Valve's Deadlock is alive and has received a major update

The multiplayer hero shooter Deadlock doesn't appear in the infobox very often, as it's still in the early stages of development and available only by invitation. However, that doesn't mean the game isn't in development, quite the opposite — Valve has announced a major update to the project, which will add six characters and several other significant changes.

The six new characters include "the vampire Mina, the demonic goat Billy, Paige, who can bring books to life, the Switchman, who is always at your service, the unstoppable monster Victor, and the Wanderer, who terrorizes the city."

The first heroine, Mina, is already available in the game. She has the ability to transform into a bat and escape in a critical situation. Another ability allows you to use passionate bites, as a result of which the heroine's vampire skills will become stronger for the entire match. Mina's ultimate ability is "Mistress of the Night", which causes the heroine to release a huge wave of bats that chase and stun nearby enemies.

The fate of the remaining characters rests with the players, who will need to vote on who will be added next. New characters will appear every other day: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Players will receive a vote after each completed match.

Voting will take place in The Hideout, a revamped pre-game lobby that replaces the old menu interface. Here, you can interact with terminals located throughout the hideout to access various features, such as match previews and a new training area that allows you to quickly try out your characters' abilities.

In addition, Deadlock has received updated graphics and improved map lighting, and Valve assures players that they can expect even more improvements in future patches. The hero selection screen and existing characters have also undergone significant changes.

As for the game itself, while Deadlock is still invite-only and limited, its online presence remains solid. According to SteamDB, the number of players has fluctuated between 5,000 and 13,000, and after the update, that number has increased to 28,000.