Valves Deadlock The Hot New Shooter That Pulled in 90000 Players in Early Access

If you’ve been keeping up with the gaming industry, you’ve probably heard about the burnout surrounding hero-based shooters. It’s an ongoing debate that many gamers are passionate about. However, there are notable exceptions, and Valve’s upcoming title Deadlock seems to be one of them. The game managed to quadruple its new player base within just a week of its announcement.

The launch of Deadlock has been anything but conventional. According to a report from The Verge, the initial testing phases were chaotic, largely due to a lack of clear NDAs or embargoes for participants. Yet, even before its official announcement, the game had already attracted around 20,000 players through an extensive invitation system. As the official announcement dropped, access to Deadlock quickly expanded. Today, the game boasts a staggering 89,000 concurrent players on Steam, despite still being in a limited-access phase.

If you’re eager to get into the game, check out our guide on how to access Deadlock and take a look at the hero tier list!

Amazing Growth for Deadlock Despite Minimal Promotion

The game is now listed on Steam but provides very little information. Here’s what Valve has shared in the “About This Game” section:

• Development Stage: Deadlock is still in early development with many temporary elements and experimental gameplay.
• Limited Access: Current access to Deadlock is restricted to invitations through our testers.

Deadlock is in a very early stage, even more so than most closed alpha games, but it already resonates strongly with fans. Despite an apparent lack of enthusiasm from Valve to promote it, Deadlock is drawing enormous attention. This isn’t surprising, as Valve has produced very few games in recent years and their reputation alone generates significant buzz.

Valve’s Communication on Deadlock Remains Quiet Despite Immediate Success

With 90,000 active players in a barely launched version limited by an invitation-only playtesting system, Deadlock could become a massive hit if Valve decides to open up access and add more content over time. In the meantime, players are watching streams, making hero tier lists, and acting as if the game has already been officially released.

However, the future of Deadlock remains uncertain. There’s currently no roadmap, and if Valve doesn’t make significant progress or open the game to more players, this early enthusiasm could fade. But one thing is certain: tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, of people are eagerly waiting to play Deadlock. Valve would do well to respond if they have long-term plans for this game.

Source: Steam DB