Deadlock Halloween 2026 Update: Mid-Boss Rework, Halloween Cauldrons and Item Changes
Valve's October 30 Deadlock patch adds Halloween Cauldrons through November 2 and reworks the Mid-Boss, Rejuvenator crystals, Haunts and dozens of items.
Valve's Halloween 2026 + Gameplay Update for Deadlock brings a seasonal event to New York and a long list of gameplay changes. The biggest rework is to the Mid-Boss fight and how the Rejuvenator is awarded, according to the official patch notes. Below are the main changes, grouped by area.
Halloween event
The Hideout has a spooky new look, heroes wear masks, and NYC is decorated with pumpkins. New this year are Halloween Cauldrons. Break one with a Heavy Melee to pick up a piece of Candy, then consume it later for the temporary Sugar Rush buff. The festivities are available through November 2, 2026.
Mid-Boss and Rejuvenator
- The terrain around the Mid-Boss is a little bigger with more cover.
- Health is up 20%, and health gained per minute is up 20%.
- Resistance reductions are only 50% as effective against it.
- The roar now happens at 25% HP instead of 50%.
- Bounty drops from 3000 (+50/min) to 1500 (+25/min).
The Rejuvenator now drops as 3 crystals spread evenly around the pit in random positions, instead of one in the center. Each crystal breaks in 1 heavy melee and grants the team 1 Rejuvenator, so the total per kill stays at 3. The full heal now applies to each crystal, and the player who breaks one gets a bounty of 500 (+9/min). Crystal drop time rises from 6s to 7.5s.
Map, Haunts and comeback systems
- Breakables growth values are reduced by 10%.
- Haunts base bounty and growth rise 10%, as do their HP and damage output.
- Haunted Souls secure rate is 25% slower, but can be up to 50% faster than baseline based on how far behind you are in Net Worth (max rate at a 20% gap).
- Comeback gold from non-hero sources rises from a max of 26% to 30%.
- Healing Snacks heal 14% Max HP, up from 10%.
- Steam Vents now increase stamina regeneration by 150%.
- Move speed in tunnels falls from +70% to +50%.
- Past Dues now channel their special attack, creating an aura that slowly applies sleep to Heroes inside it. Killing the channeling creature destroys the aura.
The latest 6 heroes are no longer categorized as "new." They now have normal hero unlocking requirements for ranked and can be banned.
Item changes
Weapon items
- High-Velocity Rounds: Bullet Velocity 60% to 45%.
- Express Shot: Secondary Fire Weapon Damage and growth down 5%.
- Glass Cannon: Weapon Damage 80% to 85%.
- Battle Vest: Weapon Damage 18% to 22%.
- Bullet Lifesteal: Weapon Damage 6% to 10%, Bullet Lifesteal 13% to 15%.
- Armor Piercer: Chance 55% to 60%.
Shadow Weave loses Ambush Fire Rate and Melee Damage, gains +50% Ambush Weapon Damage, and builds Ambush bonuses over 6s of stealth. Abilities that break stealth now benefit from the bonus on their own damage.
Spirit and utility items
- Spirit Sap: Cooldown 18s to 22s, cast range 40m to 35m.
- Focus Lens: Cooldown 45s to 40s.
- Echo Shard: Post cast time 0.5s to 0.2s.
- Silence Wave: Bonus Health +50 to +90.
- Lightning Scroll: Damage now scales with Spirit Power (0.35).
- Radiant Regeneration: Heal on Ability Cast falls from 65 to 40 and only triggers in combat.
Healing and anti-heal
- Toxic Bullets and Crippling Headshot: Anti-Heal to 40% from 35%.
- Decay: Incoming Heal reduction -50% to -55%.
- Healbane: Multiple sources now stack with diminishing returns. Heal on Hero Kill drops from 275 to 170 + 3/Boon.
- Healing Booster no longer builds from Extra Regen or grants +3 Health Regen, and Out of Combat Regen rises from +1 to +2.
Other tweaks include Hunter's Aura ignoring enemies outside line of sight, Return Fire now returning damage from Haze's Fixation, and Point Blank's slow lasting 2.5s.
Fixes
Valve fixed some boxes taking longer to respawn when another pickup was left on the ground, some Walker stomp logic bugs, Focus Lens barrier damage not counting toward repeated damage, and Return Fire's shop tooltip missing the 10% Bullet Resistance. The notes provided to us cut off mid-list, so more entries may exist.
What it means for you
If you play before November 2, break the cauldrons for Candy and Sugar Rush. Check the Mid-Boss changes before contesting it, since the Rejuvenator now comes as three separate crystals. If you use anti-heal, Healbane or Shadow Weave builds, read their entries first.
Quick answers
When does the Deadlock Halloween event end?
The notes say the Halloween festivities are available in-game through November 2, 2026.
How do you get Candy in Deadlock?
Break a Halloween Cauldron with a Heavy Melee to pick up Candy. Consuming it grants the temporary Sugar Rush buff.
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