The Deadlock October 30 patch notes bring Halloween Cauldrons, a tougher Mid-Boss, three separate Rejuvenator crystals and a substantial rebalance of Heroes and items. Valve released the update on 30 October 2026.
The Halloween event lasts through Monday, 2 November 2026. The gameplay changes go further, affecting teamfights, comeback opportunities and objective rewards after the decorations disappear.
Deadlock October 30 patch notes: Halloween Cauldrons
Bubbling cauldrons appear on Manhattan’s streets. Break one with Heavy Melee, pick up its Candy and keep it until you want a temporary Sugar Rush energy buff. Heroes also wear Halloween masks and the Hideout has spooky decorations.
Valve confirms the festivities run through November 2 but hasn’t specified an exact final hour. Our Halloween Cauldrons guide explains the interaction.
Deadlock October 30 patch notes: Mid-Boss and Rejuvenator
The Mid-Boss has 20% more health and 20% more health growth per minute. Resistance reductions are half as effective against it, and its roar now triggers at 25% health rather than 50%. The arena is also a little larger with more cover.
Its Souls bounty falls from 3,000 plus 50 per minute to 1,500 plus 25 per minute. After the fight, three crystals drop at random, evenly spaced positions instead of one central Rejuvenator crystal.
Each breaks with one Heavy Melee and grants one Rejuvenator, so the total remains three. The heal now triggers on each crystal, and the breaker earns 500 Souls plus nine per minute. Crystals drop after 7.5 seconds instead of six. Our Rejuvenator guide has the claiming steps.
Deadlock October 30 patch notes: economy and map
| Mechanic | New value |
|---|---|
| Healing Snacks | 14% max health, formerly 10% |
| Steam Vents | 150% more stamina regeneration |
| Tunnel movement | +50%, formerly +70% |
| Comeback gold cap | 30%, formerly 26% |
| Mid-Boss bounty | 1,500 +25/min, formerly 3,000 +50/min |
Haunted Souls secure 25% slower at baseline, but can secure up to 50% faster than baseline when a team is 20% behind the enemy team’s average Net Worth. The maximum comeback Gold from non-Hero sources rises from 26% to 30%.
Haunts have 10% more health and damage, plus increased bounty and growth. Past Dues now channels a growing sleep aura, removed when the channeling creature dies. See our Haunts guide for the camp types.
Deadlock October 30 patch notes: item and movement changes
Healing Snacks now restore 14% maximum health instead of 10%. Steam Vents grant 150% more stamina regeneration, while tunnel movement drops from +70% to +50%. These map effects are different from the Halloween Candy’s buff.
Toxic Bullets anti-heal rises from 35% to 40%, Armor Piercer chance from 55% to 60%, and Glass Cannon weapon damage from 80% to 85%. Shadow Weave’s Ambush effect builds over six seconds while stealthed.
More item changes are worth noting. Point Blank slows for 2.5 seconds instead of two. Battle Vest Weapon Damage rises from 18% to 22%, while High-Velocity Rounds loses some Bullet Velocity, dropping from 60% to 45%. Spirit Sap has a longer 22-second cooldown and a shorter 35-metre cast range. Shadow Weave now offers 50% Ambush Weapon Damage rather than its old Ambush Fire Rate and Melee Damage bonuses, and that damage builds up over six seconds in stealth.
The Deadlock October 30 patch notes also reduce Radiant Regeneration healing on ability casts, increase Bullet Lifesteal from 13% to 15%, and change the way Healbane stacks on enemies. There are meaningful changes for damage-focused and defensive builds, so check the official list before copying an older item setup.
Deadlock October 30 patch notes: Rat King nerfs
Rat King’s Scrap Grenade base damage falls from 70 to 60, Tier 2 from 70 to 60 and Tier 3 from 300 to 275. Its fuse stages are 0.1 seconds longer. Meleeing a thrown grenade leaves at least 0.4 seconds on the fuse.
Rule, Ratannia! also loses half its knock-up duration, while its cooldown increases from 160 to 180 seconds. Our Scrap Grenade guide explains the changes.
Deadlock October 30 patch notes: more Hero changes
Rat King is not the only Hero affected. Paradoxical Swap cooldown drops from 110 to 95 seconds, while Celeste Shining Wonder damage falls from 140 to 125. Nurse Harrow Lurking Terrors takes two seconds to build fear instead of 1.3, and her base gun damage falls by 10%.
Solomon loses gun damage, from 30 to 25 base damage, and deals 20% less headshot damage. His Develop Queen cooldown rises from 210 to 240 seconds, although other parts of the skill have been adjusted. Mirage Traveler also takes longer to channel, moving from two to three seconds, and can be interrupted by stun, immobilisation or sleep.
Other changes include Billy Rising Ram Tier 3 maximum-health bonus increasing to 15% for 20 seconds, Graves movement speed falling from seven to 6.7, and Mo & Krill Spirit damage falling by 10% across their abilities. Valve’s official notes cover the individual changes for the rest of the roster.
Deadlock October 30 patch notes: Street Brawl
Street Brawl has a separate set of balance changes. For Rat King in that mode, Scrap Grenade radius is reduced from eight to six metres and the large explosion radius from 14 to 10 metres. Rule, Ratannia! radius falls from 20 to 16 metres, its Tier 2 radius bonus from eight to six metres, and its flag duration from 12 to nine seconds. Those radius and duration reductions do not apply to normal matches.
Ranked Heroes and next steps
The latest six Heroes are no longer considered new for Ranked. Standard Hero qualification rules now apply and those Heroes can be banned. That changes the available roster in competitive games.
Check the Deadlock October 30 patch notes for your main Hero and usual items, then adjust how your team contests the three-crystal Mid-Boss. The Candy is temporary; the reward, combat and economy changes apply beyond Halloween.
Related Guides
Deadlock October 30 patch notes and related guides
Official source: Valve, Deadlock Halloween 2026 + Gameplay Update.
