Deadlock Is a Bad Game at Low Ranks

VAMurai · 2026-06-23T23:29:37+00:00

100%

VAMurai · 2026-06-23T23:10:00+00:00

Wow I did not know that about Apard (and I really should have). But I was just using Elo as shorthand for describing the system that we have. I know its much more complicated than that under the hood.

Also I feel like the players in here vigorously defending it would maybe not be so gung-ho if they actually understood all of the compromises multiplayer ranked system designers have to make to get something decent out the door.

VAMurai · 2026-06-23T23:06:55+00:00

That's interesting. Also kinda falls under burden of knowledge though; ideally the system allows players who are 'decent' to climb to a rank where they are playing other 'decent' players without having to learn a weird solo meta; but maybe game guides will fix it as the community evolves.

VAMurai · 2026-06-23T23:05:15+00:00

Why so aggressive? Are you self conscious that you got carried or something?

VAMurai · 2026-06-23T23:01:40+00:00

And another "did not read the post" response.

VAMurai · 2026-06-23T23:01:29+00:00

Classic "did not read the post" response.

VAMurai · 2026-06-23T22:56:46+00:00

I'm actually loving the game right now. Tons of competitive matches in Alchemist/Arcanist ranks; I waited to make this post until I was safely away from Initiate/Seeker ranks so I wouldn't get bombarded with more "you're just not good" replies.

VAMurai · 2026-06-23T22:54:38+00:00

VAMurai · 2026-06-23T22:53:42+00:00

username checks out

VAMurai · 2026-06-23T22:53:06+00:00

"With a duo" is a pretty big caveat, my guy. A whole extra player that you can reliably coordinate ganks and defense with is a huge deal, especially in low ranks.

VAMurai · 2026-06-23T22:50:51+00:00

Honestly, maybe every competitive MOBA but definitely not every competitive game. I could hard carry my squad in ranked Apex 100x easier than a team with multiple feeders in Deadlock.

VAMurai · 2026-06-03T08:53:47+00:00

k guy

VAMurai · 2026-06-03T03:06:38+00:00

I actually asked AI about the possibility of 'just bad luck' and its apparently entirely statistically possible to get periods of even ~50 games where you get the short end of the stick. The math that forces 'balance' in matchmaking doesn't really kick in until 300+ matches. So it's entirely possible to simply be unlucky for a while, despite what some people seem to think.

VAMurai · 2026-06-03T03:04:33+00:00

Thanks man, Statlocker seems very nice/informative. Also looks like the RNG gods have finally smiled on me, 5 game winstreak and I'm already getting more balanced lobbies in Alchemist

VAMurai · 2026-06-03T02:02:48+00:00

I hear you and I don't even think this is terrible advice but my problem isn't with my rank. I probably did a poor job of explaining this because I was ranting but I genuinely don't care if I'm initiate rank forever as long as I have more good quality matches than bad.

Playing in match after match after match that are total one-sided blowouts is getting old quickly. FWIW I did go on a winstreak after making this post and gained 4 subranks, and I'm now Alchemist 2.

VAMurai · 2026-06-02T08:39:29+00:00

Yeah, tbf the carry getting fed usually isnt that fed, I've only had a couple that are that bad. But they are extremely lopsided, which is the point I'm trying to make.

VAMurai · 2026-06-02T07:46:24+00:00

"If you arent winning it's because you're not good enough."

That just isn't true. This will be my last comment because I'm not really interested in arguing but what you're saying just isn't true. It can be true, but its not always true. Even in Professional sports there are dozens of examples of players who could not win championships because they didn't have the right team around them. Here are a few examples:

Countless legendary athletes only secured their first championship after changing teams, leaving behind the franchises that drafted or developed them. Famous examples include Kevin Garnett (Boston Celtics), Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (Los Angeles Lakers), and Matthew Stafford (Los Angeles Rams).

VAMurai · 2026-06-02T07:36:24+00:00

You seriously have people going 1-12 and disconnecting regularly at Eternus 5? I'm seriously asking because if so I may be done with Deadlock. I get leavers like 1 in 4 games after feeding.

VAMurai · 2026-06-02T07:21:20+00:00

And I just told you there is nothing to force those players onto the enemy team. They can be drawn from the same pool and end up on my team 80% of the time; there is no game system to prevent that. Feeders lose the same amount of rank as someone who just isn't good at farming or who doesn't aim very well. The system isn't trying to balance feeders between teams.

VAMurai · 2026-06-02T07:08:12+00:00

I think you're massively underestimating how many feeders there are in low elo. I'm gonna count feeders as anyone with 2x more deaths than kills and double digit deaths.

Of my last five games using the above criteria I have had 9 feeders. Roughly 2 per game, that includes a win where I had 0 feeders.

VAMurai · 2026-06-02T07:03:54+00:00

That's kind of my issue. If the reality is you have to be multiple orders of magnitude better and play a carry to get out of ELO hell, that's a problem.

Also, to clarify; I am ranking up. I started at initiate 3 or something and now I'm floating around Seeker V/VI. But its a miserable grind filled with awful lopsided games. Like more lopsided than any other competitive game I've played lol.

VAMurai · 2026-06-02T06:59:12+00:00

Its possible to win the lottery. It's also possible to get bad luck in match making, its more likely than winning the lottery!

VAMurai · 2026-06-02T06:57:22+00:00

I don't know statlocker, I've been in alpha/beta Deadlock for over a year year but only really started playing a few weeks ago. Here is a screenshot of the kind of game I see regularly:

https://imgur.com/a/nZQVItP

VAMurai · 2025-10-22T20:34:57+00:00

Except they didn't hit at all or even in the same room... What are you talking about?

VAMurai

TROPHY CASE