Deadlock FAQ#

This page gathers the questions new and returning players ask most. The game sits in a closed-playtest phase of early access, so for many questions the honest answer is “defer to the game itself” — this page sticks to marking where confirmed facts end, and invents nothing unverified.

The Basics#

What kind of game is Deadlock?#

A MOBA and third-person shooter hybrid developed by Valve, built on Source 2 (moved to the latest Source 2 version after the “City Never Sleeps” update) and playable on Steam. The match skeleton comes from MOBAs (three lanes, creep waves, defensive structures, item progression), while the control layer comes from third-person shooters (over-the-shoulder camera, real-time aiming, movement abilities). For a full structural breakdown, see Game Overview and Genre Positioning.

What state is the game in?#

Early access, in a closed-playtest phase (since August 2024). No official release date has been announced. Also worth knowing: according to data as of May 2026, Deadlock is the most wishlisted game on Steam.

Is the game free? How do I get access?#

The access methods for the closed playtest (invites, applications, and so on) are not covered in the public sources this section draws on, so this site cannot claim whether the game is free or paid — defer to the latest word from the Steam store page and official channels.

What platforms can I play on?#

PC (Steam). Valve has announced no plans for any other platform.

The Current Patch: “City Never Sleeps”#

What is “City Never Sleeps”?#

The largest content update Valve has released for the game, launched on September 29, 2026. It covers: a full rework of the “Cursed Apple” map (three renamed lanes, four new districts, and an underground Sunken Plaza), six new heroes with a vote-to-release system, nine themed Haunt camps, the Broker trading system, a reworked HUD and shop, plus a large investment in localization and accessibility. For the full breakdown, see The “City Never Sleeps” Update Explained.

How popular is the game after the update?#

According to third-party tracking, the update pushed the Steam peak concurrent player count to 228,086, an all-time high for the game. The previous major update came roughly 8 months earlier (after Old Gods New Blood), and this one successfully pulled veteran players back in.

New Heroes#

Which heroes can I play right now?#

The current roster is whatever the in-game hero list shows (this site does not list unconfirmed names). Six new heroes are confirmed to arrive in batches: the first hero goes live on October 2, 2026, then one hero every Tuesday and Friday at 14:00 Pacific time, with all six released over roughly three weeks. Profiles of all six are in Hero Overview and Release Schedule.

How is the new hero release order decided?#

Player voting. Voting happens in the new Pregame lobby, and the winning team’s votes count double, as do first-win-of-the-day votes. Want your favorite hero out sooner: play a match every day, secure your first win of the day, and coordinate votes with your teammates. Mechanics explained in New Hero Release and Voting.

What are Priority Tokens?#

A system introduced alongside the first new hero, tied to the vote-to-release mechanic. For exact earn and spend rules, defer to the explanations inside the game.

Map and Resources#

What changed about the three lanes?#

A complete rename: the old mid lane (blue) is now Broadway, the old bottom lane (green) is now Greenwich, and the old top lane (yellow) is now York, with landmark paths reworked (Times Square, Central Park, the Stock Exchange, and more). Lane-by-lane strategy: Three-Lane Overview.

Why did every neutral camp change?#

All original neutral camps were removed and replaced with nine themed Haunt camps — Taxidermy, Sewer Ghouls, Barrel Mimics, Stagehands, Cabbage Pots, Festival Spirits, Mushrooms, Slum Mushrooms, and Underground Hands, plus Cursed Books around Sunken Plaza. Each camp behaves differently; locations and farming are covered in Haunt Camps Explained.

What is the Bell Tower, and why is everyone talking about it?#

The Bell Tower in Chinatown holds a large stash of souls, but collecting them rings the bell and alerts the surrounding area. The payout is broadcast map-wide — looting it alone amounts to announcing your position to everyone nearby. Move with a teammate’s rhythm: get into position before you collect, and treat the alarm like a fishing bell. See The Four Districts Explained.

Is Sunken Plaza worth visiting?#

A deep space beneath the main plaza. The deeper you go, the bigger the rewards, but stamina drains continuously and the city’s sounds fade away. Rewards and survival pressure climb together, and the fading city soundscape strips away environmental information. Advice: go deep as a group and be careful solo; before entering the deep zone, plan around your stamina budget and an exit route. See Interactive Map Resources.

