Vestigo News
The Deadlock numbers paper
09-16-2026 Update · Official notes
Thanks
Yoshi
7 heroes nerfed, 10 buffed and 2 with mixed changes. 11 items trimmed and 10 improved.
7Nerfs
10Buffs
2Mixed
1Fixes
▼ Hit hardest
Celeste · Viscous · Wraith · Warden
69hero changes
36item changes
17system changes
Systems
What changes for everyone- Unstable Rift comeback resist max values now scale over the course of the game. Previously the max values were 35%. Now it is 10% + 1% per minute (around ~20% for the first one), with an upper limit of 40% at 30 minutes.
- Removed a fixed amount of extra bonus souls you would get for being behind even a very slightly amount in net worth for both hero kill bounties as well as Unstable Rift bounties (this had a larger impact on the early to mid game)
- Slightly reduced comeback bounties in general (this is in addition to the above change)
- A portion of the comeback souls earned by players above enemy teams average net worth is instead distributed via the tick gold system that is given to the lowest 2 players (70% of the extra comeback value goes to them)
- Guardian bounty increased by 10%
- Walker bounty increased by 5%
- Share for objectives bounty to nearby heroes reduced from 30% to 25% (the remaining gets split between all 6 players)
- Respawn Time at 20 minutes increased from 35s to 38s (does not affect the max values later on, just a little higher earlier)
- Using parry now pauses reloading
- Parrying while doing a regular dash will now cancel the dash (and momentum) and parry on the spot
- Getting stunned now pauses your reload rather than restarting it
- Breakables in the underground tunnels initial spawn time increased from 3m to 5m
- Breakables in the underground tunnels respawn rate increased from 3m to 5m
- All move slow values reduced by ~20% globally
- All ground dash slows reduced by ~10% globally
- Slows now also affect air drag by 35% of the slow value (convar citadel_enable_slows_affect_air_drag to toggle the slow drag behavior on and off)
- Dashes and light melee's no longer pause your gun's cycle time (this is a general change that affects high-cycle time weapons the most like Silver or Abrams)
Heroes
20 heroes · 69 changesHero baseHealth, gun and movement
- Stamina cooldown: 5 → 5.3
Light Eater
- Spirit lifesteal: 20% → 18%
- Upgrade 3: +25 → +22
Dazzling Trick
- Cooldown: 34s → 38s
Radiant Daggers
- Upgrade 2: +80 → +70
Shining Wonder
- Radius: 16.5m → 15.5m
- Upgrade 3 · Max Bounces: +8 → +6
Hero baseHealth, gun and movement
- Alt fire damage growth: −10%
Splatter
- Detonation cooldown: 0.15 → 0.12
- Upgrade 1: +2m → +1.5m
The Cube
- Cast range: 26m → 20m
Puddle Punch
- Cooldown: 21s → 24s
Goo Ball
- Upgrade 3 · now also increases spirit scaling by 0.2
Card Trick
- Heart heal: 75 → 60
- Heart heal spirit scaling: 0.75 → 0.5
- Diamond Bullet and Spirit Resist reduction: -8% → -7%
- Upgrade 3 · Diamond Bullet and Spirit Resist reduction: -5% → -4%
- Upgrade 3 · Clubs slow: +20% → +15%
Project Mind
- Fixed Project Mind getting caught on edges/corners when aiming past it
Full Auto
- Spirit damage per bullet scaling: 0.03 → 0.045
Hero baseHealth, gun and movement
- Bullet damage per boon: 0.28 → 0.25
- Fire Rate spirit scaling: 0.25 → 0.21
Alchemical Flask
- Projectile range and speed: −30%
Willpower
- Upgrade 3 · spirit scaling: +2.7 → +2.1
- Upgrade 3 · debuff resistance: 40% → 30%
Stone Form
- Radius: 6m → 5.75m
- Upgrade 1 · max health heal: 7% → 6%
Kinetic Carbine
- Min damage multiplier: 25% → 10% (max damage multiplier unaffected)
- Min damage multiplier no longer gets increased by the T3
Hero baseHealth, gun and movement
- Gun falloff range: 18m–54m → 16m–48m
Ground Strike
- Upgrade 3 · spirit scaling: +0.03 → +0.04
- Upgrade 3 · damage per meter scaling: 110% → 120%
Grapple
- Upgrade 2 · Weapon Damage buff duration: 10s → 6s
