According to data from SteamDB, Deadlock, Valve’s not-so-secret in-development MOBA shooter, has managed to attract nearly 90,000 concurrent players over the weekend. This impressive figure puts the invite-only title ahead of many AAA titles, including the recent release of Concord, which hasn’t even reached more than 1,000 players on Steam so far.
The game’s success is even more remarkable considering its current state. Valve has warned Deadlock is still in “early development,” as it remains full of temporary art and experimental gameplay. Despite this, or perhaps because of it, players have been flocking online to share footage of its chaotic matches, often with hilarious unintended mishaps.
Although, if we’re being honest, the limited access to friend invites via playtesters is probably fueling Deadlock’s popularity.
Interestingly, Deadlock’s success comes at a time when new hero shooters are said to struggle to gain traction. As previously mentioned, PlayStation’s recent release, Concord, failed to reach even 700 concurrent players on PC in its debut weekend, despite receiving positive reviews.
Concord isn’t a bad game. However, it lacks the distinction that makes it easy to describe to someone else without making it feel too derivative from its competition.
For example, Deadlock is Dota 2 as a shooter, but what about Concord? Some say it’s like if Halo or Destiny had a hero shooter sibling, but that doesn’t feel apt either.
Having said that, the sky is the limit for Deadlock at the moment, with its MOBA elements setting it apart from its predecessors and contemporaries. Its gameplay is a unique blend of multiple genres. It’s a 6v6 third-person hero shooter with strong MOBA elements, taking place across four lanes with aggressively respawning waves of troopers. It’s flawed, but its movement system is already superior to many other hero shooters.
Valve’s unconventional approach to Deadlock should guarantee continued interest. Initially, it asked players not to share information about the game, which many had ignored for obvious reasons. This led to numerous gameplay videos appearing on YouTube and even media coverage, which led to some controversy.
In response, Valve has officially opened Pandora’s Box, revealing the game’s store page and allowing more open discussion.
We’re curious to see what happens next as Deadlock transitions from its invite-only phase to a more public presence. More streamers will pick it up inevitably. If that happens, what then? Does Valve open the game to a wider audience at the risk of a premature release? How will the game evolve from its current experimental state?
If nothing else, Valve has never been one for convention. Keep in mind that Valve sat on Dota 2 for close to three years before releasing it in public, even if the game had already gone through two iterations of The International at the time. There’s even a running joke within its community that Dota 2 is still technically in beta, owing to the fact that some of the game files are still named “beta.”
As for Concord, it should serve as the latest addition to a growing list of cautionary tales, but perhaps one that could learn from the success of Deadlock. Maybe Sony and Firesprite should’ve done what Valve did and released a more public version of the beta? In hindsight, this would’ve been better than releasing a product that, while not necessarily bad, no one really wanted anyway.
Ultimately, Deadlock remains a work in progress for now, but one that has captured the imagination of the rest of the gaming industry.
With a lineup of premier Dota 2 and Counter-Strike 2 tournaments scheduled over the next few months, including The International 2025, expect Deadlock to continue gaining traction as players of both games crossover into Valve’s latest creation.
