Bilawal Bashir 
Valve’s newly leaked hero shooter Deadlock features a map of lanes with towers to destroy. Sound familiar?
While Valve has not officially announced the game, Deadlock has fans excited about what it might offer. It seems to be a mix of existing MOBA tropes and the usual hero-shooter affairs. The 6v6 game appears to be a third-person title, differentiating itself from the current popular hero shooter Overwatch 2.
A recent screenshot leak gave players a closer look at Deadlock. Leaked gameplay displays a minimap in the top right corner, clearly showing a four-lane layout. Lanes are important in MOBA games, but the unique layout will all but ensure multiple 1v1 lanes for a six-player team. Whether Deadlock follows other MOBA conventions like character classes, levels, and inventories remains to be seen.
Deadlock’s map is like nothing we’ve ever seen
The leaked screenshots show a similar 4-lane layout, implying that Deadlock might use a single map or follow a strict layout for all included maps.
Deadlock seems to follow a traditional MOBA layout with a few exceptions. There is a base dedicated to each team and eight towers defending the base inside the lanes. In games like Dota and League of Legends, the objective is to destroy the enemy base in order to win. It is likely the same case in Deadlock.
A previous leak suggested the towers would be upgradeable during a match. The tower defense mechanism could be a fresh take on MOBA traditions. The leaked screenshots didn’t show the towers themselves, but the architecture follows the same theme in all three. Could there be more maps with different lane counts? That remains to be seen.
Valve’s new MOBA shooter comes with fast travel
Deadlock has a fast travel transit system, letting players quickly traverse the map after respawning.
The fast travel system consists of transit lines players can ride towards the battlefield. Each of the four lanes on the map will have the system in place and connect at the spawn. One of the most significant pain points in MOBAs and hero shooters is the need for faster travel. After dying, players must wait for an unavoidable downtime to respawn and stomp their way to the action. Deadlock is likely to minimize the downtime players face away from the fights.
The lanes appear to feature creeps or minions called troopers. Players will probably be able to farm enemy minions to gain experience and in-game currency. There is no word on the in-game shop or how it will work. Fans will have to wait for Valve to comment on the leaks for more information about Deadlock.
