Valve’s upcoming 6v6 hero shooter, Deadlock, might enter its open beta phase as soon as July, according to an insider who has had access to early builds. This potential timeline is interesting news for fans eager to play the game beyond its closed alpha stage.
The claim surfaced on the /r/GamingLeaksAndRumours subreddit, where screenshots and videos from an “insider build” were shared. This build was distributed to Valve employees before Deadlock entered its closed alpha phase.
Deadlock launched its closed alpha in summer 2024 for those who missed it and quickly drew over 170,000 concurrent players. While the player count has since dropped, it maintains a solid 10,000 to 20,000 peak concurrent players daily. Interestingly, despite being in closed alpha, Deadlock was the top game on Steam in August 2024.
Deadlock is Valve’s new take on the team-based hero shooter genre, featuring 6v6 matches. It shares similarities with games like DOTA 2 and Smite and aims to be Valve’s next major title. The game has been in early playtesting since at least April 2024, with Valve employees and their families testing it even earlier.
Originally known as “Neon Prime” with a sci-fi theme, the game evolved into Deadlock sometime in 2023. Valve hasn’t announced an official release date yet, but rumors suggest it could launch late this year or sometime in 2026.
