Valve’s output of actual games has slowed down massively over the course of the last decade or so, with Half-Life: Alyx and Counter-Strike 2 having been its only major, well-received release in the last several years. And while the company is obviously continuing to focus primarily on Steam and Steam Deck, it seems it does have another new flagship title in the works.
As per known Valve insider Tyler McVicker, the company is working on a 6v6 hero shooter called Deadlock. As per the leaker, the title has been in the works since 2018, and over the course of its development, it has allegedly also been known as Neon Prime and, prior to that, Citadel. Screenshots and details related to the game have also been spreading online following a recent private playtest.
Reportedly, Deadlock will be set in a world that mixes elements of fantasy and steampunk, from robots to magicians to floating grindrails that players will be able to move about on, similar to BioShock Infinite. The game will feature hero designs inspired by Dota 2, while its competitive shooter gameplay will also be married with tower defense and strategy mechanics.
Valve has said in the past that it has multiple games in development, though it remains to be seen how long it’ll be before the company begins officially unveiling them, and whether Deadlock will indeed be among them. It does look like the project has been in the works for a while though, so hopefully it won’t be too long before it’s officially announced.