Amid an online decline, Valve changes the development flow for Deadlock

Deadlock, Valve's MOBA-shooter, has seen a significant player decline, with peak online counts now below 20,000. In response, Valve is adjusting its development strategy.

Valve will abandon its previous bi-weekly update schedule. Future updates will be released on a flexible timeline, prioritizing quality over frequency. A developer stated this will allow for more substantial, well-tested updates. Regular hotfixes will still be deployed as needed.

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The previous two-week update cycle, while helpful, proved too rushed for proper implementation of changes. This led to the strategic shift. Deadlock's player base has dramatically shrunk from over 170,000 at its peak to a current 18,000-20,000.

However, this doesn't signal the game's demise. Deadlock remains in early access, with no release date set. Given the game's early development stage and the potential prioritization of a new Half-Life title (reportedly greenlit internally), a 2025 release is unlikely.

Valve's approach prioritizes quality over speed. The company believes a polished product will naturally attract players and revenue. This revised development process mirrors the evolution of Dota 2, which initially had frequent updates before transitioning to a more refined schedule. Therefore, there's no immediate cause for alarm regarding Deadlock's future.