Bilawal Bashir 
Valve’s unannounced hero shooter Deadlock already has thousands of gamers playing, but how is everyone joining in and can you join?
Deadlock is an upcoming online multiplayer game that combines third-person shooter and MOBA elements. Despite not being confirmed by Valve, the game has been playable for a while. Just last month, an Alpha build was leaked, giving fans a clear look at what Valve’s cooking. Now, thousands of players are playing the unreleased game.
The player count was around 2,500 in mid-July and has since ballooned considerably. Hero shooter fans disappointed by Sony’s Concord or frustrated by Apex Legends are curious about how to play the Valve title.
How to play Deadlock on Steam
Deadlock is available by invite only. This means the only way to start playing is to personally have the door opened by someone playing the game or someone within Valve.
Thankfully, plenty of players who already have access to the game are generously inviting others to the shooter. There is no paywall, purchase, or exchange necessary to play Deadlock. All a user needs is an invite from a player with access.
Players should keep their Steam ID handy to make it easier for the inviter. Go to Steam > Account Details and copy the Steam ID at the top.
Joining the unofficial Deadlock subreddit, Discord, or Telegram channel can help with the invites. Look for threads inviting people to the game and post your Steam ID there. Hopefully, a generous player will extend the invite.
Deadlock player count continues to balloon, making invites more available
As more players begin playing Deadlock, more invites are becoming available. SteamDB shows that the player count has increased one hundredfold in about a month’s time.
The exponential increase in player count indicates how much fans want a new title from Valve. While other free-to-play shooters struggle to hit respectable numbers, Valve’s Deadlock is soaring through the unannounced playtest. Even Marvel Rivals, a fully marketed game, didn’t hit a quarter of that figure.
Valve is also reportedly working on Half-Life 3, a title that’s become a long-running joke. With Counter-Strike 2 and Dota 2 already in full motion, Valve will add another live service title to the roster. There’s no official word from the company about Deadlock, but that might change soon.
