Fariha Bhatti 
Deadlock borrowed a feature from its MOBA cousin Dota 2 by introducing a pause function, but Valve also implemented a pause system that can get players banned.
In competitive online games, pausing is often not an option, and even when it is, it usually comes with significant restrictions. For instance, in Counter-Strike 2 a timeout requires a majority vote from players. That’s not the case in Valve’s Deadlock. Like Dota 2, Deadlock allows players to take a breather during competitive games and provides plenty of time to wait for a disconnected teammate to return. Each pause lasts 20 seconds and is available for all 12 teammates.
In theory, it sounds like an excellent feature, but Deadlock players have been misusing the pause. Valve is taking swift and serious action in response to curb this abuse.
Players are frustrated with the abuse of the pause feature by trolls, who exploit the lack of limitations to repeatedly pause the game.
Can you get banned for pausing in Deadlock?
Deadlock players who excessively pause games aren’t automatically banned, but a teammate can report them at the end of the match, leading to a ban.
If there are enough reports, Valve may even issue a permanent ban. Some players claim to have received a hardware ban, but this can’t be independently confirmed. The pause feature, available to all, should only be used when absolutely necessary. Streamers like ohnepixel and others are already having too much fun with the new feature, and that impacts every player on the server. Using it multiple times in a single game can have consequences.
It’s uncertain if this feature will remain upon official launch, but players suggest crucial tweaks to prevent abuse, such as strict cooldowns and a limited number of pauses being made available per player.
How to pause a Deadlock game
To pause a Deadlock game, simply press the P key.
If a teammate pauses the match, players can unpause it by pressing the same key. Triggering a pause brings the game to a standstill, immobilizing all heroes, including those on the opponents’ team, for 20 seconds.
The pause will automatically lift after the set duration unless a player chooses to unpause early by pressing P. The global pause has no limitations right now, but Valve may introduce some additional structure to the feature to prevent trolls abusing it.
