Souls are Deadlock's only currency and its experience bar in one. You earn them from troopers, denies, Haunts, crates, hero kills, the Soul Urn and objectives, then spend them on items in the shop. Every soul you collect also levels your hero, unlocking abilities, ability points and stat boons.
This guide covers where souls come from, how they are shared, what haunted (unsecured) souls are, what you can buy and how souls turn into power. It is current as of October 2026, after the City Never Sleeps update, and pairs well with our Deadlock stats explained guide. Values come from the community wiki and can change with any patch.
What are souls in Deadlock?
Souls do two jobs at once. They are the money you spend in the shop, and they are the experience that levels your hero. Every player starts a match with 600 souls, per the Deadlock Wiki souls page. Because spending souls does not lower your level, a player who farms well gets stronger in two ways: better items and higher boon levels.
That is why trackers treat souls, also called net worth, as the clearest single read on how a game is going. You can see your own soul totals and souls per minute on your RankSurge Deadlock profile.
Where do you get souls in Deadlock?
Most sources start with a base value that grows every minute of the match, so the same camp or kill is worth more late in the game. The table below lists the main sources and their wiki values as of October 2026.
| Source | Base souls | Growth | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trooper | 100 | +2 per minute | Split into a ground orb and a floating orb |
| Hero kill | 200 | +50 per minute | Capped at 2,200; First Blood adds 125 |
| Haunts (small / medium / large) | 41 / 68 / 181 | Small per-minute growth | Paid as haunted souls |
| Sinner's Sacrifice | 310 | +3.35 per minute | Hit with melee; haunted souls |
| Crate / Tough Crate | 23 / 46 | +2 / +4 per minute | Tough Crates need a Heavy Melee |
| Soul Urn | 250 | +70 per minute | Value is set when the urn spawns |
| Guardian | 1,375 | None | 25% to nearby heroes, 75% to the team |
| Walker | 3,675 | None | Major lane objective |
| Shrine | 2,000 | None | Base objective |
| Mid-Boss | 3,000 | +50 per minute | Split equally across the team |
The September 29, 2026 City Never Sleeps update replaced the old neutral camps with nine new camps called Haunts and added Tough Crates, per Dot Esports. If an older guide talks about small, medium and large "neutrals," it describes the pre-update map.
How do last hits and denies work?
Troopers are your steady income. When one dies, its bounty splits into two orbs worth 50% each. One sits on the ground and one floats. The ground orb cannot be denied. The floating orb has to be shot to claim it.
- Last hit: shoot your own floating orb (it glows green) to secure it. A single bullet is enough, and that bullet is refunded to your magazine.
- Deny: shoot an enemy orb (it glows orange) first, and those souls go to you and nearby allies instead of the enemy.
- Melee kills: if you kill a trooper with melee, only the ground orb drops and you get the rest of the bounty instantly.
- Missed orbs: an unclaimed floating orb pops after about a second and goes to nearby allies. With no allies nearby, those souls are lost.
Last hits and denies are the core of laning. Our how to rank up in Deadlock guide covers lane habits in more detail.
How are souls shared between teammates?
Sharing depends on the source. For trooper orbs, allies within 45 meters of the orb or 30 meters of the killer join the split. Two players get 54% each, three get 36% each and four get 25% each, so sharing with one or two teammates slightly increases the total your team earns, per the wiki.
Hero kills are shared with anyone who dealt damage in the last 10 seconds. A solo kill pays the most per person, and each extra helper lowers everyone's share. Haunts split equally among allies who damaged them. The Mid-Boss is split equally across the whole team.
Are there comeback souls?
Yes. A team that is behind can earn up to 26% more from troopers, Haunts, Sinner's Sacrifices and objectives, and killing a hero far above your team's average net worth can pay up to 126.8% more. After 8:00, the two lowest net worth players on each team also receive a small passive trickle. These rules keep games from snowballing too fast.
What are haunted souls, and do you lose souls when you die?
Souls from Haunts, Sinner's Sacrifices and crates arrive as haunted souls. You can spend them right away, and they count toward leveling, but they are lost if you die before they convert. Every second, a portion of your haunted souls turns into secured souls, which you keep.
- Soul Bag: if you die holding at least 50 haunted souls plus 5 per minute of game time, they drop as a bag that any player can claim with a Heavy Melee. Bags vanish after 3 minutes.
- Below the threshold: the haunted souls are gone for good.
- Your level: you keep your current level, but you lose progress toward the next one.
Souls from troopers, kills and objectives are secured right away. The practical lesson is simple: after a big jungle run, play safe for a moment or spend at the shop before taking a risky fight.
How does the Soul Urn work?
