Deadlock Patch Analysis - 2026-01-23
Generated: 2026-01-28 Client: 6148-6152
Executive Summary
This patch contains one gameplay change and one data cleanup:
- Mirage Fire Scarabs - Cooldown system adjusted (T1 upgrade now also reduces base ability cooldown)
- Druid data removed - Unreleased development hero data cleaned from files (no gameplay impact)
Gameplay Changes
Mirage - Fire Scarabs (Ability 1)
| Property | Before | After |
|---|---|---|
| Base AbilityCooldown | Not explicitly set | 40s (explicit) |
| T1 Upgrade | -15s LaunchWindowCooldown | -15s LaunchWindowCooldown AND -15s AbilityCooldown |
What This Means:
Fire Scarabs has a “launch window” mechanic - you get 8 seconds to launch 4 scarabs after activating. Previously, only the LaunchWindowCooldown was explicitly tracked. Now there’s a separate AbilityCooldown that T1 also reduces.
Effective cooldowns:
- Base: 40s between uses
- With T1: 25s between uses
This is a clarity/consistency fix rather than a power change. The ability already had a 40s effective cooldown via LaunchWindowCooldown, but now both systems are explicitly aligned.
Strategic Implications:
- No significant change to Mirage gameplay
- T1 upgrade value unchanged (still reduces effective cooldown by 15s)
- Fire Scarabs remains Mirage’s key sustain tool with ~45 health stolen per scarab (135 HP from 3 scarabs on a hero)
Data Cleanup (No Gameplay Impact)
Druid Hero Data Removed
The “hero_druid” entry was removed from hero-data.json, ability-data.json, and ability-cards.json. This was an unreleased development hero with placeholder abilities like:
ability_druid_leech_seedability_druid_helicopter_seedsability_druid_sproutability_druid_ult
All abilities were marked “Unknown” with no localized names, indicating this was never intended for public release. Valve cleaned up the data files.
No impact on gameplay - this hero was never playable.
Items Affected
None. No item data was modified in this patch.
Conclusion
A minor patch focused on data consistency. Mirage players won’t notice any difference in gameplay - Fire Scarabs functions the same as before. The Druid cleanup suggests Valve is maintaining data hygiene by removing unreleased content from the files.