Deadman Danny

0:13 Deadman Danny is a Deadlock hero who flies with the Chimera Mk1 jetpack, fires a rocket launcher, marks enemies with Strix Salvo missiles and grabs one for a crash dive with his ultimate, Close The Deal. Valve introduced him on Oct 13, 2026 as Fairfax Industries' "most valuable salesman", the fourth of the six heroes of the City Never Sleeps Update, and buffed him the next day. He is the most played of Deadlock's 44 Heroes: deadlock-api measured him in 60.7% of matches from Oct 15 to 26, 2026.

Quick facts

Source: Valve's Oct 14, 2026 update; the game files on deadlock-api (Oct 26, 2026); deadlock-api's measured hero stats.

Abilities

Source: the game files on deadlock-api, Oct 26, 2026, which match Valve's Oct 14, 2026 update.

Strix Salvo sets up his gun. The missiles sit in the ground for 6 seconds or until an enemy comes near, and the mark they leave turns his next charged rocket into a burst with a slow. Mobalytics' guide notes the charged shot splashes, so one rocket can consume several marks on grouped enemies. The game files list T1 -12s cooldown, T2 +30 damage and +45 mark damage, and T3 +2 missiles, +14 m range and +0.35 spirit scaling, all as Valve set them on Oct 14, 2026.

2:58 Chimera Mk1 is his flight and his risk. Flying builds heat; at full heat he overheats and dives, and if the explosion hits no hero he stuns himself for 1.3 seconds. The jetpack costs him 10% of his max health, slows still affect him in the air (15% less since Oct 14, 2026), and he "always explode[s] on death" (game files). Its upgrades are T1 faster heat venting on the ground, T2 a 150 heal and no self damage when the dive hits a hero, and T3 half the cooldown and +120 spirit damage on a hero hit.

2:15 Jettison Fuel is his close-range answer. The spray shreds bullet resist and vents the jetpack as it deals damage, and the backblast throws him backward, out of trouble. Its T1 is -8s cooldown, T2 +60 burst damage and +18% fire rate after a backblast hit, and T3 a further -10% bullet resist and a Strix mark from the backblast (game files).

6:28 Close The Deal is an execution. He carries an enemy up and both fall; the damage grows with the height, and enemies under half health take 75% more, raised from 50% on Oct 14, 2026. Its T1 is +90 damage (from +50 that day), T2 -35s cooldown, and T3 +8 damage per meter and +0.5s stun.

How to play

Danny is played as a flying artillery hero who pokes from above and finishes kills with his ultimate. His rockets fall off from 18 m to 10% at 47 m (game files), so he fights at mid range. Rocket jumping costs 5% of his max health as spirit damage, down from 6.5% on Oct 14, 2026.

8:04 In lane, lay Strix Salvo where enemies stand and follow it with charged shots, and keep Jettison Fuel to escape a dive. Flying in fights makes him easy to see and to slow, so pick the moment: Chimera Mk1's dive is strongest landed on several heroes at once.

He is new and still being learned. The measurement window starts two days after his release, and Mobalytics' build calls itself "a day one build subject to change".

Builds

Outlets build Danny around spirit damage and his jetpack. Mobalytics' build by sharky (updated Oct 21, 2026) (Mobalytics):

Source: Mobalytics (sharky), Oct 21, 2026.

Players buy almost the same items. deadlock-api measured High-Velocity Rounds in 93% of Danny games, Improved Spirit in 91%, Tankbuster in 80% and Reactive Barrier in 69% (Oct 15 to 26, 2026); Boundless Spirit, in 66%, won 52.5% of those games. The items are in Spirit Items, Weapon Items and Vitality Items; the shop rules in Items and Shop.

Counters and matchups

Slows and focus fire are the answer to Danny. His kit itself names the openings: slows work on him in the air, a dive that misses stuns him, and he explodes on death (game files). Mobalytics suggests Knockdown against flying heroes (Mobalytics, Oct 22, 2026); slows and other answers are in Counter Items.

