How to play Valorant's latest Sentinel Deadlock

Fariha Bhatti Published 15/07/2023

Deadlock is the 23rd agent in Valorant, bringing a unique barrier in her toolkit. Here’s how to use each of her abilities.

Valorant’s latest sentinel has a high learning curve, but she’s worth the extra effort. Deadlock’s toolkit is promising in both low and high-ranked games, locking enemies in their tracks and making them easy targets for the duelists. With some practice, players can master the latest sentinel on the block.

How to use Deadlock in Valorant

Here’s how to use Valorant’s latest sentinel Deadlock in your ranked games.

Deadlock’s four abilities summarized.

Barrier Mesh: Transparent cross barrier that blocks movement
GravNet: Slows down enemies and forces them to crouch
Sonic Sensor: Detects movement and audio, alerting Deadlock
Annihilation: Wraps nearby enemy into a deadly tornado

Barrier Mesh (E)

Deadlocks Barrier Mesh is one of Valorant’s most potent abilities in the current meta. The transparent wall stays firm for 30 seconds and requires a full Phantom clip to be destroyed.

It can be used in many scenarios but is truly viable in delaying Spike defuses. Toss down the disc right as enemies get close to the activated Spike. You’d either run down the time or get a chance to shoot at a distracted enemy struggling with the Barrier Mesh.

Barrier Mesh warrants surefire results in eco or pistol rounds. When enemies don’t have enough bullets to destroy the stubborn disc, they’d be the most vulnerable. So make sure you invest in a Barrier Mesh when your enemies are broke.

Always place down the wall in an enclosed area to squeeze full juice out of it. Barrier Mesh isn’t bulletproof, so make sure you’re out of sight after placing the wall, especially if your enemies have a decent aim.

Pro Tip: Barrier Mesh can also be used to boost on top of odd angles and escape risky duels.

GravNet (C)

GravNet is a tricky tool since it lasts only six seconds and doesn’t do much unless paired with another ability. But it can be beneficial when used correctly.

Always toss GravNet when you have spotted the enemy since it’s pretty easy to dodge. It’s best to throw the device at the enemy right before engaging in a duel. This way, the enemy won’t have enough time or space to move away.

GravNet works best in proper team compositions. So, if you have a Raze on your roster, request a grenade over a slowed enemy to maximize impact. Viper or Brimstone incendiary will also do plenty of damage in 6 seconds. You may also use GravNet to slow down an enemy near the Spike, but for that, you’d need to learn lineups. Fortunately, Deadlock’s GravNet has the same trajectory as Viper’s.

Sonic Sensor (Q)

Sonic Sensor stays up throughout the round and debuffs loud enemies for almost 4 seconds. But it’s easy to spot.

Sonic Sensor can be destroyed in a blink, since it is easily visible if enemies pay enough attention. So in order to milk out Sonic Sensor, place the device in a covert spot, behind a wall or an object for example.

It’s also valuable in plain sight as long as enemies are on the other side of the wall. Upon detecting any notable audio, the sensor will concuss an enemy, making them slightly vulnerable. That’s when you attack or deliver intel to teammates.

How to use Deadlock’s ultimate in Valorant?

Annihilation is deadly, but situational. It ties any enemy within its radius, pulling them to death. Enemies can save cocooned teammates, but Tornado’s 600 HP is a tough nut to crack.

Despite being overly powerful, Annihilation must be timed correctly. Otherwise, it’s useless. For example, the ultimate isn’t as viable in a 5v5 situation as in a 1v1. So try to use the ability when your lone enemy is nearby. The Tornado would suck them in, and one would be alive to save your enemy. In this case, the round is as good as over.

Timing it right when an enemy is planting or defusing the Spike would also yield good results. The Tornado pulls an enemy almost every single time as long as they’re in range. Aim right in their direction instead of using complex bounce-off lineups to ensure you attack the enemy every time. Tornado isn’t as accurate when it hits off an object and may go in vain.

Fariha Bhatti

About Fariha Bhatti

Fariha Bhatti is a long-time gaming writer who loves competitive FPS games and slots with particularly fun themes. She got her start playing classic games developed by SNK, from legendary fighting game series The King of Fighters to challenging platform franchise Metal Slug. She now spends most of her time playing Valorant and Counter-Strike 2 while working her way through new slot releases to find her next favorite. Fariha has been published at PCGamesN, TalkEsport and ONE Esports.

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