Valve revealed Baba, a new playable hero for Deadlock, Valve’s third-person hero shooter, in an announcement posted to the game’s Steam community page on October 6, 2026. The studio introduces her as New York’s notorious pigeon lady, a character who leaves her favorite perch in Central Park to join the fight on the city streets.
In the park, ol’ Baba is a familiar sight on her bench, sipping tea and talking to her birds, and the locals have always suspected that something more brews below the surface. Parkgoers know it is best to stay on Baba’s good side, especially at tea time.
Valve called the selection of its new hero a close contest, and Baba won it. Baba joins a run of recent Deadlock hero additions from Valve, which includes the Rat King hero. She arrives shortly after the City Never Sleeps update expanded the roster with six new heroes.
Baba’s Kit
Baba fights with yarn, tea, and pigeons. In the heat of battle, she throws out her Threadsap, which the studio describes as a chaotic spool of yarn that steals the very spirit of her enemies, granting her greater power. Per Valve, her legs might not be what they used to be, so her trusty bench comes to life with a creak of metal, allowing her to run, jump, and kick with impressive vigor. At tea time, opponents may be splashed with one of Baba’s Brews, and Valve notes that some of them are much sweeter than others. When tea time is over, The Birds come out to play.
Availability and the Next Hero
Baba and her pigeons are available now in the game. Valve’s announcement quotes Baba directly: “They think they know magic? Oh I’ll show ’em some magic.” The studio will return on Friday at 2pm PDT to introduce the next hero, who is not named in the post.
The Ranked Season Change
Deadlock’s first Ranked season is currently underway. Valve also pushed back the end date for the first Ranked season to Thursday November 5, 2026 at 2pm PDT, with the next season starting immediately after.
