Fashion expert Tom Henderson has revealed details about Deadlock, an experimental shooter currently in development at Valve. This new venture of Gabe Newell’s is undergoing internal alpha testing and is characterized as being in “early development with numerous experimental gameplay features and artistic elements.” The game’s concept is subject to multiple changes.
The shooter’s gameplay is limited to 6v6 team battles, offering players a third-person perspective and a selection of diverse heroes, including mages, robots, humans, ghosts, and more.
Presently, the game features 19 heroes, each with unique abilities and playstyles such as long-range combat, support, defense, offense, healing, and so on. The game’s loops and mechanics share significant similarities with those of Dota 2.
In Deadlock, players earn a unique currency called “Souls” for each enemy defeated, which can be used to purchase items that enhance their heroes’ abilities. These souls will ascend to heaven after some time, necessitating their quick collection or shooting with weapons. Hostile AIs will also spawn in the arena, and defeating them yields souls as well.
At the center of the map lies a zone guarded by the strongest AI boss; vanquishing this foe grants all team members a substantial currency bonus. Accumulated souls can be saved rather than spent, stored in special containers for team-wide access. However, be wary as your Soul Urn, which displays your location to all when carried, can be seized by adversaries.
Deadlock is anticipated to launch between 2025 and 2026.
