Deadlock’s gigantic new update gives its city a spooky new coat of paint and debuts 6 new heroes, including the one and only Rat King

Valve released a major update for its lane-based multiplayer hero shooter Deadlock, furthering development of the still-invitation-only game. The City Never Sleeps update introduces significant visual and gameplay changes, including a complete redesign of Deadlock’s central map split into three distinct thematic zones: a bright city center, a haunted university, and a shadowy stock exchange.

The update adds six new playable heroes to Deadlock’s roster, including the Rat King and Nurse Harrow, alongside over 10,000 new voice lines that expand the game’s narrative and character depth. The update also introduces new creatures officially designated as Haunts, representing an evolution of the game’s creep mechanics.

The update’s release coincided with Deadlock reaching an all-time concurrent player peak of 228,000 on Steam, demonstrating substantial player interest despite limited availability. This marks the game’s second major overhaul since January’s Old Gods New Blood update.

Despite remaining in invite-only early access without an official public announcement from Valve, Deadlock has maintained active development for approximately two years. The scale and ambition of the City Never Sleeps update demonstrates Valve’s continued commitment to the project, with months of work evident across art, design, and voice acting.

Sources

• Deadlock’s gigantic new update gives its city a spooky new coat of paint and debuts 6 new heroes, including the one and only Rat King
• Valve Rolls Out Huge Update for Hero Shooter Deadlock as Game Hits All-Time Peak
• With Deadlock’s latest updating promising six new heroes, over 10,000 new voice lines and too much more to mention, it’s clear Valve are still pretty committed to it