One of my favourite things to do in Deadlock is to read up on each hero’s lore. Some are as simple as “Jacob Lash is an asshole,” while others give a detailed description of a hero’s journey and the tragedies they’ve overcome, like Bebop turning to a life of crime to pay for his creator’s medicine. And Deadlock’s latest addition is no different.
Mirage is the newest hero Valve has added to Deadlock. He’s a bodyguard for the Djinn ambassador Nashala Dion, who is currently in New York City on a diplomatic mission: Finding a safe home for their kind and, for some reason, the best candidate for a new sovereign land is Wyoming. I’ve never set foot in the US, so I can’t speak on what Wyoming is like compared to the rest of the States, but it does seem like a random choice for a new utopia.
But other than having Wyoming in his sights, Mirage seems to be pretty useful on the battlefield. Tornado is his primary attack, transforming him into a whirlwind that can launch enemies into the air and deal damage. Mirage’s other abilities are Fire Scarabs and Djiinn’s Mark. One launches bugs that drain enemy life force, and the other is a passive ability that increases the multiplier on your chosen target. Finally, his ultimate lets him teleport to allies or enemies, giving him a speed boost for a short time after.
Others are also having just as much fun as I am learning the story behind Deadlock’s most specific real estate agent, as well as other heroes: “I hope they keep it random,” one player says. “It’s so much fun to sift through the lore when you suddenly get blindsided by ‘Is it cannibalism to eat werewolves?’ My only hope for Deadlock’s story is that it doesn’t stay in lore purgatory like Overwatch when they can’t have anything happen, so it’s just constantly alluding to future and past events that will never get expanded upon.”
I’m not sure where Deadlock’s story is going, but I’d like it to keep an easy-going attitude as it progresses. I’m having great fun discovering more weird tidbits as I explore the map, read heroes’ lore, and browse the papers available on the newspaper stands.
