| Deadlock | |
| Developer: | Valve |
| Publisher: | Valve |
| Engine: | Source 2 |
| Platforms: | Windows |
| Genre: | Third-person shooter, MOBA |
| Modes: | Multiplayer |
Deadlock is an upcoming action game by Valve for Windows. It combines the hero shooter and MOBA genres.
Valve has not formally announced Deadlock. As of August 2024, it has been in closed beta for months and players with access can invite their friends, with a concurrent player count of more than 40,000.[1] Numerous leaks have occurred, and a journalist was banned from the matchmaking service after writing a preview for the technology site The Verge.
Deadlock is a 6v6 shooter, similar to the original Overwatch in format.[2] It will be Valve's first true third-person shooter, save for the top-down Alien Swarm.[3] Players control powerful hero characters and escort NPCs down several "lanes" in order to destroy the enemy team's stationary defenses. This makes the moment-to-moment gameplay highly similar to MOBAs. If the enemy's defenses are destroyed, it reveals their "Patron", a tremendous magically animated golem that must be defeated to win the match.
Players can unlock various skills and abilities for their hero, as well as use ziplines to navigate the arena. The game has about 20 different heroes, though it is unclear what, if any lore or backstory about them exists beyond their names and descriptions.
, Deadlock is still under development, and has yet to be officially announced.[2] In October 2022, Valve filed a trademark for the name Neon Prime.[4] Neon Prime was reportedly helmed by IceFrog (the lead designer of Dota), and would have been a MOBA with a sci-fi aesthetic.[5] Further details were reported in 2023, indicating that it would have been a team-based "third-person 'MOBA-lite'", in which players need to defeat a boss enemy at the opposing team's base.[6] A private closed beta for Neon Prime reportedly started in 2023.[7]
In May 2024, footage of Deadlock was leaked. It was presumed to be the project formerly known as Neon Prime for its similar gameplay elements.[8] A closed beta on Steam, which allowed participants to invite others, started by August 2024. Players also have access to a private forum and Discord server to discuss the game, read patch notes and provide feedback to the developers. The game's aesthetic, mixing elements of fantasy with an early 1900s aesthetic, has been compared to Bioshock Infinite.
Responding to leaks in May 2024, Ars Technica
The article led to negative reactions from the gaming community. Riley MacLeod of Aftermath defended Hollister's reporting, saying that although ignoring Valve's request may have been impolite, Hollister was not legally nor professionally obligated to keep the details secret and had not violated journalistic ethics.[11] Megan Farokhmanesh of Wired speculated that the secretive release strategy was a deliberate publicity stunt by Valve to tempt players to leak the game, building hype about it. Ted Litchfield of PC Gamer stated that it was "hard not to be excited" for a new Valve game, saying he was "ready to jump in" on day one.[12]