Valve’s much-anticipated hero shooter and MOBA, Deadlock, has officially entered early access after numerous leaks online. The game has garnered a significant player base due to its thrilling and action-packed gameplay.
This title has been on the radar of Valve enthusiasts, marking the developer’s first release since 2020. Fans of Half-Life and Dota have been eagerly awaiting Valve’s next major project, and the Deadlock playtest is now live for players.
Launch Date Remains Unclear
Currently, there are no official details on Deadlock’s launch date, as the game is still in its early development stages.
However, recent leaks and rumors suggest that the full release may be planned for 2025.
Deadlock is available to play through an Alpha Playtest, though access is somewhat restricted. For information on how to join, our early access guide will assist you.
We will continue to update this page as more concrete release date information becomes available.
Is Deadlock Free to Play?
At this time, there has been no official announcement regarding whether Deadlock will be a free-to-play title upon its full release. Currently, during its playtest phase, the game is free to download and play. However, Valve has yet to confirm its pricing strategy for the full launch.
That said, many believe Deadlock will follow the trend of other successful Valve titles, such as Counter-Strike, Team Fortress, and Dota, which are all free to play.
Gameplay Mechanics in Deadlock
Deadlock is designed as a 6v6 hero shooter incorporating MOBA elements. Players can choose from a diverse roster of vibrant characters with unique abilities that can be enhanced during a match.
- The map features 4 lanes, and players must defeat two enemies and their Patron to claim victory.
- Before achieving this, players need to eliminate minions to gather Souls, which can be spent on new items and power-ups.
Deadlock showcases a blend of hero shooter mechanics with MOBA gameplay.
While many have compared Deadlock to Overwatch and Team Fortress 2 for its combat style and cartoonish graphics, its gameplay is more akin to Epic Games’ former MOBA Paragon.
Anti-Cheat Measures Implemented
In a patch released on September 26, 2024, Valve announced they would be introducing an anti-cheat detection system in Deadlock to tackle cheating issues in early access.
This system allows teams to ban a cheating player immediately or transform them into a frog for the remainder of the match. Frogs lose all abilities and can only hop around the map, while other players can still damage or eliminate them.
Players who receive multiple cheat reports can also be placed in a low-priority queue, similar to those who frequently misreport others.
Importantly, if a cheater is on your team, Valve assures that any loss will not count. Whether they are frog-ified or removed from the match, the loss will not impact the rest of the team, and cheaters will always face bans.
Playable Characters in Deadlock
Currently, there are 22 playable characters available in Deadlock’s Alpha playtest. Below is the complete list, along with links to dedicated hero build guides:
- Lady Ghost
- Dynamo
- Warden
- Ivy
- Yamato
- Seven
- Hell
- Mo & Krill
- Gray Talon
- Abrams
- Shiv
- Bebop
- Viscous
- Revenge
- Haze
- Wraith
- Paradox
- Lash
- Kelvin
- McGinnis
- Mirage
If you’re interested in the current meta characters, check out our hero tier list.
Deadlock features a rich array of unique characters.
Console Release May Be Unlikely
With consoles already populated with hero shooters like Overwatch 2 and Valorant enjoying success on PS5 and Xbox Series S/X, along with the positive reception of Marvel Rivals during its beta, there is a substantial market for Deadlock on these platforms.
Unfortunately, a console port appears unlikely as Valve has not released a game on console in over 12 years, with no indication that this trend will change. Given the success of other hero shooters on console, however, a devoted audience would be awaiting Deadlock should it become available.
Interestingly, connecting a controller during the playtest reveals a fully integrated UI and controller settings, hinting that full controller support may be introduced when the game exits early access.
We will update this page should any official announcements regarding a console version arise.
That’s all we currently know about Deadlock.
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