He struggles most against Graves, Kelvin and Rat King. deadlock-api's matchup measurement (Oct 15 to 26, 2026) has Danny winning 41.7% against Graves, 42.1% against Kelvin, 43.0% against Rat King, 43.7% against Paige and 44.3% against Seven, and 54.7% against Sinclair, 54.4% against Pocket, 54.3% against Silver, 54.1% against Mirage and 54.0% against The Doorman.

Patch history

• Oct 14, 2026, his first balance pass, all buffs: base health 680 to 730, regen 2.5 to 3.25, uncharged shots 12 to 15 and charged 44 to 48, rocket jump self damage 6.5% to 5% of max health (now spirit damage); Strix Salvo cooldown 30s to 25s, spirit scaling 0.9 to 1.1, T2 to +30 damage and +45 mark damage, T3 to +0.35 scaling; Chimera Mk1 cooldown per boon -0.25s to -0.45s, heal scaling 1 to 2, weapon scaling 1.15 to 1.4, air slows 15% weaker; Close The Deal T1 +50 to +90 and low-health bonus +50% to +75%.

Lore

7:38 Deadman Danny works for Fairfax Industries, which Valve's reveal calls "the beating heart of the Occult Industrial Complex", and he demonstrates its Chimera Mk1 jetpack. The game's own hero text (deadlock-api) says the test pilot has been "shot, stabbed, impaled, defenestrated, blown up, atomized, and decapitated". More of the city in Lore and Setting.

Frequently asked questions

Is Deadman Danny good in Deadlock? Deadman Danny is popular but below average in Deadlock's measurements: deadlock-api measured 49.06% across all ranks and 43.45% at Phantom and above, the lowest of all 44 heroes there (Oct 15 to 26, 2026). Mobalytics' expert list put him in B on Oct 22, 2026; see Hero Tier List.

When was Deadman Danny added to Deadlock? Valve added Deadman Danny to Deadlock on Oct 13, 2026, the fourth hero of the City Never Sleeps update.

Did Deadman Danny get buffed? Yes, Valve buffed Deadman Danny in Deadlock's Oct 14, 2026 update, a day after release: base health 680 to 730, rocket damage 12 to 15 uncharged and 44 to 48 charged, and Strix Salvo's cooldown 30s to 25s.

What is the best Deadman Danny build in Deadlock? Deadlock's Deadman Danny builds go spirit: High-Velocity Rounds, Extra Spirit, Mystic Burst and Reactive Barrier early, Tankbuster, Superior Cooldown and Boundless Spirit mid, then Spiritual Overflow and Transcendent Cooldown, per Mobalytics' Oct 21, 2026 build.

How do you counter Deadman Danny in Deadlock? Slow him in Deadlock: slows work on Deadman Danny while he flies, a Chimera Mk1 dive that hits no hero stuns him for 1.3s, and he explodes on death, per the game files. Graves and Kelvin had his worst measured matchups, Oct 15 to 26, 2026.

Can Deadman Danny fly forever? No, Deadman Danny in Deadlock flies for up to 5 seconds with Chimera Mk1 before he overheats and dives, on a 21s cooldown, per the game files (Oct 26, 2026).

Sources

• Fairfax Industries Employee Spotlight, Valve (Steam), Oct 13, 2026
• Minor Update - 10-14-2026, Valve (Steam), Oct 15, 2026
• Assets API: heroes and items, deadlock-api (game files), read Oct 26, 2026
• Hero stats, Oct 15 to 26, 2026, Phantom and above, matchups and Deadman Danny item stats, deadlock-api (measured), read Oct 26, 2026
• Deadlock Deadman Danny Guide - Abilities, Overview & More, Mobalytics, undated, read Oct 26, 2026
• Deadman Danny by sharky, Mobalytics (sharky), Oct 21, 2026
• Spirit Doorman by rina, Mobalytics (rina), Oct 22, 2026
• Expert Deadlock Tier List, Mobalytics (RinaVX), Oct 22, 2026
• Deadman Danny Build Guide: How a Madman Plays Deadlock, Mightycookie, Oct 14, 2026 (video)