New Deadlock patch nerfs fan-favorite hero Ivy, but Valve says think of it as a buff: "More chance for you to pick the hero"
That's one way of looking at it

Deadlock's latest update has nerfed everyone's favorite gargoyle-turned-vigilante Ivy, but Valve is lookin🌃g on the bright side. The hero may be weaker than they once were, but that can only mean less competition when picking them in the future, right?
Not long after the new patch dropped, one fan took to the game's Discord to share their disbelief, only to be met with a Valve emplo🐓yee. "Think of it as a buff, more chance for you 𒐪to pick the hero."
So what's the damage? As per Deadlock Intel, it mainly concerns the gargoyle's 'Kadzu' bomb, which summons a raft of vines that damages and slows enemies who get caught up in them. You're still getting all that goodness, though damage has been r🧸eined in, and the vertical radius is now fixed to a two-meter pancake shape. Additionally, Ivy'🌄s Air Drop explosion now respects line of sight, which isn't out of step with changes we've seen elsewhere in Deadlock for heroes like Haze and Pocket.
🔴PATCH NOTES 10/02/2024 ‼️🎬Timestamps: 0:00 Intro0:17 Ivy Kudzu Nerfs1:14 Mirage Bullet Radius1:33 Mirage Tornado1:54 Mirage Djinn's Mark2:44 Respawn Timer 3:08 General Changes pic.twitter.com/FGifBn1NL5
Elsewhere in the patch, you've got some meaty changes to another hero called Mirage. His bullet radius has been reduced to six from eight, so it won't be quite as easy to land your shots as it once was. His Tornado ability 🍸has also been reined in alongside Djinn's Mark.
Finally, there are more general updates, like reꦺductions to respawn times, zipline boost cooldowns, and more.
We'll need to wait and see if the update affects Ivy's popularity, 🔯though fans seem pretty on board with the changes Valve has made so far. This is probably because their kit is still really strong, but a☂lso, perhaps, because they may have an easier time picking them.
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I joined GamesRadar+ in May 2022 following stints at PCGamesN and PocketGamer.Biz, with some freelance for Kotaku UK, RockPaperShotgun, and VG24/7 thrown in for good measure. When I'm not running the news team on the games side, you'll find me putting News Editor duties to one side to play the hottest JRPG of 20 years ago or pillaging the depths of F🐲inal Fantasy 14 for a swanky new cloak – the more colourful, the better.