Deadlock

Deadlock is a multiplayer game developed by Valve that combines third-person shooting with the lane-based structure of a multiplayer online battle arena. Valve publicly acknowledged the project in August 2024, when it opened a Steam store page describing the game as being in early development. At that point, access was limited to invited players. Although matches feature guns, abilities, and close-range fights, eliminating opposing players is only part of the objective. Each team must push through the enemy’s defenses and destroy its Patron, the powerful figure at the heart of its base.

A match pits two teams of six against each other on a city map divided into four lanes. Computer-controlled Troopers travel along those lanes, while players can use overhead transit lines to move quickly between areas. Defending structures include Guardians and Walkers, which teams must overcome as they advance. Between the lanes, players can find neutral enemies and other objectives. This layout makes positioning matter: a team that wins a fight in one lane may still need to defend another, protect its Troopers, or take advantage of an opening elsewhere on the map.

Players earn Souls during a match and spend them on items that improve their character’s weapons, abilities, and survivability. Souls come from activities such as defeating Troopers, fighting other players, and taking objectives. Enemy players can also shoot the soul orbs released by fallen Troopers to deny some of that income. The result is a constant contest over resources, not simply a race to collect kills. Deadlock’s item shop and upgrade choices let players change how a character performs as a match develops, whether they need more damage, mobility, or protection.

The playable cast gives those choices distinct starting points. Bebop can pull enemies toward himself with a hook, while McGinnis can deploy turrets. Vindicta fights from the air with a rifle, and Viscous uses a gelatinous form in combat. Other characters include Abrams, Haze, Infernus, Ivy, Lady Geist, Seven, Warden, and Yamato. Their abilities create opportunities for coordinated attacks, escapes, and counterattacks, but players must also manage familiar lane pressures: earning resources, defending structures, and deciding when to join teammates. Deadlock is therefore not a conventional round-based shooter. Its central contest is a sustained push across a map, shaped by character abilities, equipment purchases, and the changing state of four lanes. Valve’s decision to announce it while it was still in early development also made its initial public identity unusual: players could see and discuss a live, unfinished game rather than only a polished release trailer.