Fariha Bhatti 
Hundreds of thousands of PC gamers want to get into Deadlock but even those who are invited might be confused over their invite not immediately showing up. Thankfully, it’s not as much of an issue as it seems.
The Deadlock beta is running successfully, with the game peaking at more than 145,000 players in August 2024. That number is likely set to go up steadily into the future. This is due to Valve allowing players to invite their friends to Deadlock, but the process hasn’t been smooth for all.
Valve has launched its own rendition of hero shooter-style MOBA that feels familiar to both Dota 2 and Valorant players. Thanks to this unique quality, the game is attracting players from different titles and genres, boosting its player count even before the global release. Despite the spiking live player count, the Deadlock beta is still somewhat exclusive.
Those with access to the game can invite multiple Steam friends into the action, but some players are complaining about Deadlock invites not showing up. Here’s what’s happening, and what can be done about it
Why isn’t my Deadlock invite appearing?
Players wondering why their Deadlock invite isn’t showing up likely need to wait for a little while.
Valve is still using an approval process for invitations, meaning players have to wait for their invite to be validated. This is possibly manual, as the time it takes varies and has gotten longer as the game has grown.
Invite approvals are no longer as rapid as they were during the alpha stage. Previously, players typically gained entry into the playtest within a few hours. However, due to the high demand for access to Deadlock, invites might not show up on a player’s Steam for days. Because of this, it’s worth waiting for a few days before panicking.
Being suggested by a friend for the Deadlock playtest doesn’t guarantee access to the game.
There could still be several reasons for the Deadlock invite not showing for some players.
It’s also worth checking the spam folder of the email address attached to the Steam account. Players who have been approved for Deadlock beta will also be informed via the Steam notification pop-up in the client’s top right corner. The bell will be green if you have a new message. Otherwise, it will be gray.
Finally, for those who have been invited by multiple friends and haven’t received an invitation after a week, it’s likely that Valve declined the invite for reasons specific to their validation process. In this case, players may have to wait until the game is fully released.
It’s unclear why Valve is turning down some invitations. VAC bans and possible low behavior scores in other games could be the explanation.
