Valve's hero shooter MOBA, Deadlock, remains in an invite-only testing phase as development continues. However, a recent livestream mishap appears to have uncovered a second, even more exclusive playtest featuring unseen characters and redesigns.
Details emerged from a stream hosted by a prominent Deadlock player, who reportedly launched the wrong game build by mistake. (Via Eurogamer.)
Viewers captured the on-screen roster, which included newcomers like the retro-styled Doorman, glasses-wearing Bookworm, and gothic Vampirebat, alongside visual updates for existing heroes such as Ivy. Though the streamer quickly closed the client, the secret was already out.
No further information has surfaced yet, though the leak is still recent. Deadlock is no stranger to leaks—its initial existence and content were also previously revealed through similar means. While testing upcoming updates with larger groups isn't new, it's unusual for Deadlock, which is still in an early, restricted-access state.
Community reactions appear divided. On the r/DeadlockTheGame subreddit, some players expressed frustration, feeling they were already part of an existing playtest. Even the more accessible build has seen numerous changes, including the removal of an entire game lane. Valve has previously used the Hero Labs mode for new hero testing, but this seems to be an additional approach for gathering feedback from a curated group.
Despite its invite-only status, Deadlock has attracted a notable player base and gained attention from both shooter and MOBA fans. A new Valve title is always noteworthy, but the unusual rollout and ongoing exclusivity have only increased intrigue. Now, it seems there's an even more restricted build sparking further speculation.
Still, it's worth keeping things in perspective, as one Reddit user humorously noted: "Great—as if one Lash wasn't troublesome enough, now there are two of them!"
