It’s no secret that Valve has slowed down considerably in terms of developing new titles. After releasing some of the best games of all time with the likes of Portal, Left 4 Dead, and Half-Life, we haven’t seen much in the way of software from the team since Half-Life: Alyx. After tons of rumors, leaks, and hard evidence have appeared around a new game called Deadlock, Valve has finally publicly confirmed the game is real. What remains to be seen is if Valve can keep up its streak and make one of the best PC games with this new multiplayer shooter. If you don’t have Deadlock on your list of most anticipated upcoming PC games, here are all the reasons why it should be.
Release date speculation
This is almost impossible to guess, but based on the reports of people currently playing Deadlock via a special invitation event, it could be a shadow drop within the next few months or still need another year of beta testing. Based on that, along with the leaked footage we’ve seen, we’d say it is still at least six months or so away since there is still a lot of temporary art and assets present.
Platforms
Deadlock will certainly be on PC, but consoles are up in the air. It would make sense for a multiplayer shooter like Deadlock to be a cross-platform game, but some Valve games like Counter-Strike 2 have stuck to PC only. We’ll have to wait for more details to answer this one.
Trailers
Deadlock hasn’t been officially acknowledged by Valve despite so much information already being out there. The only footage you can find comes from users uploading it themselves.
Gameplay
Thanks to a deep report from The Verge, we’ve got a great idea of what Deadlock is.
At its core, Deadlock will be a 6v6 hero shooter with MOBA elements similar to Smite. You will pick your hero and engage the enemy while four lanes of NPC grunts all charge toward the middle. Various turrets will also be present, again just like Smite or DOTA 2, that act as automated defenses teams need to destroy and push past.
As you defeat enemy grunts and players, you will level up and unlock more abilities and perks for your hero using currency. Upgrades appear to be broken down into Weapon, Vitality, and Spirit categories. Each has well over a dozen options for various prices, but you can also select suggested early, mid-, and late-game builds for your specific character.
Movement is a major mechanic in Deadlock. Players will be able to run, slide, double jump, and air dash at any time. There are also ziplines to easily and quickly move between set points on the map.
Preorder
Without an official announcement, there’s no preorder information for Deadlock. It is even possible that it will be a free-to-play game, but once we know more, we will let you know.
