Ethan Crossfield 
Deadlock is still invite-only, but it has now cleared a major Valve benchmark. Players deciding whether to keep an eye on the shooter-MOBA hybrid have a clear signal: its playtest is attracting an audience larger than Team Fortress 2 ever reached simultaneously on Steam.
What changed for Deadlock on Steam
Deadlock reached a new all-time high of 262,145 concurrent Steam players on October 9, according to SteamDB-tracked data. That pushed the game beyond Team Fortress 2’s record peak of 253,997 concurrent users. The result places Deadlock third among Valve games by all-time Steam concurrency, behind Counter-Strike 2 and Dota 2.
The milestone is notable because Deadlock has not received a full launch and remains accessible through an invite-only playtest. Its test first began in August 2024, and Valve has continued to add content and make balance adjustments while the game develops. Despite the limited availability and the absence of a formal announcement from Valve, interest has continued to build.
Who the new record affects
For current players, the growing audience should mean a larger pool of active participants around a game that is still changing regularly. For prospective players, the record does not guarantee that Deadlock is ready for everyone, but it does show that its hybrid of third-person shooting and MOBA systems has established substantial momentum before release.
The comparison also puts Team Fortress 2’s own recent resurgence into perspective. Although the game originally launched in 2007, its peak was set much later, in July 2023. That surge followed the Summer 2023 update, which added cosmetics, taunts, and 14 community maps. Deadlock therefore did not surpass a long-forgotten early record; it exceeded a high set during a comparatively recent boost for Valve’s enduring shooter.
What to watch after the City Never Sleeps update
Deadlock’s latest climb followed the late-September 2026 City Never Sleeps update. Before October 9, the game had already reached 228,086 concurrent players after that update arrived. Its previous major peak was 171,490 during its initial rise in 2024, making the new result a significant increase over both earlier benchmarks.
City Never Sleeps began a staggered introduction of six heroes, with players voting on which pair should arrive next. Rat King became available on October 2, Baba followed on October 6, and the chess-themed wizard Solomon joined the roster on October 9—the same day Deadlock set its record. The timing is worth noting, but the available data does not prove that Solomon or any single addition caused the increase. Player numbers rose gradually across the two weeks leading into the peak.
What players should know
- Deadlock’s Steam peak now stands at 262,145 concurrent players, above Team Fortress 2’s 253,997 record.
- The game remains in an invite-only playtest rather than a full release.
- It ranks third among Valve games by all-time concurrent Steam players, trailing only Counter-Strike 2 and Dota 2.
- City Never Sleeps is rolling out six heroes in stages, with player voting helping determine upcoming pairs.
- The October 9 peak coincided with Solomon’s arrival, but the data shows a broader, gradual rise rather than one confirmed trigger.
Expert View
Deadlock’s record is a meaningful early indicator of demand, especially for an invite-only project, but it should not be treated as a final verdict on its long-term future. The sustained rise following updates matters more than a single peak, and the next key test will be whether Valve can maintain that interest as the playtest continues to evolve.
