Valve Rolls Out Huge Update for Hero Shooter Deadlock as Game Hits All-Time Peak
Valve’s City Never Sleeps update for Deadlock adds a New York-themed map, six new heroes, and Haunts, driving player counts to a record 228,000 concurrents on Steam.
Valve released the City Never Sleeps update for its hero shooter Deadlock on Tuesday, introducing a new New York City-inspired map, six new heroes, and Haunts—previously called Neutrals—which are now officially named creatures. The update also includes a variety of new creeps, expanding the game’s roster of AI-controlled units. Shortly after the patch went live, Deadlock’s concurrent player count on Steam surpassed 228,000, marking the game’s highest peak since its release.
The update arrives alongside Valve’s ongoing development updates, which indicate the game remains in active production. In January, Valve stated it was still refining core gameplay elements before advancing to polishing phases, such as updating older hero artwork. The Deadlock team confirmed it has been working on multiple features in parallel, some of which are included in the City Never Sleeps update.
Valve’s announcement highlighted additional features under development, including progression systems and hero or hideout customizations, which the team plans to refine based on player feedback prior to full release. The update also teased speculative additions like large item redesigns and alternate game modes, though their inclusion remains contingent on playtesting outcomes.
The New York City map captures an early to mid-20th century aesthetic, blending the city’s iconic identity with Valve’s stylized and spooky interpretation. The update introduces six new heroes, each with thematic ties to New York, including Rat King, Solomon, and Baba, the latter of which is a pigeon-keeping elderly character.