Deadlock is a 6v6 MOBA third person shooter. It will be Valve's first true third-person shooter, save for the top-down Alien Swarm, which was begun by an outside team. Players control powerful hero characters and escort NPCs down several "lanes" in order to destroy the enemy team's stationary defenses. This makes the moment-to-moment gameplay highly similar to MOBAs. If the enemy's defenses are destroyed, it reveals their "Patron", a tremendous magically animated golem that must be defeated to win the match.

Players can unlock various skills and abilities for their hero, as well as use ziplines to navigate the arena. The game currently has 21 different heroes, each with unique weapons, stats, and abilities. It is unclear what, if any, lore or backstory about them exists beyond their names and backgrounds. The game takes place in an alternate version of New York City called the Cursed Apple, which mixes elements of 1930s Prohibition era storytelling and the occult.

Hop on.