The “Old Gods, New Blood” update for Deadlock has officially introduced its final hero, the duelist Apollo, bringing a close to the community-voted release schedule that saw over 60 million votes cast—and one dedicated fan pour hundreds of hours into a character who barely made the cut.
The Cost of Devotion: A Fan’s 378-Hour Grind
Valve’s unique release event allowed players to dictate the arrival order of six new heroes by accumulating votes through daily wins. While the community was largely engaged, one unnamed player stood out for their sheer persistence: they cast 813 votes for Celeste, only to watch her arrive as the second-to-last hero in the lineup.
The math behind this dedication is staggering. Given the 19-day window between the update announcement and Celeste’s release, this player spent between 252 and 378 hours in-game to support their favorite character. Assuming a standard match length, that’s roughly 13 to 19 hours of Deadlock every single day. It is a level of commitment that truly highlights the intensity of the game’s dedicated player base.
Meet Apollo: The Duelist of Ixia
Now that the voting dust has settled, the spotlight turns to Apollo, a stylish duelist designed for high-impact, close-quarters combat. Heavily reliant on Spirit damage, his weapon, “Pride of Ixia,” demands precision and proximity, forcing players to master the art of the lane-phase skirmish.
Mastering Apollo’s Skill Set
Apollo’s kit is built for aggressive movement and tactical punishment, featuring several unique mechanics:
- Disengaging Sigil: Places an explosive rune that pushes Apollo backward while slowing enemies. At higher levels, it refreshes air-dash limits, allowing for aggressive repositioning.
- Riposte: A reactive parry ability that grants invulnerability frames, stuns the attacker, and lowers their bullet resistance, setting them up for a quick takedown.
- Flawless Advance: A skill-based lunge that incorporates a rhythmic Quick Time Event (QTE). Landing the strike at the perfect moment—indicated by a ring around the crosshair—maximizes damage.
- Itani Lo Sahn (Ultimate): Apollo charges up before dashing forward to Curse enemies, forcing them into slow motion before they detonate for massive damage—an ability specifically tuned to execute low-health targets.
With his focus on 1v1 dominance and team-fight cleanup, Apollo represents a high-skill-ceiling addition to the roster. Whether you are a fan of complex movement or simply enjoy high-damage executioners, the latest hero offers a distinct playstyle that rounds out the “Old Gods, New Blood” update.
