Controls and Keybinds
Deadlock plays on WASD with Space to jump, Left Shift to dash, Left Ctrl to crouch or slide, 1 to 4 for abilities, Z, X and C for active items, Q to melee and F to parry. Controllers work through Steam Input with official Standard, Gyro and FlickStick schemes.
Deadlock's default controls put movement on WASD, jump and mantle on Space, dash on Left Shift, crouch and slide on Left Ctrl, the four abilities on 1 to 4, active items on Z, X and C, melee on Q and parry on F, as Dexerto's keybind guide lists them (updated Jul 15, 2026). Every key can be rebound, and the City Never Sleeps Update of Sep 29, 2026 added a Keybind Map, bind-by-key, scroll wheel binds, per-hero settings and shareable keybind codes (Valve's update page). Controllers work through Steam Input, with official Standard, Gyro and FlickStick schemes since Dec 6, 2024. Deadlock is an invite-only playtest in early development, so menus and defaults can still change.
Quick facts
| Abilities | 1, 2, 3, 4 |
| Active items | Z, X, C and a fourth item key |
| Melee and parry | Q (melee), F (parry) |
| Movement keys | Space jump and mantle, Left Shift dash, Left Ctrl crouch and slide |
| Ping | Mouse 3 |
| Console | F7, once enabled in settings |
| Controller | Steam Input: Standard, Gyro, FlickStick (Dec 6, 2024); Gyro suggested by default since Feb 25, 2025 |
| Shareable keybind codes | Since Sep 29, 2026 |
Sources: Dexerto, Jul 15, 2026; Valve's Dec 6, 2024 update; Valve's Map Rework Update, Feb 25, 2025; Valve's City Never Sleeps page, Sep 29, 2026.
Default keyboard and mouse controls
The table is Dexerto's layout, which it calls "relatively close to the default"; Dexerto moved only Item 4 (to E) and push to talk (to V), marked below.
| Action | Key |
|---|---|
| Move forward, back, left, right | W, S, A, D |
| Jump and mantle | Space |
| Dash | Left Shift |
| Crouch and slide | Left Ctrl |
| Fire | Mouse 1 |
| Zoom (aim) | Mouse 2 |
| Ability 1 to 4 | 1, 2, 3, 4 |
| Item 1, 2, 3 | Z, X, C |
| Item 4 | E (Dexerto's choice) |
| Melee | Q |
| Parry, throw a held item | F |
| Cancel an ability | Space |
| Ping | Mouse 3 |
| Scoreboard | Tab |
| Push to talk | V (Dexerto's choice) |
Source: Dexerto (Jeremy Gan), updated Jul 15, 2026.
Some keys do double duty. Space both jumps and cancels a cast, and Left Shift's dash is the start of most of the movement tricks on Movement and Combat. In the shop, the keys 1 to 6 jump between the shop's tabs by default since City Never Sleeps (Valve, Sep 29, 2026). Valve added a Toggle Crouch bind on Dec 6, 2024, and since May 22, 2026 rebinding the zipline key also rebinds mounting and dismounting ropes, with no delay on alternative zipline keys.
Sensitivity and casting
Dexerto's mouse settings are a low sensitivity built for tracking. Its Jul 15, 2026 guide uses a mouse sensitivity of 0.33 at 400 DPI ("a good starting point"), Y-axis scaling 1 and a zoom sensitivity ratio of 1.33.
How abilities fire matters as much as where they sit. Dexerto sets abilities to Quick Cast, with Press and Hold as the alternate cast (hold time 0.15 seconds), turns "Cancel abilities with ability key" off, and sets items to Instant Cast. It changes casting per hero too: Bebop's Sticky Bomb and Rem's Tag Along on Instant Cast, and Apollo's third ability on right click. Since Sep 29, 2026 ability and item use is "instant the moment the button is pushed instead of waiting for the next 'window'", Valve wrote on its City Never Sleeps page, which makes every cast mode feel more responsive than in older videos.
