Valve has released one of the biggest updates yet for its multiplayer hero shooter Deadlock, and the changes have already been followed by a new player-count record on Steam.
Called “City Never Sleeps,” the update adds six new heroes, significantly reworks the game’s city map, introduces new neutral enemies and objectives, and brings a long list of user-interface and quality-of-life changes.
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Shortly after the update went live, Deadlock reached more than 228,000 concurrent players on Steam, its highest player count since the game became available to players.
Six New Heroes Are Coming to Deadlock
One of the biggest additions is a group of six new heroes: Nurse Harrow, Rat King, Solomon, Deadman Danny, Baba, and Violet.
Yet, Valve is not releasing all six characters at once. Instead, players can vote on which heroes should be released first, with the rollout taking place over the following weeks. The voting system is integrated into the game’s pre-game experience, giving a direct way to influence the order in which the new characters become available.
New characters added to the Deadlock City Never Sleeps update. Source: PlayDeadlock
The six characters also have very different designs. Rat King, for example, has already attracted attention as a character originating from the Deadlock community, while the other additions include a nurse armed with a syringe, a floating chess master, a skeleton carrying a rocket launcher, a witch-like character, and a young artist.
For players following the update specifically for new characters, the staggered release means that the six heroes are effectively becoming part of the game over time rather than arriving together.
The Update Transforms Deadlock’s City
The update also gives Deadlock‘s map a major visual and gameplay overhaul.
The game still takes place in a supernatural version of New York City, but Valve has redesigned several areas with new environments, lighting and gameplay elements.
Players can now explore distinct areas such as the Theatre, Chinatown, Haunted Lot and Plaza, while Valve has also refreshed the visual design of the different lanes.
The update adds new environmental features and objectives as well. Steam Vents, for example, give players invisibility and regeneration. New breakable objects and other interactive elements also add more ways to interact with the map.
Valve has also reworked the neutral creatures previously known as Neutrals and renamed them Haunts. The update adds several new Haunt types, expanding the activities players can find between the main lanes.
Deadlock Just Set a New Player Record
The “City Never Sleeps” update drove Deadlock’s player count to a new record. Shortly after Valve released the update, more than 228,000 players jumped into the game simultaneously on Steam.
That figure easily beat Deadlock’s previous all-time peak of around 171,000 concurrent players, which the game reached in September 2024.
The new update also pushed Deadlock well past the peak of roughly 125,000 players that it recorded during the earlier “Old Gods, New Blood” update.
Valve Is Still Working on the Core Game
Despite the new record, Valve has not released Deadlock as a finished, publicly available game.
The development team continues to work on the map, items, progression systems, and hero customization. Valve is also developing a wardrobe system for hero cosmetics and testing new game modes.
The company continues to develop the game and has not announced a full public release date.
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