Flog
- Heal: 50% → 40%
- Angle: 38 → 40
- Upgrade 3: +40 degrees angle → +25
- Upgrade 3: +20% heal → +15%
Infernal Resilience
- Upgrade 3: +8% → +9%
Seismic Impact
- Upgrade 3: 6s Unstoppable → 5s
Hero baseHealth, gun and movement
- Health per boon: 28 → 31
- Sprint speed: 1.5 → 2.5
- Dashes and light melee's no longer pause your gun's cycle time
- Weighted Bola now increases gravity during the debuff duration, and interrupts flying abilities (same rules as Phantom Strike)
Boot Kick
- Can only target heroes and objectives now
Entangling Bola
- Can only target heroes now
Hero baseHealth, gun and movement
- Health per boon: 41 → 43
- Lasso duration extention by Bounce Pad: +1s → +1.25s
Crackshot
- Upgrade 2 · now also applies -6% Bullet Resistance for 5s
Hero baseHealth, gun and movement
- Heavy Melee spirit scaling: 0.3 → 0.45
Captivating Read
- Upgrade 1: -11s Cooldown → -14s
- Upgrade 3: +1m → +2m
Rallying Charge
- Fixed some collision issues with Rallying Charge
Fixation
- Headshot stack count: +2 → +3
- Upgrade 3 · weapon scaling: 0.0003 → 0.00035
Life Drain
- Upgrade 3 · spirit scaling: +0.3 → +0.45
Essence Bomb
- Upgrade 3 · damage: 26% → 30%
Hero baseHealth, gun and movement
- Alt fire base damage: +4%
- Alt fire damage per boon: +0.2 → +0.24
Serrated Knives
- While rage is full now deals 3.5% current HP damage on impact instead of ricocheting (0.01 spirit scaling)
Ira Domini
- Now works with Ricochet, all the shots will bounce
- Can now split shot (releases 1 extra bolt on each side, 3 total)
Crimson Slash
- Upgrade 3 · now also increases the heal spirit scaling by +0.4
Flying Slash
- Light melee scaling: 1.0 → 1.2
Hero baseHealth, gun and movement
- Health per boon: 33 → 35
Frozen Shelter
- Base ability health regen now scales with spirit power (0.2)
Rem
✚ FixHero baseHealth, gun and movement
- Fixed a bug where multiple helpers could be sent to follow a single player for no effect
Lil Helpers
- Now have a target UI when instant cast mode is selected
Items
22 items · 36 changes
Veil Walker
▼ Nerf- No longer builds from Sprint Boots
- No longer grants +2 Sprint and +2 Out of Combat Regen (due to loss of component)
- Movement speed bonus is now removed when the invisibility is removed
- Spirit Power: 10 → 6
Spiritual Overflow
▼ Nerf- Buildup is 35% slower
- Spirit Power on proc: 40 → 30
- Fire Rate: 30% → 25%
Golden Goose Egg
▼ Nerf- Damage Penalty: -10% → -15%
- Stored souls now count towards net worth (affects comeback reward calculations)
- Souls per minute: 90 → 80
Restorative Locket
▼ Nerf- Heal per boon: 0.5 → 0.45
- Stack range: 35m → 32m
Mercurial Magnum
▼ Nerf- Base bullet damage scaling: 0.49 → 0.38
- Base bullet damage: 25% → 20%
Weakening Headshot
▼ Nerf- Bullet Resist Reduction: -13% → -12%
Cultist Sacrifice
▼ Nerf- Bounty: 180% → 170%
Trophy Collector
▼ Nerf- Souls per minute: 18 → 16
Slowing Hex
▼ Nerf- Cooldown: 27s → 29s
Radiant Regeneration
▼ Nerf- Healing on Ability Cast per boon scaling: 2 → 1.7
Tankbuster
▼ Nerf- Current Health Bonus damage: 8% → 7.5%
Decay
◆ Mixed- DPS: −25%
- Duration: +20%
Shadow Weave
▲ Buff- Now builds from Sprint Boots
- Sprint speed: 1.5 → 2
- Cooldown: 45s → 37s
Lifestrike
▲ Buff- Heal on Melee hit: 100+1.5 → 120+1.75
- Melee hit heal: 30% → 35%
Focus Lens
▲ Buff- Damage: 30% → 35%
- Cast range: 20m → 25m
Hollow Point
▲ Buff- Bullet Resist Reduction: 9% → 10%
Toxic Bullets
▲ Buff- Spirit scaling: 0.005% → 0.006%
Ballistic Enchantment
▲ Buff- Duration: 14s → 20s
Fortitude
▲ Buff- Max Health regen: 2% → 2.25%
Leech
▲ Buff- Bullet and Spirit Lifesteal: 25% → 28%
Plated Armor
▲ Buff- Fixed on-hit damage prevention not blocking the following on-hit spirit damage effects: Mercurial Magnum, Vindicta's Flight, Wraith's Full Auto, and Tesla Bullets/Capacitor
Diviner's Kevlar
▲ Buff- Now grants +10% Ultimate Ability Cooldown Reduction