It is not common for a game’s concurrent player count to continue to rise even when the game is unannounced. Well, that is the case of Deadlock, a third-person shooter developed by Valve. Back in May, social media was awash with gameplay footage of Deadlock, presumably leaked by private playtesters.
Deadlock is rumored to be Valve’s response to Blizzard Entertainment’s Overwatch. Since May, the game’s player count has continued to rise gradually and simmered around 2,000 players. However, that changed this August when the game saw a steep jump in player count.
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The player count rose from around 2,000 on August 1, to 23,327 on August 13 before dropping back to 20,615 on August 14, according to SteamDB. The reason for the spike in player count is linked to the ramping up of playtesting by Valve.
Following the current spike in player count, Deadlock is now among the top 100 games with the most players on Steam. Many believe that the spike in player count suggests that the game’s official reveal may come soon.
According to a report by IGN, Valve is using an invite system in the game’s early access period. Some Steam players received invites to test the game. Invited players can suggest other players who can also get invites.
Although NDA usually binds players invited for playtest not to reveal anything from the game they are testing, not many players respect that these days—which is quite sad. In some cases, the developer bans the player, but the damage is usually irreversible.
Tyler McVicker, a Valve enthusiast, said the development of Deadlock goes back to 2018. The tower defense game has a fantasy setting steeped in steampunk. Players win by destroying all opponent towers.
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“This is meant to be Valve’s next major competitive game, the next Counter-Strike, the next Dota,” McVicker said in May. “It’s hero-based, it’s class-based, it’s very personality-driven. This is Valve attempting to bring together all of their community under one umbrella.”
How soon do you think it will take before Valve officially announces Deadlock? Share your thoughts in the comment box below.
