Deadlock, Valve's MOBA-shooter, has seen a significant player decline, with peak online counts now under 20,000. In response, Valve is adjusting its development approach.
Valve will adopt a flexible update schedule for Deadlock, abandoning the previous bi-weekly release cycle. This change, according to a developer, will allow for more thorough testing and implementation of updates, resulting in more substantial and impactful releases. Regular hotfixes will still be deployed as needed.
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The previous two-week update cycle, while initially beneficial, proved insufficient for proper testing and integration of changes. This prompted the shift in strategy. Deadlock's player base has drastically shrunk from over 170,000 peak concurrent players to a current range of 18,000-20,000.
However, this doesn't necessarily signal the game's demise. Deadlock remains in early access, with no release date announced. Given the game's early development stage and Valve's apparent prioritization of a new Half-Life title, a release in the near future is unlikely.
Valve's revised approach prioritizes quality over speed. The company believes a superior product will ultimately attract and retain players, justifying the shift towards a more developer-friendly schedule. This strategy mirrors the evolution of Dota 2's update cycle, demonstrating a precedent for this approach. Therefore, there's no immediate cause for alarm regarding Deadlock's future.