Deadlock Standard Mode. 17:37 for One Victor Unlock Point

Deadlock Standard Mode gave me a 17-minute, 37-second loss in my first game back in that queue in a long time. I went 3/1/1 on Victor, the only player on my team with more kills than deaths. Three teammates went 0-6 and one abandoned at 14:54. Under Valve’s current rules, an eligible loss like this is worth one of the 35 points required to bring Victor into Ranked. Match #131906532 · Valve’s Season 2 rules

What the replay shows

I came back to Standard to work on a hero. By the time somebody left, we’d already spent almost a quarter of an hour in the match. I stayed to play it out and knew the result would help decide how many evenings I spend in this queue before I can pick Victor in Ranked. That feels like a fucking coin flip.

My 3/1/1 doesn’t win a match by itself. The other team finished more than 25,000 souls ahead. This Standard replay contains no player ranks or team-average rank, so I can describe the blowout without reverse-engineering the matchmaker from the scoreboard. The replay logs an abandon. I have no way to know why the player left. See how the match played out in UDRA

Hero progression depends on the whole team

I understand why Standard exists. It gives you a place to play with friends, try a build or practice a lane without risking rank. Valve also makes it a compulsory stop for people who already have access to Ranked and want to add another hero to their pool. You get two points for a win and one for a loss. The same evening can give you half the progress because the system grades a team outcome.

Deadlock looks fantastic and the dialogue is great. The movement, gunplay and abilities are what keep me coming back. I could argue about the balance of a few heroes. For me, the worst design decision in Deadlock is tying this fucking matchmaking to the hero unlock grind. After a game like this, I can’t tell what the matchmaker saw in those two teams. Then I’m supposed to run that queue dozens of times for each hero I want to play in Ranked. I want to finish a game, see where I screwed up and have something to work on. After work I have time for a few games. The prospect of grinding like this for months makes me want to uninstall a game I otherwise love playing.

Keep an account gate and shorten the hero requirement

A teammate left at 14:54. We could leave immediately and the match would still count as a loss. I queued to learn Victor and spent those minutes going through the motions for a point. I can see how an entry gate might discourage some smurfs. Anyone determined to play on a second account can still unlock three heroes and get the 60 wins. I already play Ranked, and I’m stuck with the same grind every time I want to expand my hero pool. Taking a hero you barely understand into Ranked is a dumb decision. I’d keep one entry requirement per account. If Valve wants a separate hero check, a short run of completed matches that counts games you’ve already played would do.

This match lasted under 18 minutes. Longer games add up as you work through the roster. I previously calculated that seven wins and 21 losses at 45 minutes each add up to 21 hours. This is what one of those losses can feel like.

Questions about the replay and unlock points

See the full breakdown of how long a hero unlock takes.