Deadlock

Deadlock is a third-person shooter developed by Valve Corporation. It was first publicly announced on August 23, 2024. The game's release was unconventional and marked by a deliberate approach of secrecy before public acknowledgement. The initial distribution method involved inviting players through the Steam friends list feature. The game is still in development and is played through an Early Development Build.

Gameplay

The main objective is to destroy the enemy Patron located in their base while protecting your own Patron on a MOBA-styled map. The base is protected by multiple tiers of Walkers/Guardians along four lanes, which continuously funnel waves of troopers. The two competing teams, The Sapphire Flame and The Amber Hand, each consist of 6 players. There are numerous Heroes, each with unique abilities and characteristics that can be improved over the course of the game.

Souls are the primary source of power in the game, serving as both experience points and currency. Collecting them grants the player and their team more power, allowing them to earn 'boons' from their Patron, which in turn increases their levels and enhances their Heroes' stats. As players level up, they unlock and upgrade their abilities.

In addition to levelling, Heroes have four item slots in their inventory for three categories: Weapon, Vitality, and Spirit. There are also four Flex slots that can be unlocked by completing specific map objectives. Players purchase items using souls earned through various actions, killing creeps and enemy heroes, destroying buildings, claiming the spirit urn, and denying the enemy team's souls.

Deadlock draws inspiration from Valve's Dota 2, incorporating its heavy emphasis on tactics, team coordination, and strategic depth. It translates these elements into a third-person perspective, blending skill-shots, tactical engagements, omnidirectional movement, and gunplay to create a unique gameplay experience.

Theme and Setting

The game has a fantasy theme and is set in the early 1900's United States where occult rituals and magic anomalies are common place and heavily regulated. The game's current map is implied to be this universe's version of 'New York', where the ritual takes place. The ritual is between two patrons and whichever side is victorious will 'spawn' the patron into their world, allowing them to grant their side a 'boon'. Heroes are based on various tropes and ideas associated with the time while containing many unique contributions.

Lore

There is currently not much known about the lore of the game outside of in-game hero descriptions and a leaked graphic novel featuring Lady Geist and Infernus. Fantastic events are a deeply woven part of the game's lore and are often an explanation for heroes' abilities.