Valves Deadlock The Hot New Shooter Captivating 90000 Players in Early Access

You’ve probably heard gamers talk about “shooter fatigue” in the hero shooter genre. It’s a common complaint, and many believe it’s a genuine issue. However, there are some notable exceptions, and Valve seems to have found one with Deadlock, as the number of new players has quadrupled in just a week!

The launch of Deadlock was anything but typical. According to a report from The Verge, the initial testing phases were somewhat chaotic, largely due to the lack of a clear NDA or embargo for participants. Yet, even before its official announcement, Deadlock had already attracted around 20,000 players through a broad invitation system. Access to Deadlock quickly expanded, especially after its official announcement. Today, that number has exploded to 89,000 simultaneous players on Steam, still limited by invitation-only access.

If you want in on the action, find out how to get access and check out the character tier list!

An Impressive Growth for Deadlock Despite Minimal Promotion

The game is now listed on Steam, but with very few details. Here’s what Valve states in the “About This Game” section:

• Development Version: Deadlock is still in early development, with many temporary elements and experimental gameplay.
• Limited Access: Access to Deadlock is currently limited to invitations through our testers.

The game is still in a very early phase, more so than most closed alpha games, but it already resonates strongly with fans. Despite an apparent lack of enthusiasm from Valve to promote the game, Deadlock is drawing significant attention, which is not surprising: Valve, a studio that has released very few games in recent years, is behind this project.

Despite Its Immediate Success, Valve’s Communication About Deadlock Remains Low-Key

With 90,000 active players in a barely launched version, limited by an invitation system for “playtesting,” it’s clear that Deadlock could become a phenomenal success if Valve decides to expand access and enrich the content over time. For now, players are following streams, creating tier lists, and behaving as though the game has already been officially launched.

However, the future of Deadlock remains uncertain. Currently, there is no roadmap, and if Valve doesn’t make significant progress or open the game to more players, this early enthusiasm could wane. But one thing is certain: tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, of people are eager to play Deadlock, and Valve needs to act if they have long-term plans for this game.

Source: Steam DB