Thank you, Solomon.
Deadlock’s latest hero, Solomon, has attracted a surge of new players, helping the game set a new all-time concurrent player record for yet another consecutive week. The game reached 262,145 concurrent players last Friday, surpassing the all-time peak concurrent player record of Valve’s very own Team Fortress 2 (TF2).
Deadlock
Release date: TBA (playable via invite-only access)
Platforms: PC via Steam
Developer: Valve
What is Deadlock's current peak player record?
Following the release of the highly anticipated chess-themed hero Solomon, Deadlock reached a peak of 262,145 concurrent players on Steam, on Friday, 9 September. This marks not only a new all-time player record for the game, but also a milestone that puts it ahead of Valve's two-decade-old shooter, TF2. The game had recorded a peak of 253,997 players three years ago after it received its first major update in six years.
Deadlock's latest milestone feels like only the beginning. Valve's decision to keep the game unreleased while allowing the public to access it through invitations since 2024 has helped it evolve drastically throughout development. The game even underwent a major shift in its themes and aesthetics during its early development, moving from a futuristic, cyberpunk style to its current 1950s New York noir setting, partly in response to player feedback.
As its updates increasingly hint at an eventual full release, Deadlock's player base has also begun to grow.
The game saw a significant surge in players during the 'Old Gods, New Blood' update, which introduced six new heroes, including Rem, Venator, and Silver. During this period, Deadlock reached nearly 100,000 in concurrent players, a plausible number for a game of its state. But it wasn't enough to topple the record for when it first opened to the public in 2024, which bombarded the game with 171,490 concurrent players.
The latest major update, 'City Never Sleeps', which was announced two weeks ago, marks the point when Deadlock truly began reaching new heights. It followed a similar format to the previous major update, also introducing six new heroes with a vote-based release order. But with every new hero arrival, Deadlock keeps breaking new concurrent player peaks.
Deadlock has since introduced three heroes from this roster, starting with fan-favourite Rat King, followed by Baba and, most recently, Solomon last Friday. Three more will join the game–Deadman Danny, Nurse Harrow, and Violet.
Is Deadlock launching soon?
Deadlock seems to be approaching the later stages of development, as Valve has indicated that the content and major updates shipped as part of the 'City Never Sleeps' update contain much of what the team has been working on before moving towards polishing the game.
Deadlock would be Valve's first official game since the virtual reality game Half-Life Alyx in 2020, and Dota-based games Dota Underlords (2020) and Artifact (2018).
