Welcome to the Cursed Apple

What if I told you that Valve, the company who created Steam, games like CS:GO, DOTA 2, the Portal Series, the Half-life series, Left 4 Dead 2, Garrys Mod, and Team Fortress 2, is making a completely new blend of the popular MOBA genre, and the popular Team shooter genre.

1. Genre-Blending Gameplay

Deadlock fuses fast-paced hero shooter mechanics (think Overwatch) with strategic, lane-based MOBA gameplay (like Dota 2 and League of Legends). Players control one of many heroes in 6-on-6 matches across three lanes, using abilities, movement mechanics (double-jumps, slides, zip lines), and in-game souls to buy upgrades and push NPC troopers toward the enemy’s core.

2. Frequent, Rich Development Updates

Valve’s commitment to evolving the game in partnership with its community is evident:

Major Updates: In August 2025, Valve launched a revamped visual style, a new “Hideout” lobby hub, and rolled out six fresh heroes—one immediately, then one every two days—letting players vote on the release order.

4. Community-Driven Design

The drip-feed hero releases, hero voting features, and active balancing show Valve is co-creating with its player base—not just pushing content out unilaterally.

5. Streamer Buzz & Early Praise

Streamers like Shroud have lauded the game as “probably the best third-person shooter I’ve ever played,” praising its refreshing depth and slick, strategic design.

This kind of praise from high-profile players adds fuel to the hype machine.

6. Continuous Gameplay Refinements

From reducing lanes (four to three), tweaking item shops, updating maps, balancing hero performance, to major UI upgrades like The Hideout, the game keeps feeling more polished with every update.