Hero draft

About 30 minutes before your scheduled match time, the hero draft opens on the platform. Both teams pick and ban heroes in a structured order so the match is fair and transparent. This guide explains how it works and what to expect.

When and who

  • The draft opens 30 minutes before the agreed match time. The platform sends notifications to Team Managers (Captain and Vice Captain); a notice also appears in the top navbar.
  • Captain and Vice Captain control picks and bans for their team. Players can watch the draft but don’t have controls — all 6 players from each team should be available (or at least know the outcome) so you’re ready to join the in-game lobby after the draft.
  • There’s a per-turn timer. Each team can pause once per draft if you need a moment.

How it works

The draft is a pick/ban flow: teams take turns banning heroes (so neither team can play them) and picking heroes (locked in for the match). The order depends on which draft format your league uses. The platform supports two formats; your season will specify which one applies:

Template A

Snake

Format taken from the Deadlock Nightshift Tournament. Draft order follows a snake pattern (1→12, 12→1, …).

  • Snake pick order
  • Single block (bans then picks)

Template B

Alternating + mid-draft ban

Alternating pick order with a mid-draft ban phase.

  • Team A, team B, A, B…
  • Mid-draft ban phase

Once the draft is complete, the home Captain creates the custom game in Deadlock and shares the party code; the away Captain and all players join with that code. See Custom match creation for lobby setup and settings.

What you’ll see

  • Phase stepper — Shows the current step (e.g. Ban #1, Pick #1, … Ban #2, Pick #5) so everyone knows whose turn it is.
  • Picked heroes — Each team’s chosen heroes appear in dedicated areas; you can see your side and the opponent’s.
  • Banned heroes — Heroes removed from the pool are shown in the centre.
  • Hero pool — When it’s your turn, you select from the remaining heroes; search and filters help you find the one you want.

After the draft

When all picks and bans are done, submit the draft on the platform. Then head into Deadlock, join the custom lobby with the party code, and play the match. After the game, Captain or Vice submits the result (and match ID if required); see Match week flow and League rules for results and disputes.

See also: Match week flow · Custom match creation · League rules