Pocket

15:45 Pocket is a Deadlock assassin who dives the enemy back line with a powerful shotgun on a thin frame, surviving by hiding in a mystic suitcase (Enchanter's Satchel) and teleporting with a Flying Cloak, then bursting groups with Barrage and the damage-over-time ultimate Affliction. The game files give Pocket the role line "Infiltrates and disrupts the backline". Pocket is one of the original heroes, in the invite-only playtest before Valve announced Deadlock on Aug 23, 2024, as PCGamesN's count of the roster shows. In the current patch Pocket has the lowest measured win rate of the 44 heroes: deadlock-api recorded 44.71% from Oct 15 to Oct 25, 2026.

Quick facts

Source: deadlock-api's copy of the game files (heroes and abilities), as of Oct 26, 2026; deadlock-api's measured hero stats, Oct 15 to Oct 25, 2026.

Abilities

Source: deadlock-api's copy of the game files, as of Oct 26, 2026. T1, T2 and T3 below are the 1, 2 and 5 Ability Point upgrades.

0:57 Barrage is a 2s channel that launches 4 projectiles of 32 damage (spirit scaling 0.465), each slowing 24% for 1.5s in 4.5m, per the game files. Every hero hit adds a +6% damage stack for 15s. Cast in the air, it makes Pocket float, and since Valve's Mar 6, 2026 update stamina and Flying Cloak can be used during it. T1 adds +16 damage per projectile, T2 -16s cooldown, and T3 +4% per stack and +3m radius.

3:20 Flying Cloak sends a cloak forward for 3.8s, dealing 60 damage (spirit scaling 1.3) in 5m, and pressing the key again teleports Pocket to it, per the game files. T1 adds +70 damage, T2 +5 weapon damage for 6s, and T3 +1.6s of travel and -10s cooldown.

6:06 Enchanter's Satchel hides Pocket in the suitcase for 1.5s (any action ends it early), then deals 65 damage (spirit scaling 1.1) in 12m, per the game files. T1 cuts the cooldown by 5s, T2 adds +90 damage, and T3 adds +1.5s, +4m and a 4s debuff of -40% fire rate and -32% move speed.

9:21 Affliction, the ultimate, deals 32 DPS (spirit scaling 0.21) for 10s to enemies within 9m, per the game files. It cannot kill, triggers no item procs, can be purged and deals half damage to objectives. T1 cuts the cooldown by 35s, T2 adds +3s and +4m, and T3 blocks all healing on the targets and adds +13 DPS.

How to play

16:19 Pocket plays as a burst assassin who goes in, deals area damage and escapes. Mobalytics' Pocket guide lists the strengths as two escapes (Flying Cloak and Enchanter's Satchel), team fighting with Affliction, high area burst and split pushing, and the weaknesses as telegraphed abilities, a hard kit to learn and a short-range gun. The shotgun's falloff runs from 16m to 46m in the game files.

Flying Cloak is both the engage and the exit. It travels for 3.8s before the teleport, so the cloak can be sent toward a target or away from a fight, and Pocket can cast it in the middle of Barrage since the Mar 6, 2026 rework. Enchanter's Satchel then dodges incoming damage for up to 1.5s before its burst.

17:08 Affliction is a team-fight tool rather than a finisher, since its damage cannot kill. Since Valve's Mar 6, 2026 update it no longer deals 12% of current health on application, and its T3 now blocks all healing. Mobalytics' Mid-Boss guide (Aug 8, 2026) lists Pocket among the heroes strong at taking the Mid-Boss.

Builds

Pocket's builds are spirit-heavy, built on cooldown and range. deadlock-api measured Pocket's purchases from Oct 15 to Oct 25, 2026:

Source: deadlock-api, measured item stats for Pocket, read Oct 26, 2026.

Dexerto's build (Mar 3, 2026) runs Healing Rite, Mystic Burst, Cold Front, Extra Spirit and Enchanter's Emblem early; Point Blank, Warp Stone, Superior Cooldown, Greater Expansion and Majestic Leap in the mid game; and Ethereal Shift, Transcendent Cooldown, Crippling Headshot, Arctic Blast and Refresher late. It levels Barrage, Enchanter's Satchel and Flying Cloak, then Affliction. Most of these are Spirit Items, with Majestic Leap and Warp Stone from Vitality Items and Monster Rounds, Point Blank and Crippling Headshot from Weapon Items; the shop is on Items and Shop and Builds and Itemization.

Counters and matchups

Pocket is easiest to catch when Flying Cloak is down. Mobalytics advises Cursed Relic and Focus Lens to pin Pocket down, punishing a Flying Cloak engage while it is on cooldown, and Counterspell and Debuff Reducer to blunt Affliction. Mobalytics' Street Brawl guide (Aug 27, 2026) also lists Counterspell against Pocket. These items are on Counter Items.

