Killjoy’s Lockdown won’t work on Iso if he pulls off this trick

TL;DR

  • Iso’s Kill Contract ultimate completely negates Killjoy’s Lockdown by teleporting him to a safe dimension
  • Perfect timing is critical – activate during Lockdown’s startup animation for maximum effectiveness
  • This strategy works best on Killjoy-favored maps like Ascent and Split during post-plant situations
  • Success requires winning the 1v1 duel in Iso’s dimension to make the play worthwhile
  • Consider ultimate economy – this is most valuable when Lockdown would otherwise guarantee round loss

WIN.gg

Facing Killjoy’s devastating Lockdown ultimate can feel hopeless, but Iso players now possess a secret weapon that turns the tables completely. This strategic counter requires precise execution but offers game-changing defensive capabilities when mastered properly.

Among Valorant’s diverse agent roster, Killjoy stands out as one of the most formidable sentinels due to her exceptional area denial capabilities. Her strategically placed gadgets force opponents to carefully consider every site entry, creating choke points that can shut down entire attacks. While the community has developed various methods to counter her standard utility, her Lockdown ultimate presents a unique challenge once activated, as it covers an enormous area and guarantees capture if not destroyed in time.

Recent discoveries reveal that Iso’s Kill Contract ability serves as the perfect defensive answer to Killjoy’s most powerful tool. This interaction provides Iso players with an escape route from what would otherwise be certain defeat, though it demands perfect timing and duel-winning capability to maximize its value.

Iso Valorant
Image via Riot Games

Mastering the Iso-Killjoy Ultimate Interaction

Iso’s Kill Contract represents one of Valorant’s most mechanically unique ultimates, completely bypassing conventional game rules. When activated, it transports both Iso and his targeted opponent to an isolated pocket dimension, creating a temporary 1v1 arena separated from the main battlefield. This dimensional shift provides complete immunity to all external effects, including Killjoy’s Lockdown detonation sequence.

The community-shared demonstration footage reveals the exact mechanics at work. As Killjoy’s Lockdown initiates its countdown and expands its capture field, Iso triggers Kill Contract precisely during the activation animation. This timing is crucial – the ultimate must be cast after Lockdown begins but before it completes its detention effect.

So you can counter killjoys ult with ISO (similar to omen)
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During the recorded play, Iso executed his ultimate at the perfect moment while positioned directly within Lockdown’s epicenter. The dimensional transfer removed both agents from the primary map, allowing Iso to safely wait out the entire Lockdown duration within his protected energy field. After eliminating his opponent in the private duel and the Lockdown timer expired, Iso returned to the main map completely unaffected by what should have been an inescapable situation.

This interaction works because Kill Contract’s dimensional separation creates a complete state change, removing Iso from all ongoing map effects. The ultimate essentially treats the main battlefield as a paused state while the duel occurs, making external abilities irrelevant during this timeframe.

Strategic application of this counter requires understanding optimal scenarios and timing windows. The most valuable situations occur on maps where Killjoy excels at locking down sites, particularly Ascent’s A site and Split’s B site, where her ultimate can cover nearly the entire planting area.

The ideal activation window falls between 0.5-1.5 seconds after hearing Lockdown’s activation sound cue. This gives you enough time to identify the ultimate’s location while still casting Kill Contract before the detention field becomes active. Waiting too long risks getting caught in the expanding field before your ultimate completes.

Post-plant situations represent the highest-value scenarios for this technique. When defending a planted spike against retake attempts, Killjoy’s Lockdown often guarantees round victory. Countering it with Iso’s ultimate not only saves you but maintains your team’s positional advantage after Lockdown expires.

However, this strategy carries significant risk that must be weighed carefully. Success depends entirely on winning the subsequent 1v1 duel against your targeted opponent. If you lose that engagement, you’ve wasted a valuable ultimate and sacrificed your position unnecessarily.

While the Lockdown counter represents Iso’s most dramatic interaction, his ultimate offers additional defensive applications that strategic players should master. Kill Contract can similarly dodge other high-impact abilities like Raze’s Showstopper, Sova’s Hunter’s Fury, or Brimstone’s Orbital Strike when timed perfectly.

Understanding ultimate economy becomes crucial when considering these plays. Using a valuable ultimate to avoid a single grenade or molotov represents poor resource management in most situations. However, countering game-winning ultimates like Lockdown provides exceptional value that can swing entire matches.

Advanced players should coordinate with teammates to maximize the impact of this technique. Having your team focus on destroying Lockdown while you handle the duel creates multiple win conditions. If they succeed in breaking the device, you preserve your ultimate for future rounds while still neutralizing the threat.

The community reaction highlights how this discovery has changed perceptions of Iso’s strategic value. Many players previously underestimated his ultimate’s defensive potential, viewing it primarily as a duel-forcing tool rather than a survival mechanism.

This powerful technique comes with important limitations that players must acknowledge. The most obvious risk involves losing the subsequent duel after committing your ultimate. This represents a catastrophic failure where you’ve wasted significant resources while accomplishing nothing.

Opportunity cost represents another critical consideration. Using Kill Contract defensively means forfeiting its offensive potential to secure key picks or create advantageous engagements.

Common execution mistakes include poor target selection, mistimed activation, and inadequate duel preparation. Always target opponents you’re confident you can defeat, ensure you have proper weapons and abilities ready for the duel, and practice the timing against Lockdown in custom games to build muscle memory.

For players looking to expand their tactical knowledge, our Complete Guide offers comprehensive strategic frameworks applicable across multiple game contexts. Understanding when to deploy high-value abilities separates intermediate players from true strategic masters.

Iso Valorant
Image via Riot Games

Action Checklist

  • Listen for Lockdown’s distinct activation sound cue to identify timing window
  • Position yourself within Lockdown’s radius but near cover for post-return safety
  • Activate Kill Contract 0.5-1.5 seconds after Lockdown starts
  • Select duel opponent carefully – prioritize vulnerable or isolated targets
  • Win the 1v1 engagement using your prepared weapons and abilities
  • Return to main map and reassess positioning relative to remaining enemies

No reproduction without permission:Games Guides Website » Killjoy’s Lockdown won’t work on Iso if he pulls off this trick Master Iso's ultimate counter to Killjoy's Lockdown with strategic timing and positioning tactics