Valve’s unreleased title, Deadlock, has caused quite a stir lately, as players have begun testing the game through exclusive keys. The new third-person shooter MOBA isn’t even visible yet on the Steam store and hasn’t even been officially announced to the public. However, that hasn’t stopped the beta testers from sharing the multiplayer experience with over 18,000 people and growing. How did this happen? How are people playing an unreleased, unannounced game? Come along and let’s explore how Valve’s Deadlock is already an early-access success.
How Do You Get Access?
As of right now, there are only two ways to get into this very exclusive playtest. You can either be invited by Valve directly or be invited by someone else who already has access. Curious Steam users are even flooding social media in hopes of meeting someone with a free key. However, there are some caveats. Playtesters have to recommend friends to be invited by providing Valve with their e-mail. After this, there’s still no guarantee that the recommendee will get into the closed test. If all goes well, after this recommendation, it’s possible to see access to the game after a few days.
If you don’t happen to have any friends with access, it’s possible to get invited to the game at random. Valve seems to be handing out invitations left and right. Something of note here is that players with experience in Valve’s other multiplayer games such as DOTA 2 and Team Fortress 2 are allegedly more likely to be invited than those without it. However, that doesn’t mean you can guarantee a spot just by playing hours of DOTA 2 all of a sudden. The odds are still relatively random. The best real way to get in is to keep an eye on your inbox and hope for an invite as the game’s release draws nearer.
What We Know So Far
Deadlock may have a super secret status right now, but is it deserving of all the hype? Players have described the game as a third-person shooter crossed with a MOBA. Having not yet played the game myself, I would venture to say this is fairly similar to something like Smite, an already long-established third-person MOBA from 2014. Unlike Smite, though, Deadlock is also described as being similar to something like Overwatch, focusing more on the shooter gameplay than the macro of the map. It’s a 6-v-6 team-based game where players absolutely must work together to achieve victory.
The MOBA elements of the game include an army of minions to lead down each lane, destroying enemy structures to progress forward, and a final boss to defeat. The shooter elements are things like the nonstop action, third-person view, and floaty, forgiving in-and-out gameplay. As you progress in Deadlock, you can buy abilities and skills for your heroes. The upgrades include your standard action game fare, like damage per second, healing, and movement speed. Having the freedom to choose a build for each character allows players to make each hero their own and allows teams to coordinate in creative new ways.
Needless to say, the anticipation to try Deadlock is growing every day. Valve is certainly aware of this fact by now as over 18,000 people are currently testing the game. Beware, though, as some sources say players are being banned from matchmaking due to the shady nature of the key sharing. Remember to stay safe out there and access the game through legitimate means, even if it means waiting a little longer. It might just save you some trouble down the road.
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