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Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – RemasteredMcGinnis
McGinnis is a Deadlock support and zone-control hero who places Mini Turrets, heals allies with Medicinal Specter, blocks paths with Spectral Wall and rains homing rockets with her ultimate, Heavy Barrage. She has been in the playtest since 2024.
McGinnis is a Deadlock hero who controls the battle with turrets: she deploys Mini Turrets that shoot enemies for her, heals allies with Medicinal Specter, splits the enemy team with Spectral Wall, and fires 8 seconds of homing rockets with her ultimate, Heavy Barrage. The game's role line for her is "Controls the battle with combat turrets" in the game files (Oct 26, 2026). She is one of the original playtest heroes, on the roster Esports.gg listed for 2024, before Valve admitted Deadlock existed on Aug 23, 2024.
Quick facts
| Role | Mystic (the game's class), tagged Inventor, Support and Disruption |
| Added | In the 2024 playtest roster, before the Aug 23, 2024 reveal |
| Complexity | 1 of 4 in the game files |
| Health | 780 (+52 per boon) |
| Bullet damage | 6.08 per bullet (+0.171 per boon) |
| Weapon | Services Rendered, a minigun: 4.76 bullets per second, 29.0 DPS, falloff 20m to 58m |
| Ammo | 66 rounds, 3.29s reload |
| Move speed | 6.7 m/s (+1.6 m/s sprint), 2 stamina |
| Measured win rate | 48.58% in 11.57% of matches (deadlock-api, Oct 15 to 25, 2026) |
Source: the game files as read by deadlock-api and its item data, Oct 26, 2026 (current with Valve's Oct 14, 2026 patch); win rate from deadlock-api's measured hero stats, normal-mode matches Oct 15 to Oct 25, 2026.
Abilities
| Key | Ability | What it does | Cooldown |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mini Turret | Deploys a turret within 20m for 35s that shoots enemies in 30m for 24 DPS | 18s |
| 2 | Medicinal Specter | A spirit that heals allies within 6m for 25 HP per second over 6.5s | 50s |
| 3 | Spectral Wall | A wall up to 50m away that slows enemies and erupts for 60 damage, lasting 6s | 50s |
| 4 | Heavy Barrage | 8s of homing rockets, 6 per second, 21 damage each in 4.5m | 200s |
Source: the game files as read by deadlock-api, Oct 26, 2026.
Mini Turret is her main damage in lane. Each turret has 100 health (+9 per boon) with 35% spirit and melee resist, deals half damage to troopers and 30% to objectives, and since Aug 12, 2026 no longer shoots heroes on ziplines. T1 adds 10m of range and 10 DPS, T2 adds 2 charges, and T3 adds 25% turret fire rate and 12s of lifetime, per the game files.
Medicinal Specter is her team sustain, cast within 15m. T1 adds 1.5s, T2 cuts 20s from the cooldown and doubles stamina recovery, and T3 adds 2% max health regen, 3m of radius and 40% spirit resist, a set Valve rearranged on Aug 12, 2026.
Spectral Wall splits a fight. It slows enemies it passes through 16% for 2.5s, and its segments break to 2 heavy melee hits. T1 makes hit enemies take 20% more damage from McGinnis for 7s, T2 cuts 20s from the cooldown and adds 2s, and T3 places 2 Mini Turrets beside the wall for 8s and adds 24% slow, per the game files.
Heavy Barrage fires homing rockets at up to 36m, but McGinnis moves slower and dashes 35% shorter while firing. T1 slows hit enemies 24% (move and dash) for 1s, T2 cuts 45s from the cooldown and adds 6s, and T3 adds 15 damage per rocket and 2m of radius, per the game files.
How to play
McGinnis plays as a zone holder: precise turret placement creates kill zones or splits the enemy team, and she keeps her team entrenched and hard to dislodge, in the game's own hero text. Mobalytics' McGinnis guide lists zone control from Mini Turret and Heavy Barrage, team sustain and a strong early and mid game, and warns that she needs setup and area control, has no mobility and needs her team to coordinate.
She is often recommended to newcomers: Esports.gg picked McGinnis among the three best beginner heroes because her turrets need no aim (Sep 26, 2024). See Best Heroes for Beginners.
In lane, turrets push the wave and punish enemies who stand near it. Dexerto's McGinnis build (Feb 26, 2026) unlocks Mini Turret, Spectral Wall, Medicinal Specter and then Heavy Barrage, and maxes Mini Turret first. Mobalytics' Mid-Boss guide (Aug 8, 2026) names her Spectral Wall as a strong tool at the Mid-Boss.
Builds
Players build McGinnis for spirit and cooldowns, as deadlock-api measured in her matches from Oct 15 to 25, 2026:
| Phase | Most bought (share of her matches) |
|---|---|
| Lane | Extra Charge 70%, Monster Rounds 56%, Extra Stamina 38% |
| Mid game | Mystic Vulnerability 46%, Compress Cooldown 43%, Rapid Recharge 41% |
| Late game | Escalating Exposure 29%, Transcendent Cooldown 27%, Greater Expansion 27% |
Source: deadlock-api, item stats for McGinnis, Oct 15 to Oct 25, 2026.
