One of Deadlock’s most-played heroes proves not everyone should be sniping

Maybe you should pick up a machine gun instead.

A street in deadlock with a character standing by the wall
Image via Valve

As the hype grows around Valve’s third-person MOBA Deadlock, more players are discovering which heroes are strongest among the diverse cast available during the closed beta. There are, however, some characters getting a ton of play time across the fan base that aren’t getting results.

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For example, Deadlock‘s resident sniper extraordinaire Vindicta is one of the most-played heroes in the game, sitting at a whopping 87 percent average play rate, according to Deadlock Tracker. However, she also holds the lowest win rate in the game at a measly 44 percent, making her the worst-performing hero in the game.

Vindicta, a spectral sniper, floats in Deadlock.
Put down the sniper rifle, hotshot. Images by Valve. Remix by Dot Esports

One of the issues that plagues Vindicta’s current win rate is that she is marked as a hero that is “great for new players,” and although this might be the case since she is relatively simple to use, she isn’t too good for team play in a 6v6 setting.

Her kit currently has a throwable grenade that tethers enemies to the ground for just over two seconds, the ability to fly, and a crow familiar that bounces off enemies and deals damage.

Her ultimate, however, is a high-powered rifle that can charge up to deal massive damage. Overall, she doesn’t have many tools to help her team, with most of her abilities looking to give herself a better shot at a target. As a result, she doesn’t really help out her squad in a teamfight, especially if her aim is off.

Vindicta’s impact is heavily reliant on pure aim, since she is a sniper that aims to pick off squishy targets, but if a player isn’t precise enough, she’s practically useless as the enemy team takes on grouped fights against the rest of her squad. Additionally, Vindicta can be easily jumped by diving heroes, especially when her Flying ability is on cooldown, making her an easy target.

With players still learning the game, Vindicta will quickly become a go-to for new recruits who favor her playstyle since she has one familiar task: Snipe the enemy carries. It might seem simple enough, but with the amount of utility, crowd control, and movement in Deadlock, it’s a difficult learning curve for snipers looking to ease their way into the game.

Instead, players might want to try out other heroes with more diverse kits. Just in case your aim is off, you can still contribute to a teamfight with your various abilities.

Author
Image of Tyler Esguerra
Tyler Esguerra
Lead League of Legends writer for Dot Esports. Forever an LCS supporter, AD carry main, with more than five years in the industry. Sometimes I like clicking heads in Call of Duty or VALORANT. Creator of the Critical Strike Podcast.