When word got out that thousands of gamers were already playing Valve’s “secret” shooter Deadlock on Steam back in August, the first reaction from many was: How do I get my hands on this?
Since then, many more players have joined the invite-only playtest, allowing them to get their first look at the project. Valve made the game public on Steam a few weeks ago but hasn’t given the game a release date. “Deadlock is a multiplayer game in early development," Valve wrote on the game’s Steam page.
If you're not already playing and are curious, here's what you should know.
What Is Deadlock and Why Are People So Excited About It?
Valve, the famed developer of franchises such as Half-Life, Portal, and Counter-Strike, has slowed its development of new titles a lot, so any new IP is cause for excitement. Deadlock is a six-versus-six team game that combines the hero shooter personality of, say, Overwatch, Apex Legends, and Valve's own Team Fortress 2 with some of the multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) mechanics popularized by League of Legends and Valve's Dota 2.
A MOBA typically has elements like home bases, towers that each side must defend, minions that help the main characters in fights, and a progressive leveling up of skills through the course of a match. If you've never played a MOBA, Deadlock can feel overwhelming at first due to the resource management it requires on top of the action-shooter elements.
OK, I’m Sold. How Do I Play?
You'll need a Steam account and an invite to the playtest. Some players have been randomly invited by Valve to play the game, possibly based on their history with other Valve titles, but the easiest way to get in is to ask someone in the playtest to invite you, which is an in-game menu option.
In order to see which of your Steam friends is playing Deadlock, visit the game's page and look on the right panel under Friends Who Play.
An invite may take a day or more to get to you once it's sent. When you have it, you can download and install the game.
