Deadlock Flex Slots: What are they and how to unlock them

Deadlock Flex Slots are special inventory spaces that players can use to bolster their Hero builds - be it for Weapon, Vitality, or Spirit. This is a special case where the slots are not bound by any of the three categories and can contain any item that might help you win the game. This means that these Flex Slots are situational and usually get filled with different items depending on the flow of the game and opponent builds.

Deadlock Flex Slots make it easier to avoid a stale late-game phase as players can choose to take different routes when completing their builds. Since it becomes difficult to purchase counter items for every hero, the extra slots become incentives for pushing objectives and overpowering the enemy team with superior items.

This article will highlight the use of Deadlock Flex Slots and its unlock criteria.

Note: Parts of this article are subjective and reflect the author’s opinion.

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What are Deadlock Flex Slots?

Deadlock Flex Slots, as the name implies, are flexible inventory slots that players can use to further empower their character loadouts with situational items. It has four slots that can be unlocked after completing specific objectives.

Farming Souls in Deadlock (Image via Valve)

There is no limitation on how these inventory spaces can be filled and this provides a unique route for every player throughout different matches.

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How to unlock Deadlock Flex Slots?

Players cannot access the Flex Slots in Deadlock at the beginning of the game. These need to be unlocked after completing map quests that take you a step towards victory. Although completing these quests can prove to be difficult, players can coordinate with the team to beat them with ease.

That said, here is how you can unlock all the Deadlock Flex Slots:

Flex Slot 1

The first slot is unlocked when a team takes down all the enemy Guardians on the map. This means that your squad needs to destroy the first turret in all four lanes.

Lane Guardian in Deadlock (Image via Valve)

This is not an easy task in the early game and it is ideal to take lane pushes and farming seriously. Teams should also gather in lanes after purchasing the first few basic items and push together to take down one Guardian at a time.

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Flex Slot 2

The second slot is unlocked after the team destroys any two enemy Walkers on the map. This requires a team to progress to the mid-game phase while increasing the lane pressure. Achieving this is a tad more difficult than the Guardians as both sides usually have a lot of powerful items, making team fights more common.

Lane Walker in Deadlock (Image via Valve)

This is also right around the time when the Mid Boss spawns in the Museum. Hence, it is best to first contest for the Boss monster and secure the Rejuvenator crystal to enjoy its numerous buffs. These buffs can quickly turn the tides in a game and make it easier for the team to destroy the Walkers.

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Flex Slot 3

This is a late-game objective in which the team needs to take down the remaining Walkers. While this feat is much more challenging than anything in the early or mid-game, it is required to chart a path to the enemy base. Players should be careful while pushing deep into enemy territory as most of the opponents will have better gear equipped.

Pushing lanes in Deadlock (Image via Valve)

Gauging the enemy hero builds with occasional team fights is a great way to ensure that you have a read on which items you need to place in your Deadlock Flex Slots.

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Flex Slot 4

Flex Slot 4 is quite optional and generally used when the match stretches for a long time. It is unlocked when the team destroys any of the Shrines present in the enemy base. This is a difficult task as Shrines are protected by base Guardians.

Shrines and Patron in Deadlock (Image via Valve)

While the Shrines do not possess any attacking abilities themselves, the team must destroy both structures to make the Patron vulnerable to attacks. The Patron on the other hand will attack any enemy units in its range to protect itself.

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Tips for Deadlock Flex Slot items

The Flex Slot inventory can be filled with any item that you want and its build differs from one individual to another. That said, here is a list of a few items that can prove to be beneficial in some high-paced mid and late-game phases:

Item Name	Description
Toxic Bullets	Bullets have a Bleed effect on enemies and deal damage over time. The debuff lasts for 3 seconds.
Tesla Bullets	Increases Fire Rate and bullets have a chance to shock the target. The shock can jump twice and deal damage to nearby hostile units.
Vampiric Burst	This is an active item that grants Lifesteal, Fire Rate, and Ammo. It lasts for 4.5 seconds after activation.
Unstoppable	Passively grants 150 bonus HP and can be activated to remove debuffs and become immune to Stun, Silence, SIeep, Root, and Disarm for 6 seconds.
Shadow Weave	An active item that can be used to go invisible. Hero gains Fire Rate and Spirit Power when attacking while in the invisible phase. Attacking or being attacked in the stealth phase breaks invisibility.
Refresher	An active item that can be used to reset the cooldown for all hero abilities. It has a massive cooldown of 212 seconds.
Curse	Active targeting item that can place a curse on the enemy to interrupt, silence, and lock item use for 3.25 seconds. It has a cast range of 25 meters.
Ethereal Shift	An active item that makes the player enter a void state. The player is invincible for 3.5 seconds but cannot move, attack, or use items during this phase. Once the item effects wear off, the hero will instantly reload and gain bonus Spirit power.

It is important to note that these are costly items and may not be the best route for all heroes in the late-game stage. It is best to check the effects of each item when playing to make the best out of the Deadlock Flex Slots and your hard-earned souls.

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