Are you sick of playing the same competitive multiplayer game over and over again? Are you tired of booting up Overwatch for the 10th year in a row when gaming trends have evolved so deeply? Valve probably agrees with you, and they have a brand new experience in the works that you can play right now for free: Deadlock. This competitive shooter is currently in closed beta, however the amount of care, expression and adoption of growing mechanical trends is enough to keep me positive that Deadlock will change the gaming landscape forever.
Deadlock is set in an alternate 1949 New York City – often referred to as the ‘Cursed Apple’ – in which occult and supernatural events are occurring. Immediately, it’s obvious how original of an idea this setting is within the competitive multiplayer genre, which often is plagued by military simulations or a 15 year old fantasy setting. I’m looking at you, League of Legends.
The game currently features a cast of 38 playable characters, each with deeply fleshed out ideation, abilities and roles on a team. Despite the game’s stage of development, each character successfully shows their purpose and features an intriguing design not often seen in competitive games to this degree. Take Abrams for example. This character is a devil-like, muscular man with blue skin, draped in a trench coat and grasping a large book currently handcuffed to his arm. Already this design grabs attention and curiosity, stimulating players to wonder what this character’s story is, while pretty easily understanding that this character will be played to be up close in the enemy team’s face, with thanks to his stature.
As far as gameplay goes, Deadlock recognises the movement-focused direction many games have adopted in recent years – such as the indie darling ULTRAKILL – and leaned into it head first. Players in Deadlock can utilise a stamina system in which they dash, dodge and zip-line around to approach, escape or simply traverse the map. This, from personal experience, has been incredibly refreshing for a AAA game studio to approach as the execution is incredibly satisfying and stems from the history explored in some of the most successful indie titles, adapting to players’ growing engagement with fast paced gameplay and developing an experience that feels genuinely unique.
Whilst Deadlock is not even remotely a complete game, what is playable is enough to understand that Valve has a truly special experience on their hands here. Balancing a fascinating setting, attention-grabbing characters and smooth, stimulating gameplay all at once is not an easy feat, and proves that Deadlock will truly set the bar at an all time high for competitive multiplayer games.
Bethany Miguel 
Tarkyn Sharples 
Sonya Murphy