Mod managers compared

Beginner

A mod manager installs the mods you already have, edits gameinfo.gi for you, and fixes your setup after game updates. Two managers are worth your time: Deadlock Mod Manager (DMM) and Grimoire. We recommend DMM.

Deadlock Mod Manager|

Imports your mods, sets the load order, and reapplies them after updates. Windows and Linux.

Recommended Grimoire|

A smaller manager with a per-hero skin picker. Windows and Linux.

Alternative

What you need

Our pick: Deadlock Mod Manager

Why DMM:

• It manages the mods you have. Import a .vpk or archive, set the load order, and turn mods on or off. After a game update, it reapplies them.
• Most players use it. It has far more downloads and Discord members than Grimoire. See the numbers below.
• An active team. More than 30 people have worked on it. It updates its copy of gameinfo.gi within a day of each game update.
• Open source and well documented. The code is public under GPL-3.0, and the DMM docs cover install, load order, and fixes.
• No lock-in. DMM and Grimoire can each import the other's mods.

What to know before you install:

• The last stable version came out on August 1, 2026. A rebuilt V2 is in testing.
• Antivirus apps sometimes flag DMM after an update. The developer says these are false alarms. Download it only from the official site.
• Some players report freezes or crashes on start with the current stable version.
• The developer calls Linux support "best effort".

Looking for Celestial? Divine's launcher will support Deadlock mods later. It does not install them yet.

Grimoire, the alternative

Grimoire launched in January 2026. One main developer builds it, and a new version comes out every few days.

What it does well:

• Locker: pick which skin each hero wears, with a live 3D preview.
• Conflict checks file by file, so you see exactly which mods clash.
• Snapshots to undo changes, and a built-in tool to merge mods into one VPK.
• No telemetry, its developer says.

Its limits:

• The Windows installer is not code-signed yet, so Windows may show a SmartScreen warning. Each GitHub release includes a checksum file (SHA256SUMS) to check your download.
• Its developer says Grimoire was made with AI assistance.

Get Grimoire only from grimoiremods.com or its GitHub page.

Side by side

Numbers checked on October 14, 2026.

Features compared

Privacy settings

DMM has a feature called Match Data Sharing. It fetches your own match data. To do that, it reads your Steam login token from a file on your PC.

1. Open DMM.
2. Open SettingsPrivacySettings, then Privacy.
3. Turn off Match Data Sharing if you do not want it.

DMM also collects anonymous usage data. Its setup wizard asks whether you want to share it.

Grimoire says it sends no telemetry.

Use one manager only

To switch without losing your mods:

1. Close Deadlock.
2. Install the new manager and import your mods from the old one. Both managers find the other one's mods.
3. Uninstall the old manager.

Switch managers or uninstall has the exact menu names.

Test your own mods in a manager

If you play with a manager, add your test builds through it too. Then it keeps track of every file in your addons folder.

• Add a local file. DMM imports a .vpk, .zip, .rar, or .7z. Grimoire takes a VPK by drag and drop.
• Zip it right. If you zip a test build, put the .vpk at the top of the zip, not inside a folder.
• Swap builds fast. DMM has a developer mode that swaps an installed mod's VPK for your new build. Its developer showed it in May 2026, so the menu may look different now.
• Keep one number. Give your work-in-progress the same pak number every time. Test your mod in game explains why.

Lookalikes and tools to skip

• deadlockmodmanager.com is not DMM's site. It is an unofficial lookalike that links to an old build. The real sites are deadlockmods.app and deadlockmods.com.
• GitHub repos named deadlock-mod-manager-mods are fakes. They copy DMM's name and hold no code.
• Several brand-new managers appeared on GitHub in October 2026. They have no users or track record yet. Wait until they prove themselves.
• You do not need a separate gameinfo.gi patcher. Both managers, and the manual edit, already do that job.

What's allowed and how to stay safe lists more fakes to avoid.

Common problems

Most manager problems come from a read-only file, an antivirus alert, or a game update that reset gameinfo.gi. See Deadlock Mod Manager problems.

Next steps

Install mods with Deadlock Mod Manager

Beginner

Set up DMM, import your mods, and set the load order.

Credits

This guide is based on the work of these creators. Check out their original guides and tools.

• Guide: Getting Started, Mods Library, and Settings and Recovery from the Deadlock Mod Manager docs.
• Guide: Installing mods and Load order from the Grimoire docs by Slush97.
• Video: Deadlock Mod Manager - 1.0.0 update! by Stormix_dev.
• Tool: Deadlock Mod Manager by Stormix and contributors.
• Tool: Grimoire by Slush97.

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