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Deadlock (video game)

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For the unrelated 1996 game, see Deadlock: Planetary Conquest.

Deadlock
Placeholder cover art depicting the hero Haze
Developer(s)Valve
Publisher(s)Valve
EngineSource 2
Platform(s)Windows
ReleaseTBA
Genre(s)Third-person shooter, MOBA
Mode(s)Multiplayer

Deadlock is an upcoming multiplayer third-person shooter video game developed and published by Valve. It combines elements of the hero shooter and MOBA genres and is played from a third-person perspective.

Deadlock has been in playtesting since 2023, and players with access can invite their friends using Steam's playtesting functionality. As of August 2024, it had reached a concurrent player count of just above 100,000.[1] Since May 2024, numerous leaks have occurred, and a journalist was banned from the matchmaking service after writing a preview for the technology site The Verge.[2] Valve announced Deadlock in August 2024, saying it was in early development.

Gameplay

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Gameplay screenshot of an early build of Deadlock during its closed playtest, depicting a battle with an enemy team's defending "Walker"

Deadlock is a 6v6 MOBA third person shooter.[2] It will be Valve's first true third-person shooter, save for the top-down Alien Swarm, which was begun by an outside team.[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.[2]

Players can unlock various skills and abilities for their hero, as well as use ziplines to navigate the arena. The game currently has 21 different heroes, each with unique weapons, stats, and abilities. It is unclear what, if any, lore or backstory about them exists beyond their names and backgrounds.[2] The game takes place in an alternate version of New York City called the Cursed Apple, which mixes elements of 1930s Prohibition era storytelling and the occult.[4]

Development

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In October 2022, Valve filed a trademark for the name Neon Prime.[5] Neon Prime was reportedly helmed by IceFrog (the lead designer of Dota), and would have been a MOBA with a sci-fi aesthetic.[6] 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.[7] A private playtest for Neon Prime reportedly started in 2023.[8]

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.[3][9] A closed playtest on Steam, which allowed participants to invite others, started by August 2024.[2] Players also have access to a private forum and Discord server to discuss the game, read patch notes and provide feedback to the developers.[2] The game's aesthetic, mixing elements of fantasy with an early 1900s aesthetic, has been compared to BioShock Infinite.[3]

Valve formally announced Deadlock on August 23, 2024. Access to the game currently continues to be "friend invite only". A Steam page for the game was also released on the same date stating that the game is currently in "early development", with temporary art and "experimental gameplay."[10][11][12]

Reception

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On August 12, Sean Hollister of The Verge published a full preview.[13] Hollister noted that since he had not signed nor verbally consented to any legally binding non-disclosure agreement, he was free to write about it, despite being shown a dialog box telling him not to share any information about the game with others. After the preview was published, Hollister was banned from the game's matchmaking.[2]

The article's publication was controversial within the gaming community.[13][14] 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.[14] 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 around it.[13] Ted Litchfield of PC Gamer wrote that it was "hard not to be excited" for a new Valve game, saying he was "ready to jump in" on day one.[15]

References

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  1. ^ Stubbs, Mike (August 29, 2024). "'Deadlock' Breaks 100,000 Concurrent Players With New Peak". Forbes. Retrieved August 29, 2024.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Hollister, Sean (August 13, 2024). "We played Valve's secret new shooter, Deadlock". The Verge. Archived from the original on August 13, 2024. Retrieved August 13, 2024.
  3. ^ a b c Wilde, Tyler (May 22, 2024). "Leaked video of alleged Valve hero shooter Deadlock kinda looks like BioShock Infinite". PC Gamer. Retrieved August 13, 2024.
  4. ^ Carpenter, Lincoln (August 27, 2024). "Deadlock's occult New York setting already has such excellent vibes that I might become a MOBA guy just to see where Valve takes it". PC Gamer. Retrieved August 27, 2024.
  5. ^ Dinsdale, Ryan (October 14, 2022). "Valve Registers Mystery Video Game Trademark for 'Neon Prime'". IGN. Retrieved August 16, 2024.
  6. ^ Michael, Cale (October 26, 2022). "Valve's secret NEON PRIME project could be a new Sci-Fi Dota game". Dot Esports. Retrieved August 16, 2024.
  7. ^ Zuhair, Muhammad (October 29, 2023). "Neon Prime, Valve's Next Third-Person Shooter, Will Reportedly Be a 'MOBA-Lite' with Huge, Destructible Maps". Wccftech. Retrieved August 16, 2024.
  8. ^ Robertson, Scott (June 1, 2023). "Data miner claims Valve's next game blends Overwatch, TF2, and Dota 2—and we might see it this year". Dot Esports. Retrieved August 16, 2024.
  9. ^ Park, Morgan (May 17, 2024). "Valve's next game rumored to be a 6v6 hero shooter called Deadlock". PC Gamer. Retrieved August 16, 2024.
  10. ^ Vergara, Nico (August 23, 2024). "Valve finally unveils Deadlock on Steam, access is still "limited to friend invite" via playtesters". VideoGamer. Retrieved August 23, 2024.
  11. ^ Valentine, Rebekah (August 23, 2024). "Deadlock's Existence Finally Acknowledged by Valve With a Store Page and Official Announcement". IGN. Retrieved August 23, 2024.
  12. ^ Bošnjak, Dominik (August 24, 2024). "Valve Officially Reveals New Game". Game Rant. Retrieved September 30, 2024.
  13. ^ a b c Farokhmanesh, Megan (August 13, 2024). "Thousands of People Are Playing Valve's Secret New Shooter Right Now". Wired. ISSN 1059-1028. Archived from the original on August 13, 2024. Retrieved August 13, 2024.
  14. ^ a b MacLeod, Riley (August 13, 2024). "Valve's Baffling Deadlock Decisions Don't Need Defending". Aftermath. Retrieved August 15, 2024.
  15. ^ Litchfield, Ted (August 12, 2024). "We can all see that Valve's unannounced shooter Deadlock just hit over 18,000 concurrent players, Gabe". PC Gamer. Archived from the original on August 13, 2024. Retrieved August 13, 2024.
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