It’s not even out yet, but Valve’s Deadlock just became one of the most played games on Steam

Valve’s Deadlock, a MOBA hero shooter hybrid still in development, has climbed to become one of Steam’s most-played games following a major “City Never Sleeps” update. The expansion brought sweeping changes including a complete map overhaul, six new heroes, substantial UI and HUD revisions, and numerous quality-of-life improvements. The update also included technical enhancements such as an upgrade to the Source 2 engine, improved anti-cheat systems, rendering and audio performance optimizations, and 800+ new pre-match voice lines to enhance character interactions.

The update’s launch drove remarkable engagement: Deadlock achieved a peak concurrent player count exceeding 220,000 users overnight, shattering its previous all-time record and propelling it to the sixth most-played game on Steam’s charts. This surge is particularly notable given that Deadlock remains in early access with limited public availability—the game has not yet received an official release date. Despite these access restrictions, players with entry granted jumped into the update in large numbers, reflecting strong community enthusiasm for the game’s progress and content additions.

The performance of the update demonstrates significant player appetite for Deadlock’s blend of MOBA and hero shooter mechanics, suggesting promising momentum ahead of its eventual full launch.

Sources