By Sagar V. Mankar Valve has officially unveiled its latest multiplayer game, Deadlock. The Steam page for the game is now live, listing Valve as both the developer and publisher. A brief notice on the page states: “Deadlock is in early development with lots of temporary art and experimental gameplay. Access is currently limited to friend invites via our playtesters.”
While Valve has not shared extensive details about Deadlock, the announcement includes an animated teaser image. The system requirements are minimal for now, only specifying the need for a 64-bit processor and operating system.
Early Playtesting and Growing Popularity
Closed playtests for Deadlock began in May, and by August, tens of thousands of players had joined the experience through friend invites. Recently, Valve lifted restrictions on public discussions, allowing streamers to share live gameplay footage. This shift has given fans a clearer look at the game’s mechanics and style.
Despite being officially under wraps until now, details about Deadlock have been slowly leaking for months. According to leaks from trusted sources, the game combines elements from Valve’s Dota 2 and Team Fortress 2, as well as popular multiplayer titles like Overwatch, Valorant, and Smite. Content creator Gabe Follower shared in-game screenshots on social media platform X, reportedly sourced from playtesters. The images showcased Dota 2-style heroes battling across maps inspired by steampunk European cities. One notable map includes fast-travel lanes with BioShock Infinite-style floating rails for quick movement.
Gameplay Mechanics and Design Choices
Gabe Follower further described Deadlock as a competitive, third-person, hero-based shooter featuring two teams of six players. The roster reportedly includes magicians, robots, and fantastical creatures, each with unique abilities. The game is also said to incorporate tower defense mechanics, with MOBA-inspired features such as team bases, guardians to protect, and collectible orbs that may grant temporary power-ups.
Interestingly, Deadlock has undergone significant aesthetic changes. Initially envisioned as a sci-fi title with influences from Half-Life and Portal, player feedback reportedly pushed Valve to lean more towards a fantasy theme. Development on the game began as early as 2018 under working titles like Neon Prime and Citadel.
Valve’s Development Roadmap
Valve’s co-founder Gabe Newell previously confirmed in 2021 that the company had multiple games in active development. The release of Counter-Strike 2 last year marked one of these major projects. However, Newell also hinted at the studio’s ongoing interest in single-player titles, particularly following the success of Half-Life: Alyx in 2020.
While Deadlock looks poised to join Valve’s lineup of successful multiplayer games, its long-term success remains uncertain. Will it achieve the staying power of Counter-Strike or Dota 2, or fade away like Artifact? Only time will tell.
What’s Next for Deadlock?
As of now, Valve has not announced an official release date for Deadlock. The game is listed as “coming soon” on Steam, and fans can add it to their wishlists to stay updated on its progress.
For those still holding out hope for a Half-Life 3 announcement, it seems that the wait isn’t over just yet. For now, Valve’s focus remains firmly on multiplayer innovation.
Sources: Valve Steam Page, Gabe Follower (via X), Official Valve Statements
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