Deadlock Breaks Steam Record Despite Invite-Only Status

Valve's hybrid MOBA hero shooter Deadlock has achieved a major milestone by breaking the all-time concurrent user record on Steam, even though the game remains in limited early access through an invite-only referral system.

The new peak of 262,145 concurrent players eclipsed Team Fortress 2's previous record of 253,997, which stood since 2023. The surge in player activity coincided with the introduction of Solomon, a new character whose abilities revolve around transforming portions of the map into an interactive chessboard. Solomon can deploy a knight to shield teammates, launch rooks as projectiles against opponents, and unleash a queen ultimate ability that clears the board. The character's reload mechanic simply resets the board rather than performing a traditional reload action.

The achievement is particularly striking given Deadlock's restricted access model. Despite being unavailable to the general public, the game has attracted hundreds of thousands of simultaneous players, currently ranking as the fifth most-played title on Steam. Only Counter-Strike 2 (1.2 million), Dota 2 (917,000), PUBG: Battlegrounds (709,000), and AION 2 (356,000) surpass it in concurrent players. Deadlock also outperforms established titles including Apex Legends, Rust, and Arc Raiders, and ranks at number 71 among all-time Steam games.

The "City Never Sleeps" update introducing Solomon represents the halfway point in a planned rollout of six new heroes. Players will vote next Tuesday at 2pm PDT to determine which character joins the roster next. The upcoming additions include Baba, described as a pigeon-themed character who steals enemy abilities using yarn mechanics, and the Rat King, who summons swarms of rats to overwhelm opponents.

Valve indicated that development remains focused on core gameplay refinement rather than visual polish. The studio is simultaneously working on multiple systems in parallel, including progression mechanics, hero and hideout customization options, and significant item redesigns. The developer also noted ongoing testing of alternative game modes that could expand the game's scope. Several experimental features remain under evaluation, with their inclusion dependent on playtesting results, though initial feedback has been encouraging.

The current version of Deadlock may differ substantially from its eventual full release, as Valve plans to adjust progression systems and customization features based on player feedback before the official launch. The game runs on Valve's Source 2 engine and supports online multiplayer, though Steam Deck compatibility remains unconfirmed. A formal release date has not been announced.