Valve's new title Deadlock is pulling in serious crowds, smashing past 260,000 Concurrent Players on Steam.

According to Steam stats tracker SteamDB, Deadlock reeled in a staggering 262,145 Concurrent Players on October 9 (local time). Despite keeping its doors locked behind an invite-only velvet rope during this closed beta phase, it has managed to eclipse the peak concurrent player record set by Team Fortress 2, a legendary hit from the exact same developer.

Deadlock is a cheeky blend of third-person shooter mechanics and MOBA gameplay loops. You take control of heroes sporting wildly different skillsets, clashing with rival squads while juggling team fights, leveling up, and capturing strongpoints to clinch victory. The game first broke cover back in 2024, yet it stubbornly sticks to a closed testing model where you still need an invite from an existing participant just to get your foot in the door. In short, the developer has shattered peak concurrent player records while the game is technically still playing hard-to-get in closed beta.

In particular, rolling out new heroes in batches kept everyone hooked, while clever touches like letting the community vote on release orders clearly went down a treat. On top of that, spooky Halloween decorations scattered across the maps aren't just for show; critics note they genuinely crank up the tension during matches.

Meanwhile, this milestone comfortably outpaces Team Fortress 2, another team-based shooter in Valve's stable. Team Fortress 2 previously peaked at 253,997 Concurrent Players back in July 2023. That figure was widely hailed as proof of impressive, enduring stamina for a long-running live-service veteran.