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Anti-Cheat Guide

Deadlock Anti-Cheat

Valve’s own user-mode anti-cheat on an invite-only MOBA-shooter - low client-detection risk, with behaviour, reports and an in-match ban vote the main danger.

Published by GCS Cheats under our editorial policy. Last reviewed .

In plain EnglishThis page explains the anti-cheat that protects Deadlock - the system that tries to catch and ban cheaters. It covers how strict that system is and how cheats try to stay hidden from it. No cheat is ever 100% safe, so always check a product's status before you buy.

What anti-cheat does Deadlock use?

Deadlock uses Valve’s in-house anti-cheat (Valve in-house), a user-mode anti-cheat that runs without a kernel driver. Caught cheaters get an account ban, and our database rates its detection strength low. The guide below covers how it detects, what a ban really costs and what kind of build survives.

Deadlock is Valve’s MOBA-shooter, protected by Valve’s own anti-cheat, added in September 2024 during an invite-only test that is still running: in October 2026 access is still by friend invite from existing playtesters. Valve has not said publicly whether that system is VAC. Like CS2, this is a user-mode environment - no boot-time kernel driver - which keeps raw client-detection risk on the low end of our scale.

Because Deadlock blends third-person hero combat with lane and jungle objectives, the useful cheats are a mix of shooter and MOBA: hero and soul ESP, ability-cooldown awareness, and a restrained aimbot for the gunplay.

How Valve in-house works in Deadlock

When Valve’s anti-cheat catches a cheater mid-match, the other players choose to ban them and end the match, or turn them into a frog for the rest of the game and ban them afterwards; a match ended this way does not count for the others. Valve launched it at deliberately conservative detection levels while working on a more extensive second version.

Being a fast-moving, still-developing title, both the game and its anti-cheat update frequently, so a build’s status can shift on patch days more than in a finished game.

What a Deadlock ban actually means

Deadlock bans are account bans, and no Valve source mentions hardware bans. But a new account needs a fresh invite from an existing playtester, and since July 2024 Valve has also banned every account a banned cheater invited. The loss is the banned account and any accounts it brought in.

Because it is account-scoped, an HWID spoofer is generally overkill for Deadlock specifically, just as it is for CS2.

Detection track record

We rate Deadlock "Low" on client detection - a user-mode anti-cheat is far gentler than any kernel system. The real risk is the same as CS2: behaviour and reports. That matters most in a scrutinised playerbase where blatant cheating stands out fast.

Since the game is still maturing, treat build status as more volatile than in a stable title and check before you play.

Cheating in Deadlock safely

The Deadlock value order is hero and soul ESP plus ability-cooldown awareness, with a restrained aimbot for the shooter half. Information about the map state is often worth more than raw aim in an objective game.

Run a private, current build and play with restraint in a community that notices cheaters quickly. The Deadlock options we keep current are below.

Deadlock builds in the store

2 Deadlock builds are on sale right now, listed by how each one runs according to its own description.

Deadlock anti-cheat FAQ

Is Deadlock’s anti-cheat kernel-level?
No. Deadlock uses Valve’s own anti-cheat and its Steam page carries no kernel anti-cheat notice - there is no boot-time kernel driver, which keeps client-detection risk on the low end.
Does Deadlock ban hardware?
No. Deadlock bans accounts, not hardware. But access is by friend invite only and Valve also bans every account a banned cheater invited, so a new account needs a fresh invite from someone else. A spoofer is generally overkill for Deadlock.
What gets people banned in Deadlock?
As with CS2, behaviour and reports more than the cheat loading. An in-match detector also lets the other players ban a caught cheater on the spot, and blatant cheating is reported quickly.

Sources

Official pages for the systems this guide describes. They are the primary sources for how Valve in-house works and how bans are issued; the detection ratings and build guidance are our own editorial assessment, explained in the editorial policy.

This guide is informational and reflects how Valve in-house and Deadlock bans generally work; anti-cheats update constantly, so treat every detail as a moving target rather than a guarantee. Last reviewed 26 October 2026.

Keep reading

Anti-cheat databaseAll 58 games, their system, ban type and risk in one table.Check an account for bansLook up VAC and game bans on any Steam profile.Find your cheatFive questions, one matched build for Deadlock.Plain-English glossaryEvery term on this page, defined in one line.