Live Patch·May 26, 2026·Yesterday
Update
05-22-2026 Update
▲9buffs●19adjusted▼5nerfs
33 heroes · 76 items · 52 general
33 heroes touched
Heroes
▼Nerfed5
●Adjusted19
▲Buffed9
76 items changed
Items
▼Nerfed11
Weapon
8
Vitality
3
●Adjusted15
Weapon
3
Vitality
5
Spirit
7
▲Buffed50
Weapon
16
Vitality
21
Spirit
13
52 general changes
General Changes
▼Base HP reduced by 10 for all heroes
▼HP per boon reduced by 3
▲Guardians scaling resistance from +75%->-50% over 12 minutes to +50%->-50% (takes more damage early)
▲Medium neutrals initial spawn time reduced from 6 minutes to 5 minutes
Patch Impact Meter
Winners & Losers
Real win rate shift measured from tracked matches before and after 05-22-2026 Update.
Post-patch match data is still being collected. Impact ratings fill in over the next few days.
Patch Analysis
The 05-22-2026 Update update went live on May 26, 2026 (Yesterday) and brings 33 hero adjustments, 76 item changes and 52 general gameplay changes across the Deadlock balance sheet. Paradox and Venator are the biggest winners of this patch with straight buffs to their kit, while Kelvin and Mina take the hardest nerfs, while 19 other heroes got mixed adjustments that could shift their power curve in either direction. On the item side, Restorative Shot and Melee Charge got buffed and will likely show up in more builds this patch, while Opening Rounds and Slowing Bullets got nerfed and may drop out of core slots. Every hero and item change below opens a full breakdown of the numeric tweaks, ability adjustments and item rework details, with links through to the updated hero build guide or item stat page.
After 05-22-2026 Update
Track what actually changed in the meta: hero tier list, how the meta shifted, item win rates, fresh builds and the full patch archive.