Everything We Know About Deadlock — Gameplay, Heroes, Leaks
An abundance of leaks have revealed that Valve is working on a new game called Deadlock.
Known for its MOBA, Dota 2, Valve is now looking to enter the FPS scene with a hero shooter that insiders like GabeFollower have revealed as Deadlock. The game is currently in its alpha stage but the leaks point to a science fiction and fantasy 6v6 third-perso hero-based shooter that has playable characters that include robots, magicians, and monsters that have long-range attacks, healing abilities, and more.
Here's what we know about Deadlock so far.
Deadlock Gameplay
Deadlock has two teams of six fighting for dominance on a map, a very known concept in the FPS realm. But Deadlock will bring some different elements to the genre.
Unlike other shooters, Deadlock will be bringing in some MOBA elements like creeps, using "souls" to buy items that increase your hero's strength, and tower defense mechanics. You will allegedly collect souls by shooting at them while creeps spawn randomly around the map. There will also be a big AI boss in the middle of the map.
This will most definitely make Deadlock different than Overwatch 2, Marvel Rivals, VALORANT, and other popular shooters.
Deadlock Gameplay Leak
After the initial information about Deadlock's gameplay was shared on X, videos of Deadlock's training mode came out on Reddit. Valve is already deleting links but eagle-eyed fans were able to see more heroes as well as sky rails that will be used to ride around the map, similar to BioShock Infinite.
In the training mode, which allows you to practice your abilities and mechanics, we saw heroes like Ivy, who stuns enemies while moving with imp-style wings, Inernus, a fire-dealing demon, Haze, a stealthy robot, and then Vindicta, a gothic sniper.
Deadlock Heroes Unveiled
Leakers have also revealed some of the 19 heroes that are going to be on the initial roster when Deadlock is released. The heroes have a wide range, from assassins to robots. The initial roster was leaked by Insider Gaming.
Here's what they shared:
Valve’s Deadlock Character Roster
- Abrams – A gargoyle-demon like character
- Bebop – A Red robot with what looks like a missing eye
- Dynamo – Another robot
- Grey Talon – A Native American character with a long-range bow
- Haze – An assassin
- Infernus – A fast assassin focusing on fire damage
- Ivy – An Imp healer
- Kelvin – A character that specializes in ice
- Lady Geist – A life stealer
- Lash – A warrior
- McGinnis – A welder or blacksmith
- Mo & Krill – A monkey and pig duo
- Paradox
- Seven
- Vindicta – A vampire-looking sniper
- Warden – A police officer
- Wraith – An early 1900’s gangster who “excels at one-on-one combat”
- Yamato – A samurai-looking character
Kelvin had his photo leaked already as well. He appears to be a ranged character that is focused on ice.
When Is Deadlock Coming Out?
Valve has not revealed an official release date for Deadlock. The game itself has not even been officially shared yet. A lot of gamers speculate that it'll be released in 2025.
What Happened to GabeFollower?
After sharing most of the initial leaks related to Deadlock, including gameplay and hero information, GabeFollower told followers he had to back down.
"I have to stop talking about Deadlock from now on. Completely," he said.
I have to stop talking about Deadlock from now on. Completely. Please don't contact me or ask any questions.
— Gabe Follower (@gabefollower) May 19, 2024
Many wondered if Valve had threatened to sue GabeFollower or maybe the company was hoping to work with him on the game's marketing upon its release.
He replied: "Valve 'ninjas' have nothing to do with it. This is my own decision. This iteration of the game is in its early stages of development and not ready to be shown publicly. Feels like internet users have no idea what alpha versions usually look like."
Basically, the game is still far away from its final form and Gabe doesn't want to share information until the game is closer to being completed.
Olivia is a long-time esports journalist and editor who covers just about every game but has a deep love for the FGC. Her goal is to find community-driven stories that bring a new perspective to the esports scene. In the past, she has worked for Team Liquid, Rogue, Inven Global, Dot Esports, Upcomer, and more. Outside of esports, Olivia enjoys Kirby, Pokemon TCG, Fallout, and writing science fiction. She can be found trying out new foods, traveling, or hanging out with her two orange cats. Fun fact: Olivia can do some video game and cartoon impressions!