Deadlock
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Deadlock player count: 233,703 on Steam on Oct. 23, after a 303,347 record on Violet's release day
Deadlock peaked at 233,703 concurrent players on Steam on Oct. 23, 2026, according to Valve's most played chart, which ranked Valve's hero shooter No. 5 for the second week in a row. Its all-time record came a week earlier, at 303,347 players on Oct. 16, the day the painter hero Violet joined, after a 262,145 high on Oct. 9, when Solomon arrived. The run started with the City Never Sleeps update on Sept. 29, which drew 228,086 players and broke Deadlock's 2024 record of 171,490. Deadlock has also passed Team Fortress 2's all-time Steam record of 253,997, and Valve still limits access to friend invites from existing playtesters.
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Deadlock keeps breaking its own records without a release date. Here’s how many people play Valve’s hero shooter, what drove the climb and how it compares on Steam.
How many people play Deadlock? Deadlock peaked at 233,703 concurrent players on Steam on Oct. 23, 2026, according to Valve’s most played chart, which ranked it No. 5, the same spot as a week earlier. Steam’s live player counter doesn’t return numbers for Deadlock’s playtest, so the daily chart is the public measure.
Deadlock’s player records
| Date | Steam peak | What happened |
|---|---|---|
| Sept. 2, 2024 | 171,490 | Record before City Never Sleeps |
| Late September 2026 | 228,086 | City Never Sleeps update of Sept. 29 |
| Oct. 9, 2026 | 262,145 | Solomon joins |
| Oct. 16, 2026 | 303,347 | Violet joins, all-time record |
| Oct. 23, 2026 | 233,703 | No. 5 on Valve’s chart |
The record sits 49,350 above Team Fortress 2’s all-time Steam peak of 253,997, so Deadlock has passed Valve’s older hero shooter while still in an invite-only playtest.
City Never Sleeps went live on Sept. 29, 2026, with a massive visual update to the map and its neutral creatures, HUD updates, accessibility options and six heroes, released one at a time on Tuesdays and Fridays at 2 p.m. PT. Players voted on the order and cast more than 110 million votes, and the closest round, Baba against Solomon, came down to about 0.5%:
| Hero | Joined |
|---|---|
| Rat King | Oct. 2 |
| Baba | Oct. 6 |
| Solomon | Oct. 9 |
| Deadman Danny | Oct. 13 |
| Violet | Oct. 16 |
| Nurse Harrow | Oct. 20 |
Each new hero gave players a reason to log in, and the Solomon and Violet days set records. Violet, a painter, fights with Living Ink that powers up the hero’s bullets. Nurse Harrow completed the set on Oct. 20, which Valve called the end of the City Never Sleeps releases, and Valve hasn’t announced the next update.
How Deadlock compares on Steam
| Game | Chart rank, Oct. 23 | Steam peak, Oct. 23 |
|---|---|---|
| Counter-Strike 2 | 1 | 1,274,983 |
| Dota 2 | 2 | 987,282 |
| PUBG: Battlegrounds | 3 | 809,926 |
| Deadlock | 5 | 233,703 |
| Apex Legends | 6 | 225,732 |
| WARDOGS | 9 | 181,818 |
| AION 2 | 10 | 243,854 |
Valve ranks the chart by its own measure of play, so a game with a higher peak can sit lower. Only Counter-Strike 2 and Dota 2 rank above Deadlock among Valve’s own games, and Apex Legends sits right behind it at No. 6, as our Apex Legends player count page shows. The two newcomers in the top 10 are covered on our AION 2 player count and WARDOGS player count pages.
How to get into Deadlock. Valve’s Steam page lists Deadlock as a multiplayer game in early development, with the release date to be announced. Access is limited to friend invites from existing playtesters, so a friend who already plays has to send an invite on Steam. Deadlock has no price on Steam.
This page is updated as soon as Valve’s chart posts a new Deadlock record or Valve opens access beyond invites.
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FAQ
How many people play Deadlock?
Deadlock peaked at 233,703 concurrent players on Steam on Oct. 23, 2026, according to Valve’s most played chart, which ranked it No. 5 on Steam.
What is Deadlock's all-time peak?
303,347 concurrent players on Steam on Oct. 16, 2026, the day Violet, the fifth of six City Never Sleeps heroes, joined the game.
Why did Deadlock's player count go up?
The City Never Sleeps update of Sept. 29, 2026, gave the map a massive visual update and added six heroes, released one at a time from Oct. 2 to Oct. 20. Two of those hero days, Solomon on Oct. 9 and Violet on Oct. 16, set new records.
Is Deadlock more popular than Team Fortress 2?
On Steam, yes. Deadlock’s record of 303,347 beats Team Fortress 2’s all-time peak of 253,997.
Where does Deadlock rank on Steam?
Deadlock ranked No. 5 on Valve’s most played chart for Oct. 23, 2026, the same spot as a week earlier. Among Valve’s own games, only Counter-Strike 2 and Dota 2 rank higher.
Do you have to buy Deadlock?
Deadlock has no price on Steam. Access is limited to friend invites from existing playtesters, according to Valve’s Steam page.
Can I see Deadlock's live player count?
Steam’s live player counter doesn’t return numbers for Deadlock’s playtest, so Valve’s daily most played chart is the public measure.
When does Deadlock come out?
Valve lists the release date as to be announced and describes Deadlock as a multiplayer game in early development.
Who was the last City Never Sleeps hero?
Nurse Harrow, who joined on Oct. 20, 2026, after the Rat King, Baba, Solomon, Deadman Danny and Violet.
Pop quiz
1 questions from this story.
What is Deadlock’s all-time Steam peak?
Deadlock peaked at 303,347 players on Steam on Oct. 16, 2026, the day Violet joined.
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Have you played Deadlock?
