Valve's Deadlock Draws Over 170,000 Players in Exclusive Playtest: A New Era for Third-Person Shooter MOBAs?

Valve's new game, Deadlock, became the talk of the gaming community last week, drawing significant attention to the third-person shooter MOBA. The excitement was partly fueled by the exclusive nature of its playtest, where access was limited to those who received an invite from someone already in the game. This exclusivity seems to have sparked widespread interest, as the game boasted over 170,000 concurrent players on Steam during the past weekend.

According to SteamDB, Deadlock reached a peak of 171,490 concurrent players on Monday, September 2, 2024, at around 12 p.m. PT/ 3 p.m. ET. Considering that the playtest was only accessible via invitation from a friend or a Valve employee, these numbers are impressive.

Valve's reputation likely played a significant role in the game's early success. Known for rarely releasing anything less than stellar, Valve seems poised to deliver another hit with Deadlock. The game puts a unique twist on the hero shooter and MOBA genres, offering four lanes and a diverse cast of characters, each capable of playing any role, adding to the game's fun and strategic depth.