Summary

  • Deadlock rose to popularity on Steam through an unconventional alpha test method, sparking interest on social media.
  • Despite minimal information, Deadlock garnered tens of thousands of players and peaked as the 12th most played game on Steam.
  • Developed by Valve with ties to Dota, Deadlock features a diverse roster of characters in a 6-vs-6 hero shooter setting.

Valve’s recently revealed MOBA game, titled Deadlock, became one of the most popular games on Steam over the weekend, surprising very few. Even while still unannounced, Deadlock was a common topic on social media, thanks to its rather unorthodox method for gaining alpha test players, which made it inevitable that the game would not be secret for long.

In May, Valve made its upcoming game available to play testers, but the only way to get into the Deadlock alpha was by receiving an invite from somebody who was already in it. This led to several threads being created on Valve’s official Reddit page and Discord for people to exchange Steam ID numbers. The unannounced title amassed tens of thousands of players, with Deadlock surpassing even Helldivers 2’s numbers.

A screenshot from Deadlock overlayed with the game's logo
Deadlock Players Are Already Encountering Cheaters

Valve's newly revealed Deadlock is already experiencing issues with in-game cheaters, according to reports from the game's closed beta.

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Valve lifted the embargo on Deadlock alpha players on August 23, allowing details of the game to be openly discussed and screenshots, videos, and guides shared online. Since then, the game has performed exceedingly well on Steam. While it currently sits at a modest 26,000 players, over the weekend, the now highly anticipated game hit 89,203 peak players and became the 12th most played game on the platform, falling just below the likes of Call of Duty, Apex Legends, and Grand Theft Auto 5.

Deadlock's Player Numbers on Steam Climb the Charts

This is particularly noteworthy because, even though Deadlock now officially exists, very little is known about the game. It is riding primarily on the tailwinds of Valve’s reputation as a top tier game developer. Deadlock’s Steam page is about as barren as they come, with its description stating vaguely that it’s “a multiplayer game in early development” with lots of “temporary art and experimental gameplay.” The product page doesn’t even provide PC requirements, besides specifying that it requires a 64-bit processor and OS to play.

Despite this, there are a few details that were leaked about the 6-vs-6 hero shooter over the past few months and have since been confirmed. Deadlock was initially meant to be a Dota spinoff called Neon Prime and was being developed by that game’s lead designer, an individual called IceFrog. Though Deadlock’s Steam page lists the developer as Valve, IceFrog is still generally believed to be part of the team working on the company's newest title, and according to play testers, the game plays similarly to Dota.

Deadlock will reportedly also feature a roster of 19 diverse characters, which were leaked prior to the embargo lifting. These will fill the expected range of roles required for a well-rounded MOBA, including a healer with crowd control named Kelvin; a warrior called Lash; Grey Talon, who wields a bow and sets traps; and an assassin known as Infernus who can use fire and DoTs.

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Deadlock Tag Page Cover Art

Deadlock
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Shooter
MOBA
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Systems
PC-1
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Developer(s)
Valve
Publisher(s)
Valve
Engine
Source2
Multiplayer
Online Multiplayer
Steam Deck Compatibility
Unknown
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WHERE TO PLAY

DIGITAL
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Deadlock is an upcoming game from Valve which seemingly combines elements of the MOBA and hero shooter genres. As it is still in early development, gameplay and assets may be incomplete. Access is granted via friend invites.

Platform(s)
PC
Genre(s)
Shooter, MOBA