Original source (on modern site)
Valve's next venture appears to have leaked thanks to closed alpha testers. Word on the street is Valve has been testing a title it's had in the works since 2018, and it's called Deadlock. This is according to various folks involved in the playtest who have leaked images of the game online. Much of this has been verified by Valve reporter Tyler McVicker (via Eurogamer), who states a closed alpha playtest is ongoing with "hundreds" of people playing it. YouTubers involved in the competitive gaming sector are also said to have been invited to the playtest. More information on the game was confirmed by content creator Gabe Follower, who provided more details on Deadlock, and said it is a "competitive third-person, hero-based shooter" with "6v6 battles on a large map with four lanes with usable abilities and items." It features Tower defense mechanics, a setting that mixes fantasy with steampunk, and characters include magicians, "weird creatures and robots." It was also said that similar to Bioshock Infinite, the game allows fast travel using floating rails. Since testers started sharing Deadlock screenshots all over the place, here's ones I can verify, featuring one of the heroes called Grey Talon. pic.twitter.com/KdZSRxObSz "Basically, [it's] a fast-paced interesting ADHD gameplay. Combination of Dota 2, Team Fortress 2, Overwatch, Valorant, Smite, Orcs Must Die," said Gabe Follower, who further stated that hero design seems to be inspired by Dota. He also confirmed one of the heroes is named Grey Talon. With Valve yet to make an announcement, it's best to keep this filed under rumor until the company decides to reveal the game - despite how legit the images (leaked by folks who couldn't care less about breaking the NDA) may look. Valve could announce the game during Summer Game Fest which kicks off on June 7 with the annual show hosted by Geoff Keighley. We'll have to watch and find out.