Dexerto's build goes the other way, toward her gun: Active Reload, Tesla Bullets, Battle Vest, Kinetic Dash and Dispel Magic first; Hollow Point, Glass Cannon, Titanic Magazine, Blood Tribute and Warp Stone mid; and Healing Tempo, Lucky Shot, Crippling Headshot, Capacitor and Siphon Bullets late. The measured build draws on Spirit Items (Extra Charge, Rapid Recharge, Escalating Exposure), Dexerto's mostly on Weapon Items, and both take some Vitality Items. Items and Shop explains costs and slots.
Counters and matchups
McGinnis is countered by ganks while she shoves her lane, items that clear turrets, and anti-heal against Medicinal Specter, Mobalytics' guide says. Among Counter Items, Mobalytics' Street Brawl guide (Aug 27, 2026) lists Healbane against McGinnis.
Measured matchups put her worst against Rat King (41.4% win rate when facing), Paige (42.5%) and Seven (43.1%), and best against Mirage (55.2%), Shiv (54.9%) and Pocket (54.7%), in deadlock-api's counter stats for Oct 15 to 25, 2026. Rat King and Paige win more against almost everyone in that window, so read those numbers against her own 48.58% average.
Patch history
- Aug 12, 2026: bullet damage base and growth cut 5%; spirit resist per boon cut from 0.625% to 0.35%; Mini Turrets no longer shoot heroes on ziplines, lose their 80% fading resist and gain health (90 + 7.8 to 100 + 9 per boon); Medicinal Specter's T1 and T3 rearranged (Valve).
- Jun 30, 2026: every ultimate's base and upgrade cooldowns were made 15% weaker (Valve), which is why Heavy Barrage reads 200s with a -45s T2 in the game files after Valve's 175s and -55s in March.
- Jun 11, 2026: Mini Turret DPS rescaled from 30 + 0.39 to 24 + 0.42 (even at 200 Spirit Power); turret T3 fire rate cut from 30% to 25%; Heavy Barrage DPS cut from 22.5 to 21 (Valve).
- May 31, 2026: Heavy Barrage range cut from 50m to 36m, its T3 from +18 to +15 damage per rocket (Valve).
- May 22, 2026: Medicinal Specter radius raised from 5.5m to 6m (Valve).
- Apr 30, 2026: Mini Turret bounty changed from 80 + 2 per minute to 40 + 4 per minute; Medicinal Specter raised from 6s to 6.5s (Valve).
- Mar 6, 2026: a large rework: Mini Turret lifetime raised from 24s to 35s with new T1 to T3; Medicinal Specter healing made to scale with spirit; Spectral Wall's T3 changed from a stun to 2 turrets; Heavy Barrage cut from 13s to 8s (Valve).
All Valve changes are in Patches and Updates.
Lore
Maggie McGinnis built a machine that refined the souls of the dead when she was 15 and now heads the military research and development department of Fairfax Industries, Valve's in-game lore entry says (game files, Oct 26, 2026). Fairfax Industries is the company Valve's Oct 13, 2026 post calls "the beating heart of the Occult Industrial Complex"; more in Lore and Setting.
Frequently asked questions
Is McGinnis good in Deadlock? McGinnis won 48.58% of normal-mode Deadlock matches from Oct 15 to 25, 2026, 24th of 44 heroes, in deadlock-api's measurement. Both Dexerto's Oct 9, 2026 tier list and Mobalytics' expert list (Oct 22, 2026) put her in A tier.
Is McGinnis good for beginners? Yes: Esports.gg named McGinnis one of the three best Deadlock heroes for beginners because her turrets need no aim, and the game files rate her complexity 1 of 4.
What is the best McGinnis build in Deadlock? The most bought McGinnis items in Deadlock from Oct 15 to 25, 2026 were Extra Charge and Monster Rounds in lane, Mystic Vulnerability, Compress Cooldown and Rapid Recharge mid game, and Escalating Exposure and Transcendent Cooldown late, per deadlock-api.
How long do McGinnis's turrets last? McGinnis's Mini Turrets in Deadlock last 35s, plus 12s with the T3 upgrade, per the game files (Oct 26, 2026); Valve raised the base from 24s on Mar 6, 2026.
How do you counter McGinnis? In Deadlock, gank McGinnis while she shoves her lane, clear her turrets, and bring anti-heal such as Healbane against Medicinal Specter, as Mobalytics advises.
Can you destroy McGinnis's Spectral Wall? Yes: in Deadlock, each Spectral Wall segment breaks to 2 heavy melee hits, a change Valve made on Mar 6, 2026.
