In a surprising twist, Valve’s latest project, tentatively titled Deadlock, is already making waves with a staggering 17,000 concurrent players on Steam—despite the fact that the game hasn’t even been officially announced. The numbers, tracked by SteamDB, reveal that Deadlock is generating significant interest, with over 13,000 players actively engaging with the game at any given moment, surpassing established titles like Payday 2 and NBA 2K24.

A Game Shrouded in Mystery

What makes Deadlock’s rise even more intriguing is the complete lack of official information or announcement from Valve. The game’s SteamDB page lists it with an impressive player count, yet any attempt to install or launch the game results in an error message stating, “An error occurred while launching this game: Game configuration unavailable.” This has left many in the gaming community puzzled about how the game is being accessed and why it remains under wraps.

Despite the secrecy, footage of Deadlock leaked earlier this year, suggesting that it could be a multiplayer hero shooter reminiscent of Overwatch, with influences from other popular games like Valorant and Smite, as well as Valve’s own classics like Dota 2 and Team Fortress 2.

Valve’s Warning to Early Players

For those who have managed to access and play Deadlock, Valve has issued a clear warning: keep your experience private. After publishing a piece about the game, The Verge’s Sean Hollister found his account banned from matchmaking, highlighting Valve’s strict stance on maintaining Deadlock’s secrecy until an official reveal is made.

What Else Could Valve Be Working On?

Deadlock isn’t the only rumored project in Valve’s pipeline. Speculation about the long-awaited Half-Life 3 has been reignited following the discovery of an actress’s resume listing a Valve project under the codename “Project White Sands.” This has led to widespread speculation that Valve might be working on multiple high-profile projects simultaneously, potentially marking a significant return to game development for the company.

Final Thoughts

As Valve continues to develop Deadlock behind the scenes, the game’s growing player count hints at a highly anticipated title that could make a significant impact upon its official release. Whether Deadlock will live up to the hype generated by these early numbers remains to be seen, but one thing is clear: Valve’s newest venture has already captured the attention of the gaming world, even before it has officially seen the light of day. Stay tuned for more updates as this mysterious project unfolds.

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