Useful rebinds
The most common rebind moves abilities closer to WASD. Dexerto's beginner's guide (Aug 28, 2024) suggests players coming from Valorant or Overwatch put abilities on keys around movement, such as E, X, C, Q and F, instead of the number row, and its keybind guide moves Item 4 to E and push to talk to V. Because items you buy in the shop often have active effects (see Counter Items), a reachable fourth item key matters later in a match.
City Never Sleeps made rebinding easier. Its new settings, on Valve's update page (Sep 29, 2026):
- Keybind Map: every key and mouse button you have bound, which are free, and what each does.
- Bind By Key: click a free key, then assign it a command.
- Additional Keybinds for actions that could not be bound before, and Hideout camera keybinds.
- Scroll Wheel Binds for keys that were button-down only.
- Per-hero settings: hold Tab in the Settings menu to see which settings can differ by hero.
- Shareable Settings: copy your reticle and keybind settings as a code, or apply someone else's, with preview and undo.
- International Keyboard: the menu detects your keyboard's shape and layout.
- Spectating keybinds to cycle through players in replays and spectating, with hotkeys for each hero on the top bar.
Controller and Steam Input
Deadlock supports controllers through Steam Input. Valve's Nov 7, 2024 update added a Controller tab, all missing Steam Input actions to the Key Bindings screen, official configs for Steam Deck and DualSense, and let the Steam Deck see the Key Bindings screen; it also replaced legacy analog modes with camera Steam Input modes, so "Some users may need to re-bind their joysticks/gyros".
Three official control schemes followed on Dec 6, 2024: Standard, Gyro and FlickStick, made with advice from FlickStickVids. On Feb 25, 2025 Valve added Switch Pro configs (Standard, Gyro, Gyro plus FlickStick) and made the default suggested config Gyro Enabled with standard stick controls. Valve has not said whether controllers get aim assist; no patch note mentions it. For the Steam Deck itself, see Settings and Performance.
Accessibility options
City Never Sleeps added dedicated accessibility settings for visuals, audio and controls (Valve, Sep 29, 2026):
| Option | What it does |
|---|---|
| Enemy UI Color | Changes the colors of certain enemy UI elements |
| VO Subtitles | Subtitles for in-game dialogue, with size, color and font options |
| Auto Move | Double-tap Move Forward to keep moving; Move Forward or Move Back stops |
| Auto Fire | Fires without holding Fire; press Fire to stop and again to resume |
| Auto Mantle | Mantles onto ledges you walk into, forward or backward, without Jump |
| Reduced Camera Shake | Less shake from impacts and explosions |
| Reticle colors | Custom fill and border colors for the crosshair |
Source: Valve's City Never Sleeps page, Sep 29, 2026.
Older options remain. Since Dec 6, 2024, "Force English Hero Names" and "Force English Item Names" show those names in English in any language, which helps when following English guides.
Crosshair
The crosshair is set in the Reticle settings, and since Sep 29, 2026 it can be shared as a single code (Valve). The older way is the console: PCGamesN (updated Jan 26, 2026) lists the citadel_crosshair_pip_gap, _pip_height, _pip_width, _pip_opacity, _dot_opacity and color commands, and gives shroud's crosshair: cyan (r 0, g 255, b 255), width 2, height 6, gap -2, dot opacity 0.7 and dot outline 0.9. Dexerto (Jul 15, 2026) uses a green, fixed reticle with reticle motion off.
Frequently asked questions
What are the default controls in Deadlock? Deadlock's default controls are WASD to move, Space to jump, Left Shift to dash, Left Ctrl to crouch or slide, 1 to 4 for abilities, Z, X and C for items, Q to melee and F to parry, per Dexerto's Jul 15, 2026 guide. Mouse 1 fires and Mouse 2 zooms.
How do you parry in Deadlock? In Deadlock, parry is on F by default: press it as an enemy winds up a heavy melee, and a successful parry stuns the attacker for about two seconds, as Esports.gg explains. Since Sep 29, 2026 the parry cooldown shows next to your reticle.
