We are a team focused on building game data and analytics tools.
Over the past year, we have been closely following the development of Deadlock. As a competitive game that combines third-person shooting, MOBA-style hero progression, item economies, vertical mobility, and team-based macro strategy, Deadlock has a level of complexity that immediately caught our attention.
As we spent more time playing and analyzing the game, we began to see something beyond the gameplay itself.
Deadlock is also becoming a game where data can play a major role.
That was the reason we decided to build a tool of our own.
This is PogPog.（https://lock.pogpog.gg）
Why Did We Start Building PogPog?
We did not originally set out to build a large, all-in-one gaming data platform.
We simply wanted to solve some of the problems we experienced ourselves while playing Deadlock.
Which heroes are actually strong after the latest patch?
What builds are currently working?
How should skills be leveled?
Is my MMR really improving?
What went wrong in a match that we lost?
How am I performing compared with my friends?
These questions sound simple, but as the number of matches increases and the meta changes faster, it becomes difficult to answer them through in-game information or personal experience alone.
So we began collecting match data, organizing hero and item information, and building our own analytical systems.
As development progressed, we realized that the problem was much more interesting than we initially expected.
The competitive environment in Deadlock is constantly changing.
From a Developer's Perspective, Deadlock Is Becoming a Data-Driven Competitive Game
One of the things we find most interesting about Deadlock is how many different factors influence the outcome of a match.
Mechanical skill is obviously important, but so are hero selection, item progression, skill upgrades, economy, lane performance, map resources, team coordination, and the overall pace of the game.
This means that players do not simply need a basic “win rate leaderboard.”
They need data that helps them understand the game.
For example:
Which hero is strong right now?
That is only the first question.
The next questions are:
Why is that hero strong?
Which builds are actually effective?
When should core items be purchased?
Do different skill levels produce different results?
Is the trend specific to the current patch, or is it something more fundamental?
When we started designing PogPog around these questions, we gradually realized that the real value of a third-party tool is not simply displaying data.
The goal is to turn data into information that players can actually understand and use.
We Don't Want PogPog to Be Just Another Stats Website
PogPog started with statistics, but as development continued, we began designing it around the player's entire match lifecycle.
Before a match, players can explore hero statistics, the current meta, win rates, pick rates, builds, and skill paths.
During a match, we want the tool to provide useful assistance without getting in the way of normal gameplay.
After a match, players can review their performance, track MMR changes, and identify patterns in their long-term gameplay.
We also added friend statistics, weekly reports, and automated highlights to make the experience more complete.
From a product perspective, we are trying to build a continuous loop:
Pre-Match → In-Match → Post-Match
In other words:
Preparation → Assistance → Review
Why Are We So Focused on Real-Time Data?
Deadlock changes quickly.
When heroes, items, or game systems are adjusted, strategies that were effective yesterday can become much less effective after a new update.
This is one reason we believe static guides are gradually becoming less sufficient on their own.
A guide written several months ago may have been excellent at the time, but if the competitive environment has changed, some of its recommendations may no longer apply.
Third-party data tools have an important advantage here: they can continuously update.
We do not want PogPog to simply tell players:
“This hero is good.”
We want it to continuously help answer:
What is changing?
What is getting stronger?
What is becoming weaker?
What are players actually using?
Are these changes creating a new meta?
That is also why we continue investing in the data infrastructure behind PogPog.
AI Could Become the Next Major Step
During development, we became increasingly aware of another problem:
Data is growing faster, but players do not have more time to analyze it.
A sophisticated statistics platform might contain detailed information about win rates, pick rates, builds, item timings, match trends, and player history.
But having the data does not automatically mean players know how to interpret it.
This is where we believe AI can make a difference.
We want future gaming tools to do more than display information. They should also help players understand it.
For example, instead of simply telling a player:
“One of your recent performance metrics is below average.”
A more useful system might be able to explain:
“Your biggest weakness appears to be mid-game conversion. You are gaining early advantages, but not consistently turning them into objectives, economy, and item progression.”
There is a large gap between data and understanding.
We want PogPog to help close that gap.
Game Data Isn't Only About Competition
During the development of PogPog, we also discovered something interesting.
Players do not always look at their statistics because they want to become better players.
Sometimes, they simply want to compare themselves with their friends.
Who has improved the most this week?
Who has the highest win rate?
Who plays a certain hero the most?
Who suddenly started using a completely different build?
Game data has a strong social dimension.
That is why we introduced features such as friend statistics, weekly reports, and automated highlights.
We want data to do more than help players win.
We also want it to make the game more fun — something players can share, discuss, compare, and enjoy with their friends.
How Do We See the Future of Deadlock as Developers?
We do not know exactly what Deadlock will become.
But as a team developing third-party tools around the game, we can clearly see one trend:
As the game becomes more complex, the ecosystem around the game will become increasingly important as well.
We expect to see more specialized tools in the future:
Statistics platforms, hero and build databases, match analysis systems, real-time overlays, AI coaches, esports analytics, content creation tools, and community services.
These tools do not necessarily compete with the game itself.
They can become part of the ecosystem around it.
The game provides the core experience, while third-party developers can provide additional ways for players to understand, analyze, and engage with that experience.
We believe this is also one of the signs of a competitive game becoming more mature.
Where Is PogPog Today?
PogPog is currently in open beta.
We are continuously improving hero data, builds, player statistics, MMR tracking, match analysis, friend comparisons, automated highlights, and AI-assisted features, with a global launch planned for September 2026.
At this stage, what we want most is not simply more users.
We want real feedback from real players.
Which features are genuinely useful?
Which statistics still need improvement?
What feels too complicated?
What else do Deadlock players actually need?
As developers, we want to continue building the product together with the community.
If You're a Deadlock Player
We would love for you to try PogPog yourself.
The platform is currently in open beta, and most core features are available for free.
You can use PogPog to explore hero statistics, the current meta, builds, personal match history, MMR progression, and other competitive data. You can also try our match analysis and assistance features.
PogPog：https://lock.pogpog.gg
A third-party Deadlock data and analytics tool built by developers who enjoy exploring the game just as much as its players do.
Deadlock
A competitive game that is still evolving — and one that we hope to be a small part of as its ecosystem continues to grow.
If you're interested, come take a look and let us know what you think.
**We are still building.
And this may only be the beginning.**
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