Stalker

weapon · Tier 2 · 1,600 souls passive Verified

Previously called Backstabber. Guides using the old name are out of date.

What it does

Rewards fighting up close: doing bullet or melee damage within a short range builds a damage and lifesteal bonus. Since March 2026 it no longer cares about the angle you attack from.

Numbers: procs on bullet or melee damage within 8m (Mar 6 2026 rework)

Buy it when

Buy on close-range duelists and flankers who commit into melee range.

Skip it when

Avoid on long-range heroes; old guides that tell you to attack from behind are describing the pre-March-2026 version.

Gotchas

The mechanics people most often get wrong about this item.

No longer procs from attack angle — since 6 Mar 2026 it triggers on bullet or melee damage within 8m

Problems it answers

Dive onto the backline — “They jump straight past the frontline onto me.”
Unkillable frontline — “I cannot kill their tank.”

Heroes that make this worth a slot

Heroes whose kit creates the problems Stalker answers. This is derived from kit properties, not from measured build results.