Valve Finally Announces Deadlock, Confirms Game Is in ‘Early Development’

Valve has finally announced Deadlock, its upcoming hero shooter that has been leaked multiple times over the past few months. The game is in early development and is accessible only to invited playtesters. Videos and screenshots of Deadlock have previously surfaced online, but Valve has only now confirmed the game’s existence.

“Deadlock” is available on Steam

Deadlock was confirmed via a Steam page listing over the weekend, with Valve listed as the game’s developer and publisher. The studio has yet to provide a release schedule for the shooter, with the listing mentioning “Planned release date: T0o

“Deadlock is in the early stages of development with a lot of temporary art and experimental gameplay. Access is currently limited to inviting friends through our playtesters,” the game’s Steam listing reads. Users can now wishlist games on the storefront.

Valve has yet to provide any details about the game, but the Steam listing includes a 20-second trailer for an early development version of the game, which shows a city block.

Within hours of the announcement, the number of invited users for Deadlock on Steam reached an all-time high, with nearly 90,000 invited users. According to SteamDB charts, as of this writing, 32,788 users are playing the game on Valve’s platform.

Testers revealed that “Deadlock” is a third-person team-based 6v6 hero shooter similar to “Overwatch” and Valve’s own “Dota 2” and “Team Fortress 2”.

The game was leaked in early May this year, with screenshots and gameplay revealing details. Deadlock, previously known as Neon Prime, has reportedly been in development since 2018. This hero shooter pits two six-player teams against each other on a four-lane map, each with different abilities and gear. Leaks also claims that the game will be set in a fantasy steampunk world and will include tower defense mechanics.

“Deadlock” is Valve’s first game since the launch of “Counter-Strike 2” in September 2023.