The Cursed Apple never sleeps
Deadlock
Valve's 6v6 third-person hero shooter meets MOBA — set in an occult 1940s New York. Learn the movement, master the shop, and push to the Patron.
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Latest from City Never Sleeps
Four new heroes just dropped, with two more on the way. Meet the newest faces in the Cursed Apple.
Rat King
New — Oct 2
Scrappy, Regal, Tenacious
Baba
New — Oct 6
Cackling, Beady, Hexing
Solomon
New — Oct 9
Strategist, Grandmaster, Checkmate
Deadman Danny
New — Oct 13
Reckless, High-Flying, Explosive
See all new heroes + who's coming next →
42
Heroes
156
Items
6v6
Third-Person
3
Lanes
What Is Deadlock?
Deadlock is Valve's invite-only 6v6 multiplayer game blending MOBA strategy with third-person shooter gunplay. Two teams battle across three lanes in an alternate-history New York called the Cursed Apple, where the occult is everyday life. Each team fights to complete a ritual that summons their Patron — destroy the enemy Patron to win.
6v6 lane combat in the Cursed Apple — heroes, troopers, and structures colliding under the neon lights.
The Core Loop
When troopers die they drop soul orbs — shoot or melee the orbs to collect souls, which are both your XP and your currency. Spend them in the Curiosity Shop on Weapon, Vitality, and Spirit items. Push lanes, destroy structures, kill the Patron.
Movement Is Everything
Dash-jumps, slides, ziplines, wall jumps, parries — Deadlock's movement system is the biggest skill gap in the game. Players who master it dominate rotations and fights.
Flexible Builds
No fixed roles. The item shop supports any playstyle — go full damage, become unkillable, or scale your abilities. Adapt your build to the match, not the other way around.
Start Here
New Players
Movement Guide
Stamina management, dash-jumps, slide tech, zipline launches, and parrying. The mechanics that separate beginners from everyone else.
Learn movement →
New Players
Full Item Database
All 156 items searchable — Weapon vs Vitality vs Spirit, active vs passive, costs, and what everything actually does.
Browse items →
New Players
Map & Objectives
Lanes, Guardians, Walkers, Shrines, the Patron, the mid-boss, Haunts, and the Soul Urn — what to hit and when.
Learn the map →
Strategy
Game Phases
What to do in the laning phase, when to rotate mid-game, and how to close out the late game. Win conditions explained.
Learn phases →
Roster
Heroes by Playstyle
All 42 heroes grouped by how they play — tanks, damage, support — plus beginner picks and the brand-new City Never Sleeps heroes.
Meet the heroes →
First time playing? Try Street Brawl mode first — 4v4 on a single lane with no farming or shopping. It strips the game down to pure combat and abilities so you can learn heroes before tackling the full MOBA layer.
Quick Facts
| Detail | Info |
|---|---|
| Developer | Valve |
| Format | 6v6, third-person |
| Access | Invite-only closed beta (Steam) |
| Setting | Alternate 1940s New York — "the Cursed Apple" |
| Match length | Typically 20–40 minutes, can run 90+ |
| Win condition | Destroy the enemy Patron (two health bars) |
| Currency | Souls (earned from trooper orbs, kills, objectives) |
Community Spotlight
Rain Over the Obsidian Bar
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