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Deadlock, VALORANT’s latest agent, channels Sage’s skills with a clever barrier trick

Introducing Deadlock: A New Boosting Agent in VALORANT

Since the start of VALORANT, Sage has been the only agent capable of boosting her teammates to new angles and positions on the map using her Barrier Orb. However, with the beginning of Episode Seven today, fans are being introduced to Deadlock, a new sentinel aiming to replicate Sage’s iconic healing and boosting capabilities on the battlefield.

Deadlock is the newest addition to VALORANT’s expanding roster of characters. Equipped with a range of deadly abilities, she poses a tough challenge for opponents trying to attack or defend a site, whether it’s rushing to plant the spike or defusing it.

One of her abilities is called Barrier Mesh, a powerful tool for stalling that creates four transparent barriers from a central point. These barriers can be shot through but not walked through. Initially, many players believed that the walls were too thin to walk on. However, popular VALORANT content creator and Sage enthusiast Grim discovered that agents can actually boost themselves onto the walls with the right positioning.

On the map Ascent, for example, Grim positions himself in mid by the wall across from the bench area near the courtyard. By pushing himself into the corner between the wall and a large box, he activates Deadlock’s Barrier Mesh underneath him and waits.

Related: Worried about Deadlock? VALORANT analyst thinks the new agent is ‘turboweak’

The barriers take a few seconds to appear, but once Grim jumps, they finally materialize and boost him skyward onto the adjacent box. While the ability isn’t as reliable or easy to use as Sage’s Barrier Orb, it can still be utilized effectively when both the ability and agent are confined to a corner or small space.

This newfound technique can prove highly advantageous for players looking to catch their enemies off guard with a quick change in angle. Most opponents won’t expect Deadlock to suddenly rise onto elevated ground, similar to Sage with Barrier Orb, Jett’s Updraft, Omen’s Shrouded Step, and Raze’s Blast Pack. The ability to access higher ground adds another dimension to Deadlock’s gameplay.

Deadlock, VALORANT, boosting agent, Sage, Episode Seven, sentinel, abilities, Barrier Mesh, surprise enemies, angle change.