Deadlock Rich Presence Setup Guide

How to install and configure Deadlock Discord Rich Presence on Windows and Linux.

Prerequisites

Check these before starting

Discord

Discord must be running before you launch Deadlock RPC. Rich Presence communicates via local IPC; Discord needs to be open first.

Steam and Deadlock

Steam must be installed and Deadlock must be in your library. Deadlock RPC locates Deadlock through the Steam registry automatically.

Windows or Linux x86_64

Pre-built binaries are provided for 64-bit Windows and Linux. Other platforms require building from source.

Installation

Download the latest release

Go to the Download page and grab the zip for your platform.

Windows: deadlock-rpc-setup-windows-x86_64.zip
Linux: deadlock-rpc-setup-linux-x86_64.zip

Extract to a permanent location

Extract the zip to a folder you want to keep it in (the executable writes logs to a logs/ subdirectory within that folder).

Good locations: C:\Games\deadlock-rpc\ or ~/apps/deadlock-rpc/

Open Discord

Make sure Discord is running. Deadlock RPC connects to Discord via its local IPC socket on startup; if Discord is not open, the presence won't appear.

Run Deadlock RPC

Windows: double-click deadlock-rpc.exe. If Windows SmartScreen appears, click More info, then Run anyway.

Linux: make the binary executable, then run it:

chmod +x deadlock-rpc
./deadlock-rpc

Play Deadlock

Deadlock RPC launches Deadlock automatically with the -condebug flag, which causes the game to write its internal log to a file. The app monitors that file and pushes updates to Discord whenever your hero, match state, or game phase changes.

From now on, use the Deadlock RPC shortcut (included in the zip) instead of launching Deadlock directly.

Tip: Add deadlock-rpc.exe as a non-Steam game in your Steam library to launch it from your library. See Steam's guide.

Configuration

All settings live in config.toml next to the executable. Edit with any text editor. Changes take effect on the next launch.

General settings

Key	Default	Description
`general.launch_game_on_start`	`true`	Launch Deadlock automatically when Deadlock RPC starts
`general.exit_when_game_closes`	`true`	Exit Deadlock RPC when Deadlock closes
`general.game_log_poll_interval_ms`	`500`	How often (ms) to check the game log for changes
`general.discord_update_interval_s`	`5`	How often (seconds) to refresh your Discord presence card

Presence settings

Key	Default	Description
`presence.show_elapsed_timer`	`true`	Show the elapsed time counter on the presence card
`presence.show_hero_image`	`true`	Show your hero's portrait on the presence card
`presence.hero_portrait_style`	`"normal"`	Portrait art style: `"normal"`, `"gloat"`, or `"critical"`
`presence.show_statlocker_button`	`false`	Add a "View on Statlocker" button linking to your match history
`presence.details_with_hero`	`"Playing as {hero}"`	Top line of the presence card when a hero is known
`presence.details_without_hero`	`"{phase}"`	Top line of the presence card when no hero is selected

Example configurations

Minimal presence, no hero name, no timer:

[presence]
show_elapsed_timer = false
details_with_hero  = "Playing Deadlock"
details_without_hero = "Playing Deadlock"

Gloat portrait style with Statlocker button:

[presence]
hero_portrait_style = "gloat"
show_statlocker_button = true

Custom status text per game phase:

[presence.status]
in_match       = "Grinding {mode}"
in_matchmaking = "Waiting for a game..."
in_hideout     = "Chilling in the Hideout"

If your config file is corrupted or causes issues, delete it and launch Deadlock RPC again to regenerate it with all defaults.

Template variables

Use these in any presence text string

Variable	Available in	Example value
`{hero}`	`details_with_hero`, `in_hideout`	Vindicta
`{phase}`	`details_without_hero`	Post Match
`{mode}`	`loading_into_match`, `in_match`	Standard Match
`{location}`	`in_match`	the Cursed Apple

Troubleshooting

Discord presence is not showing

Make sure Discord is open before starting Deadlock RPC. Rich Presence must also be enabled: open Discord, go to Settings, then Activity Privacy, and make sure "Share your activity with others" is on.

Hero image is not updating

Hero detection relies on the game log. Make sure Deadlock was launched through Deadlock RPC, not directly. The app passes -condebug to Deadlock on launch; without this flag, no log file is written and hero detection does not work.

Deadlock RPC can't find the game

Deadlock RPC locates Deadlock through the Steam installation registry. Make sure Steam is installed and Deadlock is in your library. If you moved your Steam installation, relaunch Steam to refresh the registry entries.

The config file is missing

The config file is generated on first launch. Run Deadlock RPC once and it will create config.toml with all defaults. If it's still missing, check that the executable has write access to its own directory.

Still have questions?

The FAQ covers VAC safety, Linux support, portrait styles, and more.

Read the FAQ Open a GitHub Issue