Getting Started

Once you have Deadlock Mod Manager installed, this guide will walk you through the essential steps to start managing your Deadlock mods effectively.

First Time Setup

Automatic Game Detection

When you first launch Deadlock Mod Manager, it will attempt to automatically detect your Deadlock installation:

1. Launch the application from your desktop or applications menu
2. Wait for automatic detection - the app scans common Steam installation directories
3. Verify detection - if successful, you'll see a "Game Ready" in the bottom status bar

Initial Settings Review

Before you start installing mods, review these essential settings:

Game Settings

Deadlock uses a configuration file called gameinfo.gi to control which game files are loaded. This file is essential for mod support, as it allows the game to load custom content from additional directories. The mod manager automatically handles this configuration file, which is stored in your Deadlock installation folder. When you first install the mod manager, you'll see a "Vanilla" status - indicating you have the original, unmodified game files.

If you've made manual changes to gameinfo.gi previously, we recommend following these steps:

1. Create a backup of your existing file
2. Use Steam's "Verify Game Files" feature to restore the original configuration
3. Allow the mod manager to handle all future modifications automatically

P.S. The mod manager will only modify the gameinfo.gi file after you Launch Modded for the first time.

Already Have Mods Installed?

If you've previously installed mods manually without using the mod manager, you can easily import them into the mod manager to take advantage of proper mod management features.

Preparing Your Installation

Before importing your existing mods, it's important to restore your game to a clean state:

1. Backup your current gameinfo.gi file (located in your Deadlock installation directory)
2. Use Steam's "Verify Game Files" feature to restore the original gameinfo.gi
3. Restart the mod manager to ensure it detects the clean installation

Import Your Existing Mods

Once your gameinfo is restored, you can import your manually installed mods:

1. Navigate to the "My Mods" tab
2. Click the "Analyze Local Addons" button - this scans your addons folder for existing mods
3. Review detected mods - the mod manager will identify compatible mods in your installation
4. Enable imported mods as needed using the mod manager's interface

The Analyze Local Addons feature will detect VPK files and other mod files in your Deadlock addons directory and attempt to match them with mods in the database. Successfully matched mods will appear in your My Mods list and can be managed normally.

Understanding the Interface

Main Navigation

The application is organized into four main sections:

1. Mods - Browse and discover available mods
2. My Mods - Manage your installed mods
3. Downloads - Monitor download progress and history
4. Settings - Configure application preferences

Mods Browser

The Mods section is your gateway to discovering new content:

• Search bar: Find mods by name, author, or description
• Filter options: Sort by downloads, date, rating, or category. Filters support two modes: include and exclude. There are also quick filters for audio mods, outdated mods, and NSFW content.
• Mod cards: Each mod shows preview images, description, and key information
• Install buttons: One-click installation for any mod

Individual Mod Pages

Click on any mod to view detailed information:

• Info Card: Basic information about the mod (name, author, category, downloads, rating, etc.)
• Description: Detailed information about what the mod does (the quality of the description is not guaranteed, only a few authors take time to write a good description)
• Files: Files that will be installed by the mod (some mods have multiple variants, so you can choose which one to install)
• Installation info: File size, version, and update history
• Gallery: Gallery of screenshots and videos
• Audio: Audio preview of the mod

Installing Your First Mod

Step-by-Step Installation

1. Browse available mods in the Mods tab
2. Find a mod you want to install using search or browsing
3. Click on the mod to view its details page
4. Review the mod information including screenshots and description
5. Click the "Download Mod" button to begin the download (you can also click the "+" to download the mod without opening the mod page)

6. After the mod is download, it's disabled by default, you can enable it by clicking the "Enable Mod" button.

Monitoring Downloads

Switch to the Downloads tab to monitor progress:

• Active downloads: See real-time progress bars
• Download speed: Monitor network usage

Verifying Installation

After installation completes:

1. Check the "My Mods" tab to see your installed mods

2. Verify mod status - installed mods are indicated by a checkmark "✓"

3. Mods that are downloaded but not enabled have a "⬇️" icon and their image is grayed out.

4. Launch Deadlock to test the mod in-game by clicking the "Launch Modded" button.

Managing Your Mods

My Mods Overview

The My Mods section provides comprehensive mod management:

• Installed mods list: All your currently installed mods
• Enable/Disable toggles: Quickly activate or deactivate mods
• Uninstall options: Remove mods you no longer want

Enable/Disable Mods

You can control which mods are active without uninstalling them:

1. Navigate to My Mods
2. Find the mod you want to toggle
3. Click the mod button below the mod name (the button will change to "Disable Mod" if the mod is enabled). A handy tooltip will appear to help you.
4. Changes take effect immediately (no game restart required)

Changing Load Order

Since version 0.9.0, Deadlock Mod Manager supports customizing the load order of your installed mods, this is particularly useful if you install mods that might conflict with each other (Icon set mods for example).

1. Navigate to My Mods
2. Click the double arrow icon next to the Analyze Local Addons button
3. Drag and drop the mods to change the load order.
4. Hit the "Save" button to save the new load order.

Mod ordering works by changing the numbering of the VPK files in the addons folder.

Updating Mods

We currently do not have a way to update mods. We are working on it. But in the meantime, you can manually update by removing the mod and adding it again, we recommend doint it on the mod page so you don't have to search for it again.

Uninstalling Mods

To remove mods you no longer want:

1. Go to My Mods
2. Find the mod you want to remove
3. Click the "Uninstall" button (usually represented by a trash icon)
4. Confirm the removal when prompted
5. Files are safely removed from your Deadlock installation

Best Practices

Mod Organization

• Read descriptions carefully before installing mods
• Check compatibility there are a lot of outdated mods out there, and new game updates almost always break old mods.
• Start with popular mods that have good community ratings
• Install one mod at a time to test stability

Performance Considerations

• Monitor game performance after installing multiple mods
• Disable unused mods rather than keeping them all active
• Regular maintenance - periodically review and clean up your mod collection
• Keep mods updated to ensure compatibility with game updates

Troubleshooting Tips

• If a mod isn't working, try disabling and re-enabling it
• Check mod compatibility with your current Deadlock version
• Restart the game after installing or updating mods
• Contact mod authors through the community for mod-specific issues

What's Next?

Now that you're familiar with the basics:

Getting Help

If you run into issues or have questions:

• Check the Troubleshooting guide for common solutions
• Visit our Discord for community support: Discord Server
• Report bugs on GitHub Issues
• Browse the FAQ for quick answers to common questions