Deadlock hits a two-year high in concurrent players.
Valve’s latest update for the MOBA shooter Deadlock, entitled New Blood, Old Gods, is set to introduce six new heroes over the span of three weeks. The first of these heroes officially arrived earlier today, following a round of in-game player voting: Rem, the adorable little bird-creature who functions as a support-adjacent character.
With the introduction of Rem, the game’s concurrent player count also soared up to almost 100,000 players–the highest in two whole years.
Deadlock’s concurrent player count soars following Rem’s launch
Deadlock’s first big new update in a while, New Blood, Old Gods, has ushered in the first of its six new playable heroes: Rem. The sleepy bird-like character has proven to be an immediate hit among the playerbase, with many praising his design and adorable appearance–though his kit has proven to be a tad controversial, given that it lends players more powerful advantages on the battlefield.
Rem’s ability kit revolves around playing the objective and supporting his teammates, as he can attach himself to allies to heal them, and move around the map quickly by ducking into small vents inaccessible to most other heroes. One of his abilities, “Lil Helpers,” allows him to farm for Souls without being physically hurt.
Following the introduction of Rem, Deadlock’s concurrent player count soared to nearly 100,000 today, according to SteamDB. Over the last 24 hours, the game peaked at 98,887 players, which has proven to be its highest concurrent player count in two years. The last time it managed to hit such numbers was in October 2024 (102,409 concurrent players), when the game was still enjoying the aftershocks of Valve lifting publicity restrictions, and allowing more players into the ongoing beta.
These publicity restrictions were lifted in August 2024, at which point the game hit 145,122 players. In September 2024, the game’s peak concurrent player count hit an all-time high of 171,490 players–a number it has not managed to surpass in the years since. Even when six new heroes were added to the game in August 2025, Deadlock’s concurrent player count only went up to 60,717 players.
Hence, today’s concurrent player count is quite an achievement. It’s clear that Valve has struck a chord with its newly-revealed heroes, and there’s plenty more for players to look forward to, with five more heroes set to debut in the coming weeks.
The next Deadlock hero will launch on 29 January, 2026. Voting is underway for the new hero, so players have a few more days to decide on who it will be.
