"Valve Unveils Deadlock: New MOBA Shooter on Steam"

Valve has finally broken its silence and officially unveiled Deadlock, its eagerly anticipated MOBA shooter, which has been making waves in the gaming community. Dive into the latest updates on Valve's relaxed restrictions, the closed beta's impressive player stats, detailed gameplay insights, and the eyebrow-raising approach Valve is taking with its Steam store standards.

Valve Officially Announces Deadlock's Public Availability

Valve has officially lifted the curtain on Deadlock, its highly anticipated MOBA shooter, sending shockwaves through the gaming community. Over the weekend, Valve confirmed the game's existence and launched its official page on Steam. The closed beta for Deadlock reached a new peak with 89,203 concurrent players, significantly surpassing the previous peak of 44,512 on August 18.

Deadlock was previously a subject of leaks and speculation, with Valve maintaining tight-lipped confidentiality. However, the company has now eased its restrictions, allowing public discussions, streaming, and community engagement about the game. Despite this newfound openness, Valve emphasizes that Deadlock remains an invite-only experience and is still in the early stages of development, featuring temporary art and experimental gameplay elements.

Deadlock Promising To Be A MOBA Shooter

As reported by The Verge, Deadlock melds the dynamic elements of both MOBA and shooter genres. The game features 6-on-6 combat reminiscent of Overwatch, where teams compete to push back opponents and guide an army of NPC grunts through multiple lanes. This creates a constantly evolving battlefield where both human-controlled heroes and NPC allies play pivotal roles.

Matches in Deadlock are fast-paced and intense, requiring players to juggle leading their Troopers and engaging in direct combat. The game's innovative mechanics include frequent Trooper respawns, wave-based battles, and strategic use of powerful abilities and upgrades. Gameplay emphasizes coordination and tactical depth, with a mix of melee and ranged combat, and movement options like sliding, dashing, and zip-lining to navigate the map.

Deadlock boasts 20 different heroes, each with unique abilities and playstyles, encouraging experimentation and teamwork. Despite being in early development, the game's potential is clear, and Valve's approach to inviting players for feedback and testing adds an intriguing layer to its release strategy.

Valve’s Controversial Approach to Store Standards

In a surprising move, Valve appears to be bending its own Steam Store guidelines for Deadlock. According to Valve’s standards, a game page should feature at least five screenshots. However, Deadlock’s store page currently only includes a single teaser video, showcasing a brief, atmospheric shot of an alley and passing figures with weapons.

This deviation has sparked criticism, with some arguing that Valve, as a Steamworks Partner, should adhere to the same rules as other developers. A similar issue arose during a March 2024 sale of The Orange Box, where Valve was criticized for adding promotional stickers to its store page, though this was later addressed. 3DGlyptics, the publisher and developer of B.C. Piezophile, has pointed out that Valve's actions undermine the consistency and fairness of Steam’s platform policies.

Despite the controversy, Valve's dual role as both a game developer and platform owner means that traditional enforcement mechanisms may not apply. As Deadlock progresses through its development and testing phases, it remains to be seen how Valve will address these concerns, if at all.