Okay, Deadlock is an open secret. Valve hasn’t announced the title yet, but reports about it keep cropping up. And the game is apparently already being played.
Valve is currently doing a pretty good job of keeping a lid on Deadlock, a new multiplayer title that hasn’t been officially confirmed or revealed in any way. But data shows that thousands of players are already busy playing Deadlock, apparently in the form of a playtest that hasn’t been officially announced.
Current entries on Reddit where a community has apparently already formed. In addition, Entries on SteamDBthat something is really going on there. According to them, the number of Deadlock players has been increasing steadily over the last few months and has recently reached 18,000 simultaneous players. And that’s despite the fact that the game doesn’t actually officially exist yet. According to @gabefollower, over 200,000 players already have access to the game.
IGN reports that Deadlock’s current early access phase uses an invitation system where players on Steam can grant access to other players. It’s believed that Valve will allow early access players to talk to other players online about the game, but videos and screenshots still appear to be under a strict NDA.
At The Verge A first report of my experience has now surfaced. The author emphasizes: “And I am not under NDA. I have not signed any contracts and have not made any verbal agreements; I have not even clicked through a EULA.” It remains to be seen whether and for how long the report will remain online, given Valve’s apparently strict approach to date. At least the author has already been banned from matchmaking.
According to the report, Deadlock is a mix of 6v6 hero shooter with strong MOBA elements, where you also control NPC troops to dismantle enemy fortifications. “It feels like Overwatch, or maybe even more like Team Fortress 2, with its floating, grueling gameplay. You can tank, heal and retreat even when a large amount of enemy fire is coming at you,” it continues. There is currently talk of 20 heroes and a sophisticated skill system.
