Venator

0:00 Venator is a Deadlock marksman, a Vatican-sanctioned monster hunter with a rapid-fire crossbow, who burns enemies with a Consecrating Grenade that cuts their healing, blasts them back with Gutshot, pins them with a Hex-Lined Snap Trap and finishes them with the blessed stakes of Ira Domini, as Valve's reveal post of Feb 5, 2026 describes him. He joined Deadlock that day as the fourth of six heroes released by player vote in the Old Gods New Blood Update, and his win over Celeste by 11% was the largest margin of the 60,776,963 votes cast (Valve, Feb 12, 2026). The whole roster is on Heroes, and the vote is explained on Hero Voting.

Quick facts

Source: the game files as of Oct 26, 2026 (heroes, abilities), current with Valve's Oct 14, 2026 update; win rate from deadlock-api's measured hero stats, 1,566,344 normal-mode matches. Valve's May 22, 2026 notes raised his health to 830 with +48 per boon; the game files now list 820 and +43.

Abilities

Source: the game files as of Oct 26, 2026.

0:39 Consecrating Grenade is his opener. The grenade bounces, deals 35 weapon damage in 4.5 m and sets enemies alight for 3.5 seconds; burning enemies receive 30% less healing and deal 10 pure DPS (+1.6 per boon) to their own allies nearby, per the game files. T1 cuts 5 s of cooldown, T2 adds 1.5 m of radius and 1 s of burn, and T3 cuts healing by another 20% and adds a charge.

1:33 Gutshot is his answer to anyone who gets close. It fires a 60-degree shotgun blast within 10 m for 60 weapon damage (scaling 0.7) and knocks enemies back; those within 7 m of a wall are stunned for 0.6 seconds and take 30 more damage (scaling 0.8), per the game files and Valve's Apr 30, 2026 notes. T1 adds 25 damage, T2 cuts 10 s of cooldown and adds 0.4 s of stun, and T3 makes a wall stun bless his next heavy melee.

3:21 Hex-Lined Snap Trap is his catch. He kicks out a trap (two charges, 8 seconds apart) that arms in 0.5 seconds and lasts 30 seconds; it deals 80 damage (spirit scaling 2.2), immobilizes for 1.25 seconds and reveals the target for 6 seconds, and enemies can shoot it (game files). T1 cuts 11 s of cooldown, T2 adds 1 s of immobilize, and T3 adds a charge and 30% more damage to revealed targets, as Valve set it on May 22, 2026.

4:40 Ira Domini is his ultimate. For 15 seconds he loads 3 stakes that deal 120 weapon damage each (1.5 times weapon scaling); the last is blessed for 115 more pure damage (+3 per boon) and executes enemies under 8% health, per the game files. Since Jul 28, 2026 its cooldown starts when he casts it, and since Sep 16, 2026 the stakes bounce with Ricochet and split with Split Shot. T1 adds 1.2 m/s, T2 cuts 15 s of cooldown and adds 65 blessed damage, and T3 blesses every stake.

How to play

Venator is a gun hero with a tool for every range. Mobalytics' Venator guide lists his strengths as having an answer at every distance and pure damage that ignores armor and damage amps and can execute, and his weaknesses as being slow with no mobility, very item-dependent, and blunted by Bullet Resilience and Metal Skin. In lane, his crossbow's 33-round magazine and the grenade's burn do steady damage; the Laning Guide covers the basics.

12:13 His fights follow the order of his kit. The grenade softens a group and stops healing, the Snap Trap holds a target in place and reveals it, Gutshot pushes divers into walls for a stun, and Ira Domini's stakes finish a weakened hero with pure damage.

11:04 His power grows with weapon items. Dexerto's Venator build (Mar 4, 2026) takes Consecrating Grenade first, then puts 5 AP into Gutshot; see Ability Points and Leveling.

Builds

14:34 Venator players build mostly Weapon Items with durability from Vitality Items. What they bought between Oct 15 and Oct 25, 2026, as deadlock-api measured it:

Source: deadlock-api, measured item stats for Venator, Oct 15 to Oct 25, 2026.

Dexerto's build (Mar 4, 2026) leans on melee: Extra Regen, Extra Stamina, Melee Lifesteal, Melee Charge and Monster Rounds early; Hunter's Aura, Point Blank, Phantom Strike, Echo Shard and Superior Duration in the middle; Glass Cannon, Unstoppable, Crushing Fists, Shadow Weave and Juggernaut late. Item tiers and prices are on Items and Shop and Spirit Items; Builds and Itemization explains how to choose.

Counters and matchups

Disarms, displacement and bullet resist are the usual answers to Venator. Mobalytics advises poking him in lane, engaging with Majestic Leap or Warp Stone, using Disarming Hex (which also stops Ira Domini), zoning him with Graves's tombstones or moving him with Bebop's Hook or Lash's Death Slam, and shooting his Snap Trap before walking into it. Mobalytics' Street Brawl guide (Aug 27, 2026) also names Disarming Hex as the item against him; see Counter Items.

