A leak from a closed playtest has revealed that Valve is working on a new game Deadlock, which seems to be a hero shooter crossed with a MOBA.
The leak comes from Valve insider Gabe Follower on X (formerly Twitter), as they report a playtest for the game is currently ongoing. Along with some details, Gabe Follower posted four screenshots that they say they can “verify,” with a look at a bow-wielding hero named Grey Talon.
Deadlock was formerly known under the code name Neon Prime and is a 6v6 hero shooter on a MOBA-style map with four lanes and tower defence options. Rails around the map can also be used to move between points quickly and are described to work like the rail movement in BioShock Infinite. There will also reportedly be usable abilities and items.
Hero design has been heavily inspired by the DoTa universe, and the game uses a fantasy mixed with a steampunk aesthetic. Gabe Follower says the title initially had more sci-fi elements inspired by Half-Life and Portal but was switched to focus on fantasy after bad feedback.
This would mark Valve’s first foray into the hero shooter genre, although the Team Fortress games could technically fall into that category. But it definitely looks like Deadlock is integrating some of Valve’s expertise on MOBAs from Dota.
Back in 2021, Valve co-founder Gabe Newell said the company had multiple games in development but also noted that they wanted to make more single-player games following the success of Half-Life Alyx in 2020.
Valve has yet to make any official announcement on Deadlock, but with a slew of events coming up, it seems likely we could see something in the next few months. June has both Summer Game Fest and the PC Gaming Show, which could both be viable candidates for an announcement.
