Valve has added Solomon to Deadlock as a playable hero. His kit borrows the language of chess, but the official announcement describes a character focused on positioning, protecting teammates and restricting enemy movement rather than a literal board-game mode.
The announcement confirms four named abilities: Setup Bishop, Kingside Knight, Rook Battery and Develop Queen. Valve provides a short description of each move, while leaving numerical details such as damage, cooldowns and upgrade values to the game client.
Solomon can place and reposition attackers
Setup Bishop lets Solomon plant damage dealers in front of him and slide them through the streets. The wording points to deliberate placement and later repositioning, which could make the ability useful for controlling an approach. Valve has not published its range, duration or targeting rules in the announcement, so those details should not be inferred from the chess theme alone.
Kingside Knight serves a defensive purpose. Valve says it protects allies and helps with tactical retreats. The notice does not state whether that protection takes the form of a shield, damage reduction or another effect.
Rook Battery and Develop Queen apply pressure
Rook Battery sends Solomon forward with force and stalls enemies. Develop Queen is presented as his final move, locking down opponents in what Valve calls an ultimate checkmate. Those summaries establish the intended roles of the abilities, but not their precise mechanics or how they interact with upgrades.
That distinction matters for players deciding how to build the hero. The official reveal is enough to show that Solomon combines setup, team defense, forward movement and crowd control. It is not a substitute for the current tooltips, which contain the values needed to judge item choices and ability order.
Valve is continuing its community-selected hero rollout
Solomon is available in the game now. Valve says his arrival marks the halfway point in its latest group of heroes and is continuing to use community votes to influence which character comes next.
The next addition is scheduled for Tuesday at 2 p.m. PDT, although the announcement does not name that hero. For Solomon, players should update the game and review the live ability tooltips before relying on build advice, especially while balance values can change during active development.
Sources
- Reporting source: GamerHeadlines
- Primary source: Valve’s official Deadlock announcement
