Valve has released a substantial update for its unreleased MOBA hero shooter, Deadlock, which has subsequently propelled the game to the top of Steam's concurrent player charts.
The update overhauls the game's map, introduces six new heroes, new enemy types, objectives, and revises the user interface, including health bars and the in-game shop. Under the hood, Valve has updated the Deadlock engine to the latest version of Source 2, implemented improvements to the anti-cheat system, enhanced prediction and rendering performance, and boosted audio capabilities. The update also features new item art and sound effects for all hero Heavy and Light Melee attacks.
Following this update, Deadlock reached a peak of over 220,000 concurrent players, setting a new all-time record for the title and ranking it as the sixth most-played game on Steam. Notably, Deadlock is still in early development, with access currently restricted to friend invites from Valve's playtesters, making this concurrent player peak particularly impressive.
Valve's official Steam post regarding Deadlock development also hinted at future content. The company is working on significant redesigns and additions to items, as well as exploring alternate game modes that could broaden the game's scope, though these are not guaranteed to appear in the final release.
Future development will also focus on the Midboss character, including its model and aspects of its associated map layout. Valve also plans to address Guardians and Walkers, which are considered important but have not yet been prioritized. While hero remodels are slated for later in development, some related work may be featured in upcoming updates.
A release date or window for Deadlock, or even a beta phase, has yet to be announced. Valve continues to support its established titles like Counter-Strike 2, Dota 2, and Team Fortress 2. Given the current interest in Deadlock, it appears poised to become another successful title for Valve upon its eventual launch.