What do Buff Containers give?#

Golden statues that, once destroyed, grant one of four permanent buffs: bullet resistance, spirit resistance, ability range, or movement speed. Break them on sight — there is no reason to leave a permanent buff for the enemy team.

The Broker and Items#

What is The Broker?#

A roaming merchant added in “City Never Sleeps” who can trade your high-tier items for upgraded Corrupted Items, with each upgrade carrying a random downside. The first wave appears about 30 minutes into a match, then restocks roughly every 15 minutes; every player in a match sees identical stats and values; and the stock is limited and disappears after the first new hero launches (a limited-time system). Decision framework: Broker Trading Mechanics.

How much do Corrupted Items cost?#

Exact costs are not itemized in the public update notes, so defer to the game itself. What gets traded is high-tier gear you already own (traded out, not newly bought).

Should I trade for Corrupted Items?#

Decide with four questions: 1) How much room for error does the current game state leave? 2) How close is the next teamfight window? 3) How will the opponents read this trade? 4) Is this batch of stock worth the bet? For a leading team, trading is pressing an advantage; for a losing team, it is gambling your life — same button, two meanings. The full framework: Broker Trading Mechanics.

What if I don’t know how to build my hero?#

After the shop rework, Popular Items show real-time player build data, and following them is the lowest-cost path for beginners. Builds support previewing, copy-paste, and category adjustments, and you can import community builds directly. See Shop and Build System.

Matches and Flow#

How do I use the new health bar info?#

The reworked health bar can show names, health, stamina, Rejuvenator status, ultimate availability, and low-health danger states. Three high-frequency reads: check stamina in lane (decides whether you can trade), check ultimates before engaging (decides whether you dare to open), check danger states when chasing (decides how deep you commit). See Reading the HUD.

How do I know who killed me?#

A new Event Feed shows which ability or item dealt the killing blow, along with the total bounty value and your personal share — death attribution no longer requires guesswork.

Are there ranked ranks?#

The ranked ladder tier system and matchmaking algorithm details are not covered in the public sources this section draws on; defer to the game. This page does not invent rank names. For other parts of the match flow, see Matchmaking and Match Flow.

How long does a match take?#

No official standard match length has been published. Judging from system design (the Broker’s first wave around minute 30, then restocks every 15 minutes), typical matches will span more than half an hour. Actual matches are the final word.

Settings and Performance#

Can my machine run it?#

No official system requirements table has been published; defer to the Steam store page. This site does not fabricate hardware requirements. For the general optimization framework (prioritize frame rate, keep the UI readable, let effects yield) and accessibility options, see Performance and Graphics Settings.

My frame rate dropped after the update — what now?#

This update moved the game to the latest version of Source 2. Update your GPU drivers first, then re-tune your graphics settings with the three-layer framework, and verify the results in a sandbox bot match. Details: Performance and Graphics Settings.

What accessibility options were added?#

Subtitles, auto-fire, auto-movement, and other accessibility options. Auto-fire and auto-movement make a good bridge while you are learning; once you are comfortable, turn them off for precise control. Subtitles pair with roughly 10,000 lines of non-ping voice content, so you lose no information even where listening is impractical.

Version Roadmap#

What will the next update change?#

Directions confirmed in Valve’s official development notes: a model and layout rework for the Midboss, with Guardian and Walker reworks as future update priorities; hero model refreshes progressing gradually through late development; polish on the progression system and hero/hideout customization. A larger item redesign and alternative modes remain experimental — they may or may not ship, so do not treat them as settled fact. Full roadmap: The “City Never Sleeps” Update Explained.

When is the full release?#

Unannounced. The game’s wishlist standing (Steam’s most wishlisted game as of May 2026 data) and the update cadence both point to active development, but there is no official word on a release date — this site will not guess at dates, and this section will update the moment one is announced.

Will guides go out of date?#

Yes. Systems and values can change at any point during early access, and every page in this section carries its writing baseline date (2026-10-01, the “City Never Sleeps” patch). If page content ever disagrees with the live game, the game wins — use the date at the end of each page to judge how current the information is.

Quick Navigation#