Uutgitt Valve-spill i dødvannssituasjon utfordrer Overwatch i antall spillere

Valve’s new game, Deadlock, is seeing player engagement that rivals established titles, despite being an unreleased, invite-only project. The team-based hero shooter became the sixth most played game on Steam in the United States during January, according to the statistics-tracking company Circana. This surge in popularity indicates that Valve’s next multiplayer game is generating significant interest within the gaming community before its full release.

This hidden free-to-play game combines elements of a hero shooter with a Multiplayer Online Battle Arena, drawing comparisons to a blend of Valve’s other successful titles, Team Fortress 2 and Dota 2. The gameplay involves players selecting a fantasy hero with a 1930s gangster-inspired aesthetic. Players then engage in matches where they earn cash by killing computer-controlled characters in lanes, which allows them to purchase upgrades and increase their power to overwhelm the opposing team.

The game had a soft launch in the autumn of 2024, which initially garnered substantial interest. However, player numbers eventually declined until a major update, titled " Old Gods, New Blood," was released in January of this year. This update introduced six new characters to the roster, a new, faster-paced game mode, and a significant overhaul of the overall game experience. The impact of the update was immediate and substantial. According to SteamDB, concurrent player numbers grew from a high of approximately 30,000 at the beginning of the year to a peak of 125,000 concurrent players within a 24-hour period.

For comparison, Overwatch currently has a peak Steam player base of 134,000. I can see the game's unique blend of genres contributing to this rapid growth. The six new characters introduced are Silver, Rem, Graves, Apollo, Celeste, and Venator. They are being released gradually, with two becoming available each week starting from January 26th. Players have the ability to vote for the release order of these new characters by earning votes through playing the game.

The new, faster game mode is called Street Brawl. It offers a 4v4 alternative where the in-game shopping system is streamlined to a random selection each round. In this mode, resources are equalized for all players, and the ability to farm for resources is disabled. The update also included a redesign of the patrons, which are the end bosses for each team. These redesigned patrons, named the Hidden King and the Archmother, are described as polar opposites, and each has its own thematically designed arena. To help players try out the new heroes, a priority token system is being introduced.

Additionally, in-game sprays for each new character are available, allowing players to show their support for their chosen hero in live matches. Numerous quality-of-life changes were also implemented, including a revamped post-game screen and an adjustment to how the Most Valuable Player is determined. More detailed post-game statistics screens will provide players with a better breakdown of their performance, and various user interface overhauls aim to improve visibility and ease of play. The in-game settings have also undergone a massive rework, and map updates are ongoing.

The popularity of Deadlock is particularly noteworthy because the game is not freely accessible. Prospective players must receive an invitation from someone who is currently playing. While invitations are being distributed by many streamers and Deadlock content creators, the game is not in an open-access state. Furthermore, Valve is not currently advertising or promoting the game in any significant way. The official Deadlock Steam page contains very little information about the title. Yet, players are actively seeking out access to the game. I do believe this grassroots interest speaks to Valve's strong reputation in the industry.

The company's previous titles have had a major impact, with Team Fortress 2 often credited with creating the hero shooter genre and Dota 2 standing as one of the most popular MOBAs in the world. Dota 2 maintains a current peak concurrent player base of 830,000, making it the second most-played game on Steam. The community around Deadlock has been active, with some members anticipating the recent major update after noticing a surge in activity at pizza places near the Valve office. There is currently no official release date for Deadlock, nor is there any information on when it will be openly available for testing and play.