Deadlock is Valve’s new third-person MOBA shooter — a six-versus-six game that blends the lanes, souls and towers of a MOBA with the aiming and movement of a hero shooter. It’s still in invite-only early development with no confirmed release date, yet it has already pulled in a peak of over 228,000 concurrent players. Here’s everything we know so far.
Here’s what Deadlock is, when it might release, how to get in, and how a match actually plays.
What is Deadlock?
Deadlock is a third-person MOBA shooter developed by Valve, the studio behind Counter-Strike, Dota 2 and Half-Life. It takes the core of a MOBA — two teams, lanes full of AI minions, a resource to farm, and a base boss to destroy — and plays it from an over-the-shoulder shooter perspective, so you aim your weapon and dodge in real time. It’s best described as a mix of Dota 2’s strategy and a hero shooter’s action, with its own urban, steampunk-tinged art style.
Release date & access
Deadlock has no release date — Valve lists it as “to be announced” and has said it will stay in early development for the foreseeable future. Access is invite-only: you can get a Steam friend invite from an existing player, or join the beta waitlist on the Deadlock store page, where Valve sends out invites in batches. Despite being unreleased and invite-only, the game keeps setting Steam records, hitting a peak of over 228,000 concurrent players after a major 2026 update — a sign of just how much interest is building ahead of a full launch.
How it plays
A match is six players per side across a map with three lanes. AI troopers march down each lane, and killing troopers, enemies and neutral camps earns souls — the single resource you spend on items that boost your weapon, vitality and ability power. You push through the lanes, destroy guardians and towers, and finally kill the enemy Patron to win. Ziplines fast-travel you between lanes, and a universal parry mechanic rewards well-timed defence. With 38 heroes and a deep item system, no two matches play the same.
The key facts
Everything we know about Deadlock at a glance.
| Detail | What we know |
|---|---|
| Developer | Valve |
| Genre | Third-person MOBA shooter (6v6) |
| Platforms | PC (Steam) |
| Release date | To be announced |
| Access | Invite-only beta / waitlist |
| Heroes | 38 and growing |
| Peak players | Over 228,000 concurrent |
Want to jump in? See our Deadlock beginner’s guide, tier list and best MOBA games guides.
