and the 6 new characters ready to drop, it’s a very exciting time to be a Deadlock fan.
For the next few weeks, playing matches will net you votes for the release order of the newest 6 heroes: Silver, Rem, Celeste, Venator, Graves, and Apollo. Your first win for the day will earn you an additional 4 votes, giving you some extra swinging power for your favorite.
Every new character looks like a great addition to Deadlock’s already super fun roster, so I really have no complaints about the overall order. Personally, I’m voting for Silver and Venator this first week, and waiting with bated breath for the first drops on Monday, the 26th, and Tuesday, the 27th.
Be sure to keep an eye here on TheGameSlayer, where we plan on covering each new hero as they come! Stayed tuned!
