Valve has added Solomon to Deadlock. The chess themed Strategist won the third hero vote of the City Never Sleeps update, Valve revealed his kit in a Steam developer post titled “Make Your Move”, and he became playable with the October 10 update.
Valve describes Solomon as calm and collected in front of any new challenger: when the Patrons come calling, he approaches the city as if it were one giant chessboard.
Solomon’s four abilities
| Ability | What it does |
|---|---|
| Setup Bishop | Places a bishop that stays on the battlefield until recalled. Moving it slides the piece, slowing enemies and dealing Spirit damage, and after a delay its diagonal squares hit enemies standing on them. |
| Kingside Knight | Promotes an ally to a knight with bonus stamina and a barrier. Used on himself, Solomon becomes a king with a larger barrier but no stamina bonus. |
| Rook Battery | Sends out a pair of rooks that deal Spirit damage and immobilize enemies. They bounce off walls, and reactivating the ability splits them to the sides. |
| Develop Queen (ultimate) | A queen crashes down on the target area and deals Spirit damage, then sends out lines of squares that deal more damage and stun enemies. |
Part of City Never Sleeps
City Never Sleeps is the biggest update Deadlock has received so far. It is introducing six new heroes, with the community voting on who arrives next, along with a long list of other changes. Insider Gaming reports that the update pushed Deadlock to a new player record on Steam, even though the game has not officially launched yet.
What it means for players
Solomon is a control hero. His bishop, rooks and queen let him lock down lanes and punish enemies who stand on the wrong squares, while Kingside Knight gives him a rare way to protect a teammate. Guides note that his best build is still being worked out, so expect his items and playstyle to change quickly in the first weeks.
Our Take
I played a good amount of Deadlock a good while back, and it was something different. That's the part I remember, and it's why a new hero showing up gets my attention.
Valve is a steady name, and I can't point to a bad game in its catalog. Deadlock is no exception for me. Solomon, the chess themed Strategist, went live with the October 10 update, and he is the third hero picked by the community vote in City Never Sleeps.
Since I haven't played it recently, I'm not going to pretend I know how Solomon feels in a match. But a game that already felt different to me, from a studio with a record this solid, is one I'm happy to see keep growing.
Panos, GamingBroject editor
This article is based on Valve’s “Make Your Move” developer post, reporting from Shacknews and Insider Gaming, and ability details from Power Up Gaming.
Deadlock release date, platforms and price
- Release date: Not announced yet
- Coming to: PC
- Price: Not announced yet
- Genre: Action
Source: Steam
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