Deadlock
News, coverage and analysis tracking Deadlock across the outlets.
Latest coverage
Valve's Gambit: Deadlock's chess-playing new hero is its riskiest yet, and it's working
Valve's new hero shooter MOBA, Deadlock, is seeing significant player engagement on Steam, even in its invite-only beta phase, surpassing Team Fortress 2's peak player count. The game's latest character, Solomon, a chess hustler, introduces complex mechanics that allow players to manipulate their team and battlefield using chess pieces, offering a unique and ambitious gameplay experience.
Chessmaster Solomon wins Deadlock City Never Sleeps update's third character vote
Solomon has won the third character vote for the Deadlock City Never Sleeps update. This character utilizes chess-based abilities for defense, offense, and strategic maneuvering. Solomon is now available in Deadlock.
Don't worry, Valve: I've got your next Deadlock character concepts sorted
This article proposes several character concepts for Valve's game Deadlock, aiming to fill perceived gaps in its occult and cryptozoological roster. The author suggests ideas like a 'Summer Mummy' from the comic strip Heathcliff, a minotaur baseball player, and a haunted boxer suit, emphasizing their potential for unique gameplay and aesthetic appeal.
Baba wins the second Deadlock City Never Sleeps update character vote
Baba Yaga, referred to simply as Baba, has won the character vote for the second new character in Deadlock's City Never Sleeps update. She is now playable in the game, featuring abilities like Threadsap, Granny Long Legs, Baba's Brew, and Feed The Birds. The next character unlock is scheduled for next week.
Deadlock isn't a MOBA or a third-person shooter anymore—City Never Sleeps has turned it into a horror game
The article argues that Valve's Deadlock has transformed into a horror game following its 'City Never Sleeps' update, despite its MOBA and third-person shooter roots. The author recounts terrifying encounters with new characters like the Rat King and Abrams, highlighting how unpredictable player actions and new mechanics create a frightening experience.
Top 10 rats of the Deadlock's Rat King
This article highlights ten notable subordinate rats of the Rat King in the game Deadlock, detailing their names and the lore revealed through the Rat King's voice lines. The piece explores the personalities and roles of characters like Hera, Liv, Jimmy T, and Valerie, offering insights into the game's world.
March of Giants' Creative Director knows the MOBA market is ruthless, but he believes he can replicate his Rainbow Six Siege success
Ubisoft Montreal's Creative Director Xavier Marquis believes March of Giants can succeed in the competitive MOBA market by offering a unique blend of real-time strategy and MOBA elements, drawing parallels to the success of Rainbow Six Siege. Despite acknowledging the market's ruthlessness and the failures of past competitors, Marquis and his team are driven by a passion to innovate and create a game they themselves would want to play.
Deadlock is the king of MOBA character designs, and it's all thanks to Valve's embrace of New Yorkyness
Valve's upcoming MOBA, Deadlock, is praised for its unique character designs that draw heavily from New York City archetypes, setting it apart from other MOBAs like Dota 2 and Heroes of the Storm. The game's embrace of specific cultural elements and its original narrative potential are highlighted as key strengths, fostering strong community enthusiasm.
Deadlock's new hero Rat King has over 100 voice lines dedicated to throwing rats at you
The game Deadlock has received a significant update introducing a new tank hero named Rat King. This character, a giant humanoid rodent, features over 100 unique voice lines dedicated to his ability to throw rats at enemies, adding substantial personality to the game.
Deadlock's Rat King is Valve's monstrous answer to over a year of community jokes
Valve has introduced the Rat King as the first new hero for its in-development MOBA, Deadlock. This character's arrival fulfills over a year of community desire, stemming from a fan concept that gained significant traction. The Rat King is designed as a frontline tank with abilities focused on lifesteal, area-of-effect damage, and teamfight initiation.
Evening Reading - October 2, 2026
This Friday reading covers a variety of gaming news including updates on The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Fortnite, Minecraft, and Monster Hunter Wilds. It also touches on the cancellation of PUBG's Black Budget, Deadlock's Rat King, and Team Fortress 2's Scream Fortress event. Additionally, there are mentions of game deals, a review of Star Wars: Galactic Racer, and updates for World of Warcraft and Marvel Snap.
Deadlock's Rat King voted in as the first playable character of the City Never Sleeps update
The Rat King has been voted as the first playable character in Deadlock's City Never Sleeps update. Valve confirmed the winner via a Steam developer blog post, and players can now vote on the next character unlock until Tuesday, October 6, 2026.
Valve's patch note supremacy
Valve's approach to patch notes, particularly for Deadlock and historically for Team Fortress 2, is praised for its creative and engaging presentation, styled like tourism brochures or comic books. This contrasts with the more functional patch notes of games like Counter-Strike 2 and Dota 2, and highlights Valve's past innovation in storytelling and post-launch support for live service games.
Steam on track to earn a record $20 billion this year thanks to games like The Witcher 3 Remastered and Wardogs, analyst…
Steam is projected to earn a record $20 billion in revenue this year, according to analyst firm Alinea Analytics. The platform saw a massive September, bringing in $1.6 billion, and is on track to surpass its previous yearly earnings. Major game releases like Wardogs and the remaster of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt have contributed significantly to this success.
March of Giants goes back to MOBA's roots, and its giant-filled, alt-WW1 world doesn't feel out of time
Ubisoft Montreal's upcoming free-to-play MOBA/RTS hybrid, March of Giants, impresses with its blend of classic real-time strategy elements and modern MOBA conventions. Set in an alternate World War I, the game features unique giants and a strong emphasis on troop management, offering a fresh take on the genre that aims to be accessible to newcomers while providing depth for veterans.
Evening Reading - September 30, 2026
This Evening Reading roundup covers various gaming news and updates, including reviews for End of Abyss and Valheim, Fallout 76's upcoming updates, and Persona 5 Royal's crossover into Rocket League and Fortnite. It also notes Grasshopper Manufacture's separation from NetEase Games and mentions a humorous tweet about a hypothetical FromSoftware exclusive for the Nintendo Switch 2.
Valve’s still-developing multiplayer shooter Deadlock drops a massive update and sees a swell of player activity
Valve's unreleased multiplayer shooter Deadlock has received a significant update called 'The City Never Sleeps,' introducing new characters, a redesigned battle map, and various visual upgrades. This update has led to a surge in player activity, with the game's beta reaching a new peak of over 228,000 concurrent players on Steam. Future development priorities include character progression, customization, and alternate game modes.
Valve says Deadlock is still too unfinished to release publicly, but has hero cosmetics and new game modes in the works
Valve has stated that Deadlock, its invite-only MOBA, is still too unfinished for a public release despite recent updates and new content. The company is focusing on parallel development across various aspects of the game, including progression and hero customizations, and is experimenting with speculative features like new game modes and item redesigns. Valve emphasizes the difficulty of multiplayer game development and the importance of player feedback in shaping the game before a wider launch.
Deadlock fans are having a field day with the City Never Sleeps update's new voice lines
The latest 'City Never Sleeps' update for Valve's game Deadlock has significantly increased the number of unique voice lines between characters, delighting players. The update also includes new playable characters and a map revamp, but the expanded pre-match chatter is being highlighted by the community for adding depth and humor.
It's not even out yet, but Valve's Deadlock just became one of the most played games on Steam
Valve's unreleased MOBA, Deadlock, has seen a significant surge in concurrent players on Steam following its 'City Never Sleeps' update. The update introduced a revamped map, new heroes, and numerous quality-of-life improvements, propelling the game to its highest player count yet. Despite not having a full release date, the game's ongoing development and community engagement suggest strong potential.
