Deadlock’s Ranked Beta Season 2 Begins With 4 Hero Bans and New Rank Rules
Season 2 runs through March 11, 2027, with a two-stage rank adjustment and revised shields, points, hero unlocks, and leaderboards.
Deadlock’s Ranked Beta Season 2 is underway as of Nov. 5, bringing a softer average rank reset, 4 hero bans per match, and a quicker path to the next badge. Valve outlined the season timing and rule changes in its Steam announcement.
The first season ended Nov. 5 after Valve had extended it through that date. Season 1 participants will receive a commemorative Hideout plaque showing the highest rank they reached once the new season rolls over. Season 2 runs for four months and ends Thursday, March 11, 2027.
Some players may rise despite the reset
Valve is adjusting ranks in two stages. It first redistributes the overall rank curve to account for the influx of new players, then applies a soft reset that lowers ranks by about 1 badge on average. A player’s previous-season win rate will also adjust placement by 1 to 2 subranks. With redistribution happening first, some players may gain rank while others could fall further than the average. Returning Ranked players do not need to calibrate again, but players who did not participate in Ranked last season still must.
Loss protection and promotions work differently
Players in Phantom, Ascendant, and Eternus no longer receive loss-protection shields. For players in other ranks, protection at a full-rank boundary falls from 5 losses to 3, while protection between subranks drops from 2 losses to 1. For example, someone at Mystic I with 0 Rank Points now keeps the Mystic badge for 3 losses before dropping to Sentinel, rather than 5.
Points per match increase from 300 to 350. Reaching a new badge from the final subrank now takes 1,500 points instead of 2,000, while moving between subranks still requires 1,000. Ranked matches also add a fourth hero ban, up from 3.
Initial placements can reach Ascendant I, with previous-season performance potentially placing some players as high as Ascendant III. Last season’s maximum placement was Oracle VI.
Hero unlocks and leaderboard eligibility change
Ranked hero unlocks now use a 35-point threshold, replacing the old 15-win requirement. Players earn 2 points for a win and 1 for a loss. At a 50% win rate, the old system amounted to 45 points, so the new threshold is lower and losses now count toward progress.
Each season now has its own leaderboard after a backend rework aimed at fixing numerous bugs. To qualify for the general leaderboard, players must complete at least 50 Ranked matches in that season within the last 30 days. Hero-specific boards require 15 Ranked matches with that hero in the same period. General rankings use current badge progress, while hero rankings also factor in recent wins and losses with that hero.
Which change will affect your Season 2 climb most, the reset, the extra hero ban, or the lower promotion threshold? For updates on the season’s rank rules and leaderboards, follow along on X, Bluesky, YouTube, Instagram, Steam, and Telegram.
Deadlock
Developed by Valve
