Valve’s upcoming game Deadlock crossed over 18,000 concurrent players before even reaching beta

It is no secret that Valve’s upcoming hero shooter game Deadlock is real. Players have been in the Playtest for months, with multiple leaks surfacing that showcase the characters and map in the game. Despite being in the playtest, Valve have allowed friend invites for the game, meaning players can also invite others for Playtest.

Within a span of one month, the live player count for Deadlock has cross over 18,000 which is a big deal. The uplift in numbers started early this month and the Playtest seems to be a success. As per the testers, Deadlock is a MOBA styled third-person shooter featuring a vast roster of characters.

The initial response to the leaks were quite harsh, with players blaming the game for slow updates across Counter-Strike. However, at the time, not many had access to the game and were putting up conclusions based on the genre and comparing it to other hero shooters.

But instead of taking down the leaks, Valve opened invites, allowing more players to test Deadlock. While some still remain vocal about its future, most others have started to enjoy the game now that they have access, and reaching 18,000 players during a playtest is quite impressive.

Also Read: Counter Strike developers Valve only had 79 people working on Steam in 2021

Deadlock beta coming soon?

Currently, there is not a single word from Valve regarding Deadlock, even after the game is public knowledge. At this point, it is impossible to know if the beta announcement will be coming this year or not. However, Valve does work in mysterious ways and players who want to test the game can still ask for an invite from someone who have access to the game.

Of course, players still do not have permission to share the gameplay clips and screenshots, however, reports suggest that the core gameplay is similar to Dota 2 or other MOBA titles with added quality of life and many small things that make the game interesting.