Deadlock’s new fast-paced 4v4 game mode, Street Brawl, has been out for a few days, and I’ve already logged a ton of games in this thing. I’m loving it so far, but today I want to give my comprehensive review of Street Brawl: what’s good, what’s bad, what needs to change, and what kinds of heroes and items feel best in the mode.
Before we get into the review proper, we should understand what Street Brawl is and what the scope of this game mode is. It’s a 4v4 fast-paced game mode where the emphasis is on micro gameplay. You’re team fighting, you’re brawling, and you’re in and out of a game in 15 minutes.
And honestly, that’s the magic: in that amount of time, you’ve been able to play a hero (maybe one you haven’t played before), use items you’ve never used, and get practice pairing abilities with friends.
It’s also twofold in terms of audience:
A chill mode for longtime Deadlock players who want to wind down
A massive tool for the new player to learn heroes, items, and micro interactions without being overwhelmed by macro
DAY ONE STREET BRAWL GAMEPLAY! New Deadlock game mode first impressions and feeding on Vyper
If I could distill what I love down into one thing: the chaos and the variance of Street Brawl.
Normal Deadlock is calculated, timed, and intentional. Street Brawl is wacky. You’re getting enhanced legendary items, dropping pianos on people, and getting random stat boosts every few seconds with things like Eternal Gift.
It scratches a similar itch as Overwatch, where you’re just fighting — you can almost “turn your brain off,” but it still has strategy. Especially in a last round where you’re timing respawns and trying to secure Walker, it still feels like Deadlock, just with more chaos.
And the 15-minute duration is huge. Street Brawl fits perfectly as:
a warm-up mode
a decompression mode
a late-night chill mode
Most importantly, it’s a way for people to actually experience why Deadlock is fun. You have to experience Deadlock to get it, and Street Brawl makes that easy.
Street Brawl Review: The Good, The Bad & Beginner Tips for the new Deadlock ARAM!
Street Brawl is undoubtedly awesome, but there are a few things I would change.
The biggest: it feels like if you get two guardians and you’re on Walker, the other team almost always drags it to a fifth game. There are games that should end 3-0 or 3-1 (bad comp, bad items, rolled), and those do happen, but most games going to round five doesn’t always feel great.
Potential solutions:
tweak respawn timers
adjust overtime respawn behavior
reduce how often “wait for overtime then win one push” becomes the optimal play
Also: some heroes don’t translate well. Mirage’s ult really doesn’t feel useful, and some matchups can feel rough. But I wouldn’t want separate hero balancing between modes because it would be confusing for players transitioning.
Read More: How Many People Play Deadlock? Concurrent Player Count
Street Brawl rewards heroes who bring team fight value.
Catch heroes can be good, but only if they can pull enemies away from their team. That’s why a hero like Drifter feels pretty bad in the mode — he has to go in to combo someone.
On the other hand, Holiday feels better because she has:
AoE barrel ability
a way to pull an enemy into your team
And of course, big AoE team fight ults are insane:
Seven ult
Bebop ult
Lash ult
Read More: All Legendary Items in Deadlock’s New Street Brawl Game Mode
One of the biggest tips for getting better at Street Brawl: if you see an enhanced or legendary item, you have to at least give it some thought.
Enhanced items have “incredible stat boosts.” Most of the time it’s worth shifting your build direction to take them. Legendary items are similar — some are dependent, but some are basically instant buys (again, Eternal Gift).
Read More: How to find REM’s Secret Room in the Deadlock Hideout
Street Brawl feels like a huge step forward for Deadlock. It’s not only a quality-of-life improvement, but also a clear sign of the game moving toward open beta. It’s casual, readable, approachable, and fun.
If I had to score it: 9 out of 10 is fair. There’s polish needed, and a few buggy moments, but it’s an alpha game and the mode is only days old.
Street Brawl is exactly what Deadlock needed — so go out there, embrace the chaos, buy every legendary item just because it’s fun, and enjoy the brawl.
If you enjoyed this content, consider checking out more from Connor or any of the other TGH writing staff! You can follow Connor on X and check out any one of our TGH TouTube channels, like Dead Unlocked!
Players must be 21 years of age or older or reach the minimum age for gambling in their respective state and located in jurisdictions where online gambling is legal. Please play responsibly. Bet with your head, not over it. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, and wants help, call or visit: (a) the Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey at 1-800-Gambler or www.800gambler.org; or (b) Gamblers Anonymous at 855-2-CALL-GA or www.gamblersanonymous.org.