Sources
- Items and abilities (data read from the game files), deadlock-api, Oct 26, 2026
- Heroes (data read from the game files), deadlock-api, Oct 26, 2026
- Hero stats, normal-mode matches Oct 15 to Oct 25, 2026, deadlock-api, Oct 26, 2026
- Hero counter stats, Oct 15 to Oct 25, 2026, deadlock-api, Oct 26, 2026
- Item stats for McGinnis, Oct 15 to Oct 25, 2026, deadlock-api, Oct 26, 2026
- Minor Update - 08-12-2026, Valve, Aug 12, 2026
- Minor Update - 06-30-2026, Valve, Jun 30, 2026
- Minor Update - 06-11-2026, Valve, Jun 12, 2026
- Minor Update - 05-31-2026, Valve, May 31, 2026
- Gameplay Update - 05-22-2026, Valve, May 22, 2026
- Gameplay Update - 04-30-2026, Valve, Apr 30, 2026
- Gameplay Update - 03-06-2026, Valve, Mar 6, 2026
- Fairfax Industries Employee Spotlight, Valve, Oct 13, 2026
- Best McGinnis build in Deadlock, Dexerto (Cande Maldonado), Feb 26, 2026
- Deadlock Tier List: Best characters to pick in the 2026 meta, Dexerto, Oct 9, 2026
- Deadlock McGinnis Guide, Mobalytics, undated, read Oct 26, 2026
- Expert Deadlock Tier List, Mobalytics (RinaVX), Oct 22, 2026
- Deadlock Mid Boss Guide, Mobalytics, Aug 8, 2026
- Deadlock Street Brawl Mode Explained, Mobalytics (dxvis), Aug 27, 2026
- The best 3 heroes for beginners in Deadlock, Esports.gg (Connor Knudsen), Sep 26, 2024
- Deadlock hero abilities, Esports.gg, 2024
- After four months, hundreds of leaked gameplay videos, and everybody you know having played it, Valve finally admitted Deadlock exists, PC Gamer (Ted Litchfield), Aug 23, 2024
- How to play McGinnis on the NEW MAP in Deadlock, hello Tomi, Sep 30, 2026 (video)
- The Complete Lore Of Valve's Next Game | Deadlock Story Explained, OhHeckItsTristan, Mar 28, 2026 (video)
Moments
How to play McGinnis on the NEW MAP in Deadlock
hello Tomi
- McGinnis is a Deadlock hero who controls the battle with turrets: she deploys Mini Turrets that shoot enemies for her…
- McGinnis plays as a zone holder: precise turret placement creates kill zones or splits the enemy team, and she keeps…
- Players build McGinnis for spirit and cooldowns, as deadlock-api measured in her matches from Oct 15 to 25, 2026:
The Complete Lore Of Valve's Next Game | Deadlock Story Explained
OhHeckItsTristan
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CalicoCalico is Deadlock's shadow assassin, who roams as her sphinx cat Ava, jumps on targets with Leaping Slash, bursts them with Gloom Bombs and turns untargetable with her Return to Shadows ultimate. She joined regular matchmaking from Hero Labs on Jan 17, 2025.
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See also
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Best Heroes for BeginnersSeven is the Deadlock hero outlets most often recommend to new players, with Victor, Ivy, McGinnis, Abrams and Infernus also named; Seven and Victor also win about 54% to 55% of matches in deadlock-api's Oct 2026 data, low ranks included. Outlets say to leave Celeste, The Doorman, Lash, Yamato, Paradox and Viscous until later.
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Mid-Boss and RejuvenatorDeadlock's Mid-Boss sits in the Pit at the center of the map from the first second of a match, with 13,000 base health; the team that kills it gets 3,000 souls, 2 permanent buffs each and a Rejuvenator crystal whose buff lasts 3 minutes, and it respawns 7 minutes later.
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Spirit ItemsDeadlock has 49 Spirit items as of Oct 26, 2026: 8 at Tier 1 (800 souls), 12 at Tier 2 (1,600), 13 at Tier 3 (3,200) and 16 at Tier 4 (6,400). Extra Spirit is the most bought item in the game, in 52.6% of hero-matches from Oct 15 to Oct 26, 2026.
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Weapon ItemsDeadlock has 53 Weapon items as of Oct 26, 2026: 7 at Tier 1 (800 souls), 16 at Tier 2 (1,600), 19 at Tier 3 (3,200) and 11 at Tier 4 (6,400). High-Velocity Rounds is the most bought, in 27.7% of hero-matches from Oct 15 to Oct 26, 2026.
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Vitality ItemsDeadlock has 54 Vitality items as of Oct 26, 2026: 8 at Tier 1 (800 souls), 15 at Tier 2 (1,600), 14 at Tier 3 (3,200) and 17 at Tier 4 (6,400). Extra Regen is the most bought, in 36.1% of hero-matches from Oct 15 to Oct 26, 2026.