In deadlock-api's measured matchups from Oct 15 to Oct 25, 2026, Pocket did worst against Graves (37.0%), Rat King (38.5%) and Paige (38.8%), and best against Sinclair (50.2%), Rem (49.5%) and Mina (49.4%). Graves, Rat King and Paige top almost every hero's worst-matchup list in that window, so these figures are best read against Pocket's own 44.71% average.

Patch history

Valve has cut Pocket in small steps through 2026, newest first (every update is on Patches and Updates):

• Jul 28, 2026: Flying Cloak T3 -11s to -10s; Affliction DPS about 6% lower.
• Jul 9, 2026: Affliction duration 11s to 10s.
• Jun 30, 2026: bullet damage per boon 0.16 to 0.14; Flying Cloak T3 -12s to -11s. The same update nerfed all ultimate base and upgrade cooldowns by 15%, which is why the game files on Oct 26, 2026 list Affliction at 170s with a -35s T1.
• Jun 11, 2026: bullet damage per boon 0.2 to 0.16; Affliction half damage to objectives.
• May 31, 2026: Flying Cloak T3 -14s to -13s; Affliction T3 +18 to +14 DPS.
• May 22, 2026: Flying Cloak T2 duration 8s to 6s; Affliction cooldown 140s to 150s.
• Apr 30, 2026: bullet damage growth 10% lower; Enchanter's Satchel spirit scaling 0.9 to 1.1.
• Mar 6, 2026: a rework of Barrage, Flying Cloak (cooldown 32s to 26s) and Affliction, which lost its 12% current-health damage.

Lore

42:22 Pocket is Arin Fairfax, eldest heir to Fairfax Industries, according to the in-game biography: shot and left for dead on their 18th birthday, they have hidden under the name Pocket for five years. More on the city is on Lore and Setting.

Frequently asked questions

Is Pocket good in Deadlock? Pocket had the lowest win rate of Deadlock's 44 heroes, 44.71%, in deadlock-api's measurement from Oct 15 to Oct 25, 2026, though Mobalytics' expert tier list (Oct 22, 2026) still rates Pocket S tier.

What does Pocket's ultimate do in Deadlock? Affliction deals damage over time to every enemy within 9m for 10s; it cannot kill, and its T3 blocks all healing, per the game files on Oct 26, 2026.

How do you counter Pocket in Deadlock? Mobalytics recommends Cursed Relic and Focus Lens to lock Pocket down, and Counterspell and Debuff Reducer against Affliction, attacking when Flying Cloak is on cooldown.

What should I build on Pocket? Deadlock players most often open Pocket with Mystic Burst and Monster Rounds, then buy Tankbuster and Superior Cooldown, in deadlock-api's measured purchases from Oct 15 to Oct 25, 2026.

Who is Pocket in Deadlock lore? Pocket is Arin Fairfax, heir to Fairfax Industries, who was shot and left for dead on their 18th birthday and has hidden under the name Pocket since, per Deadlock's in-game biography.

How does Flying Cloak work? In Deadlock, Pocket's Flying Cloak travels for 3.8s dealing damage, and pressing the key again teleports Pocket to the cloak, on a 26s cooldown in the game files on Oct 26, 2026.

Sources

• Gameplay Update - 03-06-2026, Valve, Mar 6, 2026
• Gameplay Update - 04-30-2026, Valve, Apr 30, 2026
• Gameplay Update - 05-22-2026, Valve, May 22, 2026
• Minor Update - 05-31-2026, Valve, May 31, 2026
• Minor Update - 06-11-2026, Valve, Jun 12, 2026
• Minor Update - 06-30-2026, Valve, Jun 30, 2026
• Minor Update - 07-09-2026, Valve, Jul 9, 2026
• Minor Update - 07-28-2026, Valve, Jul 28, 2026
• Deadlock adds four new heroes, PCGamesN (Jamie Hore), Jan 17, 2025
• Best Pocket build in Deadlock, Dexerto (Cande Maldonado), Mar 3, 2026
• Deadlock Pocket Guide, Mobalytics, undated, read Oct 26, 2026
• Deadlock Mid Boss Guide, Mobalytics, Aug 8, 2026
• Deadlock Street Brawl Mode Explained, Mobalytics (dxvis), Aug 27, 2026
• Expert Deadlock Tier List, Mobalytics (RinaVX), Oct 22, 2026
• Heroes (game files), deadlock-api, Oct 26, 2026
• Items and abilities (game files), deadlock-api, Oct 26, 2026
• Hero stats, Oct 15 to Oct 25, 2026 (measured), deadlock-api, Oct 26, 2026
• Hero counter stats, Oct 15 to Oct 25, 2026 (measured), deadlock-api, Oct 26, 2026
• Item stats for Pocket (measured), deadlock-api, Oct 26, 2026
• You're playing pocket WRONG | Pocket deadlock guide|, TheTopGoombs, Aug 3, 2026 (video)
• The Complete Lore Of Valve's Next Game | Deadlock Story Explained, OhHeckItsTristan, Mar 28, 2026 (video)