Bilawal Bashir 
After a reliable leak confirmed that Valve’s next major title is Deadlock, a series of gameplay screenshots shows how the game looks.
There’s a lot of speculation regarding any game Valve makes, and this is also true for Deadlock. Now gamers won’t have to just imagine, as new screenshots show how the game looks and detail significant game mechanics. There is still room for speculation, though, as the four leaked screenshots, while answering some questions, raise even more about how the game will play.
Valve has created some of the most popular PC gaming titles. Dota 2, Counter-Strike, and Team Fortress 2 are constant moneymakers for the company. While studio fans were hoping for the long-awaited Half-Life 3, Valve seems interested in another new multiplayer-focused IP with Deadlock.
Deadlock gameplay leak is a mix of Dota and Overwatch
6v6 hero shooter Deadlock’s gameplay seems inspired by Dota 2, complete with lanes, minions, and towers.
The leaked screenshot has a minimap showing four lanes in the top right corner. The game also appears to have minions or creeps called Troopers. If Dota or League of Legends are any inspiration, the Troopers will be AI-controlled fodder for the player-controlled characters to farm. Killing enemy troopers seems to reward in-game currency to purchase player or tower upgrades. Another screenshot shows a souls counter at the bottom left side of the screen. These could be the currency players farm by eliminating troopers or destroying enemy towers.
Leaker Gabe Follower talked about “tower defense” gameplay featured in Deadlock. The UI in the screenshots also shows eight towers on the map, with four belonging to each team. There is a lot of potential here for players upgrading or buffing towers. Tower defense systems could make Deadlock stand out from other games in the genre.
Deadlock heroes mix fantasy and retrofuturism
Deadlock has heroes with unique abilities and ultimates with a high fantasy setting mixed with steampunk.
The unique mix of steampunk and fantasy could help Deadlock differentiate itself from the competition. Most MOBA games have a fantasy theme while Overwatch is futuristic. Deadlock also has no repeating characters on each side, which implies a large number of heroes in the starting roster. Another screenshot shows Grey Talon, a ranged archer with three regular abilities and an ultimate.
A screenshot of testing shows that the ultimate has a long cooldown timer of around two minutes. This could indicate a long match time, much longer than Overwatch. The test screenshot also implies experience gain with “400 to next” near the health bar. Heroes can probably level up just like in Dota 2. Deadlock has not yet been officially announced by Valve, but the game seems to be in late development. Fans can expect Valve to show off the game soon. However, Valve’s time is very different from other developers, so the reveal could be this year or anytime in the next decade.
