Valve released a major update for Deadlock called “Old Gods, New Blood” that adds a shorter casual game mode and drops six new playable heroes into the invite-only shooter-MOBA hybrid.
The biggest addition is Street Brawl, a new mode designed for players who don’t want to commit to hour-long matches. The format plays like a faster teamfight-focused alternative to the standard game, with mode-specific items that don’t appear in regular matches. Think of it as Deadlock‘s answer to ARAM-style modes in traditional MOBAs.
Six new heroes join the roster in this single update, marking one of the largest character drops since the playtest began. The heroes add to Deadlock‘s growing lineup as Valve continues expanding the character pool during development.
The update also overhauls the visual presentation of the game’s Patrons and bases. Patrons function as the central objective that teams must destroy to win, similar to the Ancient in Dota 2 or the Nexus in League of Legends. The new designs represent a significant step away from the placeholder art that’s defined much of Deadlock‘s early look.
Players in the playtest noted that some map elements remain untextured and certain older hero models haven’t received the same polish treatment yet. This split between updated and placeholder assets is pretty normal for a game still deep in development.
When early access feels like a soft launch
Deadlock remains officially unannounced by Valve despite having a public Steam page and an active playerbase. The game is accessible only through friend invites from existing playtesters, though those invites are effectively unlimited. This has created an unusual situation where the game is widely playable but still technically in closed testing.
Adding Street Brawl tackles one of the most common complaints about Deadlock‘s current design. MOBA-style games traditionally struggle with match length, especially when players are still learning. A shorter casual mode gives players a way to jump in without the risk of being locked into a 50-minute match that might snowball out of control.
