In May 2024, the gaming world was abuzz with the first confirmed reports of a new game from Valve, the developer behind esports titles like Counter-Strike 2 (CS2) and Dota 2 and iconic single-player franchises like Half-Life and Portal. It’s called Deadlock, and the official description is very basic: “a multiplayer game in early development.”
A new title from Valve is one of the most exciting things that can happen for the gaming industry and the esports scene. Join us in the hype as we explain what Deadlock is, discuss the game’s competitive potential, and outline the first tournaments.
Please note: Our writer has been secretly enjoying the game for more than a month via an invite-only Deadlock playtest and will share his expert opinion after dozens of hours in-game.
Deadlock Esports – A Quick Guide
What Is Deadlock?
Those lucky enough to get Closed Alpha access describe it as a team-based multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) combined with a third-person shooter with heroes! Think Overwatch or maybe even VALORANT, but in a third-person view like Fortnite, crossed with Dota 2 or League of Legends. Elements of both genres are mixed to form a brilliant union that feels fantastic to play.
How Does Deadlock Work?
In a match, you’ll see two teams of six battling each other and computer-controlled enemies (creeps) in four lanes as they complete various objectives, like destroying defensive enemy structures. A winner emerges when one team destroys the other’s Patron (a gigantic golem).
As a match progresses, players gain levels and grow in power, upgrading their character’s unique abilities. There is an in-game item shop where you can spend currency called Souls (earned in a match) to purchase gear to upgrade your Deadlock heroes.
Host of the PC Gaming Show, caster, content creator, and esports icon, Sean “Day[9]” Plott called Deadlock his favorite game to play and showed off the game in a 20-minute explainer video, which we highly recommend you check out to learn more about the basics of Deadlock’s gameplay and mechanics.
The map in Deadlock is enormous—much more expansive than anything in CS2, VALORANT, or any hero shooter. Valve added zip lines and various traversal abilities, like dashes and slides, so players can get around faster. From our writer’s experience, a Deadlock match can last up to 50 minutes, but the average Deadlock match lasts roughly 25 minutes, give or take a few minutes.
Can I Play Deadlock Right Now?
You can only play Deadlock right now if you receive a Closed Alpha invite from Valve or if someone already participating sends you an invite via Steam. There’s no way to play without an invite. You can check out Deadlock’s official Steam page and add it to your Wishlist to get notified of any updates. There’s no official Deadlock release date.
Deadlock’s Potential In The Esports Scene
From your first moments in Deadlock, it will be apparent that the game was created to take the esports world by storm. For a game in an early development state with experimental gameplay elements, Deadlock just blows our minds. It’s already more polished than some games at launch and boasts so many intricate gameplay elements it is impossible to list them all. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
If Valve’s history with Dota 2 and Counter-Strike is anything to go by, we can confidently say that Deadlock’s future as an esports title is bright. The developer already has a quality product and a reputation for pushing the esports scene forward.
Valve’s Esports History
Valve made esports history back in 2011 with the first The International, featuring a prize pool of $1.6 million. At the time, it was by far the biggest prize pool ever for an esports event. While the prize pools of individual Internationals have had ups and downs over the years, the cumulative prize pool for the annual event series is over $205 million. There are also Valve-sponsored Major Championships for Counter-Strike that have featured prize pools of $1 million or more.
This is clear and quantifiable proof that the developer can and will support their esports-focused titles with massive tournaments, drawing in huge fanbases of passionate fans and record-setting viewership numbers.
Deadlock Esports – Expert Predictions
We predict that when Valve officially opens the floodgates and lets everyone experience Deadlock via Open Beta or a full release, it will quickly skyrocket to become one of the biggest esports titles ever. Deadlock has the depth of gameplay and mechanics to fall under the “easy to start in, but will take years to master” category of games.
But don’t just take our word for it. Speaking about Deadlock after Valve lifted the NDA, Counter-Strike legend and one of the biggest Twitch streamers in the world, Michael “Shroud” Grzesiek, said: “This game is going to easily—and I mean easily—take over.” Shroud then continued to explain that Deadlock is, in his opinion, the first arena shooter/MOBA “that actually is good.”
As a Valve game, Deadlock also has built-in bells and whistles, taking advantage of Valve’s servers and massive infrastructure that powers Dota 2, CS2, and Team Fortress 2. Even in the Closed Alpha, a tab allows you to watch ongoing Deadlock matches, making it ideal for spectators and tournament organizers.
Deadlock Esports Tournaments So Far
At the time of writing (September 2024), Valve has not announced the first official Deadlock tournament. Additionally, there are no official plans from the most prominent tournament organizers, such as BLAST, ESL, and PGL. However, there have already been a few Deadlock tournaments, and we know of a significant one coming up.
Deadlock Prime Invitational Details (Upcoming)
The Deadlock Prime Invitational tournament features a $10,000 prize pool. It is organized by Deadlock Core and sponsored by afterMath Esports. The event runs from Oct. 4-5, 2024, and will be played online via the North American servers. It will feature a single-elimination bracket format, and the organizers have teased that it will include “top pros from several games.”
Deadlock Core Tournament #1
The first recorded Deadlock tournament featuring a prize pool ($120) was played on June 3, 2024. This online event had a single-elimination bracket format created by Deadlock Core. A team called “BOMBA” won the event with a 2-0 in the Grand Final against “we don’t suck.” More Deadlock Core tournaments are planned.
Downtown Showdown NA #1
Featuring a prize pool of $1,500, the Downtown Showdown North America #1 event took place on Aug. 25, 2024, two days after Valve lifted the NDA on Deadlock. The tournament format was a single-elimination bracket with matches being BO1, except the 3rd-place and Grand Final matches, which were both BO3. The Cabal beat Catgirls and Friends 2-0 in the Grand Final. We’ve learned that Downtown Showdown NA #2 is taking place at the end of September 2024.
Aurora Deadlock Masters
From Sept. 6-8, the Aurora Deadlock Masters took place online, organized by Aurora Gaming and 13YOG. It featured a single-elimination bracket format (all matches BO3), with four invited teams and a $10,000 prize pool. Team MikaelS beat Team Recrent 2-0 in the Grand Final to claim victory and the lion’s share of the prize pool.
What’s Next for Deadlock Esports?
As we await official Deadlock events, we’re excited to see what the community pulls together in the coming months. After all, there is no guarantee that Valve will even fully release this game, let alone host official tournaments. But if the online hype and our personal experience with Deadlock is any indication, its future seems incredibly bright.
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