Patron

Each team protects a Patron, an extraplanar deity at the back of its base. Destroying the enemy Patron completes the ritual and wins the match. The Hidden King appears as an antlered shadow bound to a burning wicker effigy in a factory amid the red-brick Downtown district. The Archmother wears a broken Statue of Liberty-like mask and is bound to a blue-burning crystalline effigy in a neoclassical museum amid Uptown’s white-brick buildings. Heralds speak to teams, announce events and offer level-up boons.

First phase

Both Shrines must be destroyed before the Patron can be killed. Its laser deals 440 plus 5% HP spirit damage per second to heroes and troopers, reduces their bullet and spirit resistance by 10%, and leaves burning ground. Shrine Defense creates an explosion on a shrine platform after 3.5 seconds, dealing 300 plus 20% HP spirit damage and cursing enemies caught in it.

When the first half of the health bar is depleted, the Patron briefly becomes invulnerable, collapses into its structure and reforms as an orb in the pit. Defeating the first phase reduces the remaining respawn time of dead defenders by up to 20 seconds. Out of combat the Patron regenerates 120 health/s; Backdoor Protection adds 75 health/s when no enemy troopers are nearby.

Weakened Patron

The orb is vulnerable only to attacks from inside the pit. The Hidden King’s form resembles cracked, burning wood; the Archmother’s is a blue crystal surrounded by face-like shards. It emits a pulse of 75 damage per second to up to three enemies within 19 m. Its pit explosion takes 3.5 seconds to trigger, deals 300 plus 20% HP damage, curses enemies and has a 15-second cooldown. The source lists 25 m in the weakened infobox but 19 m for the pulse specifically.

One defender in the pit for more than two seconds gives it 50% damage resistance; two or more give it 100%. The December 17, 2025 update says defenders must remain in the pit at least two seconds for the reduction to take effect.

Ability damage to objectives

Lore

The Patrons are elder gods from another plane. Other Patrons exist, but only the Hidden King and Archmother are currently attempting to enter the world. Their motives are unclear. The Doorman says they have waited centuries; Warden’s family believes their arrival threatens humanity. Lionel McLusky previously attempted to summon them, apparently without widespread knowledge.

The announcers generally speak as heralds distinct from the Patrons, though captions label the voices with the Patrons’ names and one line is ambiguous. Heralds know much about heroes’ thoughts but do not know all their wishes. Each participating hero is promised a wish or boon, while the extent of Patron power and the winner’s intentions remain unclear. The Doorman knows the Patrons and may be one himself; some characters say he should have remained impartial. Patrons also lead teams in Street Brawl.

Possible endings of The Binding of Oathkeeper show the Hidden King revealing Oathkeeper’s origin in the Tome; binding Oathkeeper back while preserving Lady Geist’s youth; trading Johann Jr.’s sacrifice for 200 years of obedience; accepting Geist’s sacrifice to banish Oathkeeper; or removing Oathkeeper safely while restoring Geist to her natural age.

Removed newscaster lines described contact as unprecedented in known history and formerly impossible and forbidden, and suggested the Amber Hand and Sapphire Flame orders had changed from safeguarding humanity to different aims. This is removed material, not necessarily current lore.

The Patrons were previously named Amber Hand and Sapphire Flame, and the game originally used the Patrons themselves as announcers. Broken Crown and Guided Hand were other proposed names. In Neon Prime they were Titans and their weakened forms Cores; game files still use Titan. Patron damage is labeled “Condemned by the Patron” in damage reports. Debra Wilson voices the Archmother and Darin De Paul the Hidden King.

Update history

Sources and editorial notes

Adapted from Patron, revision 210289, by Deadlock Wiki contributors; checked 2026-11-01. Source-derived content is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Model viewers, gallery, speculative translations of the old model inscription and dialogue omitted.