Measured matchups put him slightly below average. Between Oct 15 and Oct 25, 2026, deadlock-api measured his lowest win rates against Graves (40.0%), Rat King (40.1%) and Paige (41.2%), and his highest against Mina (52.6%), Paradox (52.4%) and Shiv (52.4%). Mobalytics' expert tier list (Oct 22, 2026) calls him "really good against Baba", meaning Baba.

Patch history

Recent Valve changes to Venator, newest first:

• Sep 16, 2026: Ira Domini works with Ricochet (every stake bounces) and Split Shot (one extra bolt on each side).
• Jul 28, 2026: sprint from 1.5 to 1 m/s; bullet falloff from 20 to 51 m down to 18 to 47 m; Ira Domini's cooldown starts when cast; blessed stake damage from 100 to 115.
• Jun 30, 2026: every ultimate's cooldown raised by 15%.
• May 22, 2026: health from 790 (+43 per boon) to 830 (+48 per boon); Snap Trap T3 damage to revealed targets from +25% to +30% and an extra charge.
• Apr 30, 2026: Gutshot damage scaling from 0.8 to 0.7, and its wall-hit scaling from 0.9 to 0.8.

All of Valve's updates are listed on Patches and Updates.

Lore

Venator is one of the Venators of St. Benedict, an order sanctioned by the Vatican and sent wherever supernatural predators gather to observe, identify and exterminate them, according to his biography in the game files. Valve's reveal gives him the line "Today, nine commandments will have to do." The wider setting is on Lore and Setting.

Frequently asked questions

When was Venator added to Deadlock? Valve added Venator to Deadlock on Feb 5, 2026, the fourth hero of the Old Gods, New Blood update, after he beat Celeste in the player vote by 11% (Valve).

Is Venator good in Deadlock? In Deadlock, Venator had a 47.23% win rate between Oct 15 and Oct 25, 2026, 29th of 44 heroes, while appearing in 39.07% of matches, in deadlock-api's measurement. Mobalytics' expert list ranked him S (Oct 22, 2026) and Dexerto B (Oct 9, 2026).

What is the best Venator build in Deadlock? Deadlock's Venator players most often buy Restorative Shot and Close Quarters in lane, Enduring Speed and Fortitude mid game, and Vampiric Burst, Silencer, Siphon Bullets or Ricochet late, as deadlock-api measured for Oct 15 to Oct 25, 2026.

What does Venator's ultimate do in Deadlock? Ira Domini loads 3 stakes of 120 weapon damage for 15 seconds; the last is blessed for 115 extra pure damage and executes enemies under 8% health, with a 160-second cooldown, per Deadlock's game files on Oct 26, 2026.

How do you counter Venator in Deadlock? Disarm him with Disarming Hex, which also stops Ira Domini, buy bullet resist such as Bullet Resilience or Metal Skin, and shoot his Snap Trap, as Mobalytics advises for Deadlock.

Sources

• Some Are Merciful, The Venator Is Not, Valve, Feb 5, 2026
• Apollo - A Cut Above, Valve, Feb 12, 2026
• Heroes (data read from the game files), deadlock-api, read Oct 26, 2026
• Items and abilities (data read from the game files), deadlock-api, read Oct 26, 2026
• Hero stats, normal-mode matches Oct 15 to Oct 25, 2026 (measured), deadlock-api, read Oct 26, 2026
• Hero counter stats, Oct 15 to Oct 25, 2026 (measured), deadlock-api, read Oct 26, 2026
• Item stats for Venator, Oct 15 to Oct 25, 2026 (measured), deadlock-api, read Oct 26, 2026
• Minor Update - 10-14-2026, Valve, Oct 15, 2026
• Minor Update - 09-16-2026, Valve, Sep 16, 2026
• Minor Update - 07-28-2026, Valve, Jul 28, 2026
• Minor Update - 06-30-2026, Valve, Jun 30, 2026
• Gameplay Update - 05-22-2026, Valve, May 22, 2026
• Gameplay Update - 04-30-2026, Valve, Apr 30, 2026
• Deadlock Venator Guide, Mobalytics, undated, read Oct 26, 2026
• Deadlock Street Brawl Mode Explained, Mobalytics (dxvis), Aug 27, 2026
• Best Venator build in Deadlock, Dexerto (Cande Maldonado), Mar 4, 2026
• Deadlock Tier List: Best characters to pick in the 2026 meta, Dexerto, Oct 9, 2026
• Expert Deadlock Tier List, Mobalytics (RinaVX), Oct 22, 2026
• How to Play VENATOR (Overview, Tips, Build & Item Ideas), Elliottgiga, Oct 17, 2026 (video)