Thursday, 3 April 2025
26.1 C
Singapore
29.2 C
Thailand
27 C
Indonesia
27.3 C
Philippines

Valve announces Deadlock, a new game in early development

Valve officially announces Deadlock, a new multiplayer game in early development with limited access through playtesting invites.

Valve has officially announced its new game, Deadlock, in a rather understated manner. The game has been quietly added to Steam, with Valve listed as the developer and publisher. The Steam page offers minimal information, with a simple notice stating:

โ€œDeadlock is in early development with lots of temporary art and experimental gameplay. Access is currently limited to friend invite via our playtesters.โ€

Aside from this brief statement, Valve has provided little else, with only an animated teaser image on the page. The system requirements are also sparse, mentioning only that a 64-bit processor and operating system are necessary to run the game.

Information trickles out over months

Although Valve has kept Deadlock mainly under wraps, details about the game have slowly leaked out over the past few months. The first hints emerged in May, when a closed playtest allowed a limited number of players to experience the game. By August, tens of thousands of people were reportedly playing, as those involved in the initial playtest began inviting friends to join them.

The game has now become a popular subject among streamers. On the official announcement day, many of them, including notable streamer Shroud, were seen playing the game live. This comes after an admin named Yoshi posted on the gameโ€™s Discord server, confirming that Valve had lifted its restrictions on public discussions about Deadlock.

Uncertain future for Valve’s new title

Deadlock is generating excitement as a potential new addition to Valveโ€™s lineup of big multiplayer games, but its future remains uncertain. While some hope it will achieve the lasting success of titles like Counter-Strike and Dota 2, others fear it may struggle to maintain its momentum and could eventually meet the same fate as Valveโ€™s ill-fated game, Artifact.

Valve’s approach to Deadlock reflects its typical gradual, community-driven development strategy. Valve is gauging the game’s long-term potential before a full public release by slowly increasing the number of players and refining the gameplay based on feedback. Whether Deadlock will become a mainstay in the competitive gaming scene or fade into obscurity remains to be seen.

Hot this week

Samsungโ€™s latest vacuum alerts you to calls and texts while you clean

Samsungโ€™s new Bespoke AI Jet Ultra vacuum can alert you to calls and texts while cleaning as the brand expands smart home screens across appliances.

Krafton strengthens presence in India with Nautilus Mobile acquisition

Krafton acquires a controlling stake in Indian gaming studio Nautilus Mobile for US$14M, strengthening its foothold in Indiaโ€™s growing gaming market.

Most consumers now back up their data, but cloud storage limits push shift to hybrid solutions

87% of people now back up their data, but cloud limits and rising costs are driving a shift to hybrid storage solutions.

Android Auto beta now supports full-screen gaming

Android Autoโ€™s latest beta introduces full-screen gaming, allowing you to play Candy Crush Soda Saga and Angry Birds 2 while parked.

Samsungโ€™s new AI fridges help find lost phones and control smart homes

Samsung's new AI-powered fridges can help you find lost phones and control smart home devices with voice commands, making life easier and more connected.

Qualcomm expands AI research with MovianAI acquisition

Qualcomm has acquired Vietnamese AI research firm MovianAI to boost its AI development in smartphones, PCs, and software-defined vehicles.

Roblox introduces new parental controls to enhance child safety

Roblox introduces new parental controls, allowing parents to block games, restrict friends, and monitor their childโ€™s activity for better safety.

Anthropic introduces Claude for Education, a new AI chatbot plan for universities

Anthropic launches Claude for Education, an AI chatbot plan for universities that offers advanced learning tools and administration support.

Exabeam introduces Nova, an agentic AI that boosts cybersecurity operations

Exabeam unveils Nova, a proactive AI agent that boosts security team productivity and reduces incident investigation time by over 50%.

Related Articles