Valve's invite-only hero shooter Deadlock has seen a surge in community engagement following its latest update, which introduced six new characters and a streamlined game mode. Players are voting on hero unlocks, fostering fan art and in-game campaigns. The update enhances the game's blend of MOBA strategy and agile combat, drawing over 100,000 concurrent players recently.
Valve's Deadlock, a secretive MOBA hero shooter accessible only via Steam friend invites, is building a dedicated community amid its latest update. Released in alpha in August 2024, the game combines MOBA elements like soul farming, item builds, and team coordination with hero shooter mechanics, including third-person controls for dodging, wall-running, sliding, mantling, double jumping, melee attacks, and parrying. Maps feature vertical architecture, alleyways, ziplines, and new additions like vents and crawlspaces for enhanced mobility.
The update, rolled out last week, added six heroes to the roster of 38: sword-wielding demon Apollo, unicorn-horned performer Celeste, arms expert priest Venator, sleepy creature Rem, werewolf bounty hunter Silver, and necromancer Graves. Graves wields a dismembered hand as a weapon, summons flying skulls, and creates gravestones that spawn ghouls. Rem tosses pillows, commands smaller minions for loot and support, and induces sleep with his ultimate. Valve implemented a voting system starting January 26, unlocking two heroes weekly based on community input earned through match participation and wins. Players create in-game propaganda sprays and share fan art across social media, spanning cute, funny, and provocative themes.
A key addition is Street Brawl mode, a 4v4 best-of-five format on a single lane, contrasting the standard 6v6 across three lanes. It eliminates farming and shopping, starting teams with equal resources and offering three random item sets, allowing immediate focus on abilities and combat. This serves as an accessible introduction, shortening matches from around 30 minutes to quicker, intense bouts.
Deadlock's aesthetic fuses fantasy, occult, and steampunk in a noir New York setting, evoking influences like Vampire: The Masquerade Bloodlines and Hellboy. Details such as character dialogue interactions, unique portraits for killing sprees or critical states, and chat as dialogue bubbles enhance immersion. Without a store, microtransactions, battle pass, or ranked play, the game emphasizes organic discovery.
Player metrics show an all-time peak of 171,490 concurrent users post-alpha launch, with a recent high of 100,000, impressive for its limited access. This momentum highlights Deadlock's potential as it evolves.