The Soul Urn is a mid-game objective. Per the wiki Soul Urn page, it first spawns at 10 minutes and returns every 5 minutes. A melee hit picks it up, and the carrier must bring it to the drop-off on the opposite side of the map.
Delivering it pays 250 souls plus 70 per minute, fixed at the moment it spawns, and gives the courier four random permanent buffs. The carrier moves faster but cannot use ziplines or teleporters, and a stun or enemy melee hit makes them drop it. A trailing team's courier gets extra souls and extra resistances, which makes the urn a strong comeback tool.
What do you buy with souls?
Souls buy items from three categories: Weapon, Vitality and Spirit. Items come in four price tiers of 800, 1,600, 3,200 and 6,400 souls, per the wiki shop page. Each purchase also gives a bonus for its category: Weapon damage, Vitality health or Spirit power.
- Upgrades: buying an item that builds from a component costs only the difference.
- Selling: you get back half the souls spent, or a full refund if you sell before leaving the shop area after buying.
- Active items: you can hold up to four active items at a time.
- Shops: each base has a shop, each lane has a side shop that closes once that lane's Guardian falls, and two Secret Shops underground are open to both teams.
How do souls make your hero stronger?
Every hero levels at the same soul thresholds, per the wiki boon page. Each level grants a boon that raises base bullet damage, melee damage, spirit power and health, with growth rates that differ by hero. Boon levels cap at 35, reached at 49,200 souls.
- Ability unlocks: you unlock abilities at levels 0, 2 and 4, and your ultimate at level 7 (3,800 souls).
- Ability points: you earn 32 in total by level 35. Each ability has three upgrade tiers that cost 1, 2 and 5 points.
- Power spikes: your ultimate unlock and your first big item purchases are the moments your hero jumps in strength.
Spend your ability points as soon as you get them unless you are saving for a key tier. Tracking how fast you reach these thresholds is one of the best ways to measure your farm, and the rank goal planner can help you turn that into a climbing target.
See your own soul economy. Look up your account on the RankSurge Deadlock stats page to check net worth, souls per minute and item builds from your recent matches, then read Deadlock ranks explained to see where your farm can take you.
Frequently asked questions
How many souls do you start with in Deadlock?
Every player starts a Deadlock match with 600 souls, according to the community Deadlock Wiki. That is enough to buy one 800-soul item after a little early farming, and it also puts you at level 0, where your first ability is unlocked. From there, troopers, Haunts, crates, kills and objectives add to your total. Because souls are both currency and experience, spending them in the shop does not lower your level, so early farm pays off twice.
Do you lose souls when you die in Deadlock?
You only lose haunted souls, not secured ones. Souls from Haunts, Sinner's Sacrifices and crates arrive as haunted souls and slowly convert into secured souls each second. If you die before they convert, they are lost. If you were holding at least 50 haunted souls plus 5 per minute of game time, they drop as a Soul Bag that any player can claim with a Heavy Melee within 3 minutes. Souls from troopers, kills and objectives are secured right away.
What is a deny in Deadlock?
A deny is when you shoot an enemy trooper's floating soul orb before the enemy does. Enemy orbs glow orange, and denying one sends those souls to you and nearby allies instead of your opponent. Only the floating orb can be denied; the ground orb always goes to the side that earned it. Denies matter because they raise your income while lowering your lane opponent's, which is why trackers list them next to last hits.
How does the Soul Urn work in Deadlock?
The Soul Urn first spawns at 10 minutes and returns every 5 minutes, according to the Deadlock Wiki. A player picks it up with a melee hit and carries it to the drop-off on the opposite side of the map. Delivery pays 250 souls plus 70 per minute, fixed when it spawns, and grants the courier four random permanent buffs. The carrier cannot use ziplines or teleporters and drops the urn if stunned or hit by enemy melee. Trailing teams earn extra from it.
How much do Deadlock items cost?
Deadlock items come in four price tiers: 800, 1,600, 3,200 and 6,400 souls. They are split into Weapon, Vitality and Spirit categories, and every purchase also grants a bonus for its category, such as extra weapon damage, health or spirit power. Items that build from a component only cost the difference. Selling an item returns half its price, unless you sell before leaving the shop area right after buying, which gives a full refund.
When do you unlock your ultimate in Deadlock?
Your ultimate unlocks at level 7, which you reach at 3,800 total souls, per the Deadlock Wiki boon page. Your other abilities unlock at levels 0, 2 and 4. Levels keep rising with souls up to a boon cap of level 35 at 49,200 souls, and along the way you earn 32 ability points. Each ability has three upgrade tiers costing 1, 2 and 5 points, so you can fully upgrade all four abilities by the cap.