Can you play Deadlock with a controller? Yes: Deadlock supports controllers through Steam Input, with official Standard, Gyro and FlickStick schemes since Dec 6, 2024 and configs for DualSense, Steam Deck and Switch Pro controllers. Valve made Gyro the default suggested config on Feb 25, 2025.
How do I share my keybinds in Deadlock? Since the City Never Sleeps update of Sep 29, 2026, Deadlock's settings can copy your reticle and keybinds as a code that another player applies, with a preview and an undo.
What is the best sensitivity for Deadlock? Dexerto uses a Deadlock mouse sensitivity of 0.33 at 400 DPI, Y-axis scaling 1 and a zoom sensitivity ratio of 1.33 (Jul 15, 2026). The Hideout's practice range is the place to test a new sensitivity.
Does Deadlock have accessibility options? Yes: Deadlock's City Never Sleeps update added Enemy UI Color, VO subtitles with size, color and font options, Auto Move, Auto Fire, Auto Mantle and Reduced Camera Shake on Sep 29, 2026.
Sources
- 11-07-2024 Update, Valve, Nov 8, 2024
- 12-06-2024 Update, Valve, Dec 6, 2024
- Map Rework Update, Valve, Feb 25, 2025
- Gameplay Update - 05-22-2026, Valve, May 22, 2026
- City Never Sleeps (update page), Valve, Sep 29, 2026
- Best Deadlock keyboard & mouse settings: Finding your sensitivity and keybinds, Dexerto (Jeremy Gan), updated Jul 15, 2026
- Deadlock beginners guide, Dexerto (Jeremy Gan), Aug 28, 2024
- How to parry in Deadlock, Esports.gg (Connor Knudsen), Sep 24, 2024
- Best Deadlock crosshair settings and command console codes, PCGamesN (Aaron Down), updated Jan 26, 2026
- The Only Beginner’s Guide You Need for Deadlock (Updated), Metro Deadlock, Oct 1, 2026 (video)
Moments
The Only Beginner’s Guide You Need for Deadlock (Updated)
Metro Deadlock
See also
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City Never Sleeps UpdateCity Never Sleeps is Deadlock's Sep 29, 2026 update: a new look for the whole map, neutral camps turned into Haunts, four Districts, a new HUD and accessibility options, and six heroes released by player vote from Oct 2 to Oct 20, 2026. -
Movement and CombatDeadlock heroes move with stamina-based dashes and air jumps, free slides, wall jumps, mantles and out-of-combat sprint, and fight with guns, abilities, light and heavy melee and a parry that stuns an attacking meleer. Most heroes have 3 stamina, a ground dash covers 10 meters and a dash jump 19, and headshots deal 1.65 times damage (Valve's notes and the game files, as of Oct 26, 2026).
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Items and ShopDeadlock sells 156 items in its shop in three categories (Weapon, Vitality, Spirit) and four tiers costing 800, 1,600, 3,200 and 6,400 souls. Each hero has 9 item slots plus 3 Flex Slots, one unlocked for each enemy Walker the team destroys. -
Counter ItemsDeadlock's counter items answer specific threats: Healbane, Toxic Bullets, Decay, Inhibitor, Crippling Headshot and Spirit Burn cut enemy healing; Dispel Magic, Divine Barrier, Unstoppable and Indomitable answer stuns and debuffs; Knockdown, Silencer, Cursed Relic and Disarming Hex shut heroes down.
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Settings and PerformanceDeadlock has no published system requirements: on Oct 26, 2026 Steam lists them as "TBD" apart from a 64-bit Windows PC. Dexerto's competitive settings are Borderless Window, Direct3D 11, NVIDIA Reflex on, VSync off and most quality options low or off.
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ModsDeadlock mods are unofficial, client-side files, mostly hero skins, sounds and HUD changes, shared on GameBanana and installed as .vpk files in an addons folder or with a mod manager. Valve offers no mod support and has made no public statement on mods.