Soul Urn guide: when to take it, run it and stop it
When the Soul Urn spawns, who should carry it, how to deliver it before its bounty drains, and how to knock it out of the runner's hands.
Updated · Patch Nov 4, 2026
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How the Soul Urn works
The Soul Urn spawns at 10:00 and every five minutes after. Pick it up at one end of the map, carry it to the drop-off at the other, and the runner earns 250 souls plus 70 per minute of game time, along with four permanent buffs.
This is the version from the June 30, 2026 patch, which made the Urn its own objective again and moved the king-of-the-hill fight into the separate Unstable Rift. Valve rebuilt the Urn several times in May and June 2026, so anything written before that is out of date.
When and where the Urn spawns
After 10:00 it comes back at 15:00, 20:00, 25:00 and so on. It always spawns at one end of the map and gets delivered at the opposite end, so every run means crossing the map.
Leave it alone for three minutes and the Urn starts walking very slowly toward the drop-off on its own. Don't wait for that. Whoever picks it up first chooses the route.
Picking it up and carrying it
Melee the Urn to pick it up. Light or heavy both work, and there's no channel. After that you can't drop it on purpose: it only leaves your hands when you're hit by a light or heavy melee, stunned or killed, and it stays on the ground where it fell.
The runner gets +2m move speed and +25% stamina recovery, but can't parry, and can't go through a Doorway from The Doorman or teleport with Mirage's Traveler without dropping it. You're not shown on the minimap any more, but the Urn talks every six seconds, loud enough for anyone nearby to hear.
If your team is behind on net worth, the runner also gets more sprint speed plus bonus Bullet Resist and Spirit Resist. These grow the further behind you are and reach full value at 15% behind.
- Pick up the Urn with a light melee. It's faster than a heavy.
- Keep a dash for when an enemy closes to melee range. You can't parry, so distance is your only defence.
When to take the Urn
Take it when the enemy can't reach the route in time: right after a won fight, while two or more of them are dead, or when the minimap shows most of them on the far side. Walking away from a fair fight to start a run hands the enemy a free pick on your runner.
Later on, the Urn competes with Walkers, Shrines and the Mid-Boss for the same window, and the structure usually wins because it pays everyone and can't be stolen. Run the Urn when the map is quiet, or when you're behind and the comeback bonuses make the runner hard to stop.
Who should carry it
Only the runner gets the bounty, unless a teammate collects some of the orbs at the drop-off, in which case they split it. So give it to the player you want richer, as long as they'll survive the trip. Mobile heroes with extra stamina make the best runners. A frontliner with a lot of health is fine if the route is short and the team escorts.
Don't hand it to someone already far ahead with nobody covering them. If they get caught, the enemy gets a kill on your richest hero and the Urn as well.
Deliver it before the bounty drains
The bounty starts draining 45 seconds after pickup and empties over the next 45, and when it hits zero the Urn is gone. That gives you 45 seconds for the full payout and 90 for anything at all, so a long detour around one enemy can cost more than fighting them would have.
At the drop-off the Urn deposits instantly, the runner gets the four permanent buffs, and the souls burst into the air as orbs. Have a teammate there to grab orbs, because enemies at the drop-off can still contest them.
- Send one teammate ahead to scout the drop-off.
- Escort from the side, not behind. You want to be between the runner and whoever is chasing.
How to stop the Urn
Melee the runner. They can't parry, so a single light melee knocks the Urn out of their hands every time, and so does any stun or a kill. Those are the only three ways, so slows and silences won't do it.
Once it's on the ground anyone can melee it up, so a stop turns into a scramble. Be the one standing next to the Urn, not the one who threw the stun from 30m away.
Listen for the Urn talking, and watch the routes between its spawn and the drop-off. Stuns with no delay are the safest answer. Knockdown works, but it lands 2 seconds after the cast, and a runner who sees it coming can get round a corner first.
- Cut the runner off near the drop-off. Chasing from behind rarely works.
- If you can't catch the runner, stand at the drop-off and contest the orbs.
Common Urn mistakes
- Running it alone past a lane you haven't seen the enemy leave. Most runs end at a corner someone was waiting behind.
- Chasing the runner with your gun. Bullets only drop the Urn if they kill the runner, while one melee drops it straight away.
- Leaving the drop-off empty when you're defending. Contesting the orbs there is your last chance.
- Taking the Urn while one of your Walkers is under attack. The Urn pays one player, and losing the Walker gives the enemy team a flex slot.
Soul Urn and the Unstable Rift
The Unstable Rift isn't part of the Urn any more. It runs on its own timer, roughly every seven minutes, with a global warning 20 seconds before it starts, and plays like king of the hill. The objectives guide covers it alongside the Walkers, Shrines and Mid-Boss. If the Rift and the Urn come up at the same time, split your team or pick one and commit.