The short version: the only way into Deadlock is an invite from a Steam friend who already has the game. There is no code, no key, no buy button and no beta sign-up. Valve's Steam page says access is limited to friend invites from current playtesters, and there is still no release date. Below: how the invite works step by step, what to check when it does not show up, and what you are getting into.
The upside is that a lot of people have access. On October 9, 2026, Deadlock hit 262,145 concurrent players, its all-time record on SteamDB. Odds are decent that someone on your friends list already has it.
How a Deadlock invite works, in four steps
- Become Steam friends. You and the person with access have to be friends on Steam. A stranger cannot invite you.
- They send it from the game. Your friend opens Deadlock, clicks "Invite Your Friends" in the bottom-right of the main menu, finds you and hits Invite.
- You get notified. A Steam notification plus an email to the address on your account.
- Accept and install. Click View Invite in the Steam notification, accept, and Deadlock shows up in your library.
Timing: back in 2024 the in-game invite window said invites usually go out within one to two days, sometimes longer (as reported by Shacknews and Sportskeeda). It is often quicker than that. Sending the invite again does not speed anything up. Shacknews also pointed out that Valve can cap how many invites a player sends and can revoke access, which is a fair reminder that this is a playtest, not a purchase.
What your Steam account needs
The usual snag is a limited Steam account, meaning one that has spent less than $5. Steam Support says limited accounts cannot send friend requests. They can, however, accept requests from others and use Quick Invite links.
So if your account is new and empty, let the other person add you, or send them your Quick Invite link (Steam, Friends, Add a Friend, where your friend code also lives). I could not find a Valve rule that bars limited accounts from Deadlock invites specifically, but it is the first thing to check when something goes wrong.
Also: the game runs on 64-bit Windows only, with no official Linux or Steam Deck support, and the system requirements on the Steam page still read TBD.
Where to get an invite if none of your friends play
Start with the Deadlock store page. The right-hand column shows which of your friends already own it, and it is surprisingly common to find an old Dota 2 buddy who has had access since 2024.
If nobody turns up, the game's Steam Community discussions regularly have threads where players with access offer invites. When you add a stranger, remember that all they ever need from you is your profile. More on that in the scams section below.
Or email me. I have Deadlock and I am happy to invite readers. Write to [email protected] with a link to your Steam profile or your friend code (Steam, Friends, Add a Friend). I will add you and send the invite from the game. Do not send anything else: no password, no Steam Guard code, no account screenshots. If someone claiming to be me ever asks for those, it is not me. I cannot always reply quickly, but I do get to every email.
Invite did not arrive: what to check
- Friend request still pending. Until you are friends, there is no Invite button next to your name on their side. Accept the request, or send a Quick Invite link, especially from a limited account.
- They clicked Invite and nothing happened. Give it at least a day. Resending does not help.
- An email arrived, but nothing in Steam. Almost certainly phishing. A real invite always appears in Steam's own notifications, so do not click links in that email.
- Accepted, but no game. Restart Steam and search for Deadlock in your library. The game is officially Windows only: it will not install on a Mac, and on Linux it only runs through third-party compatibility layers.
How not to get scammed
The bigger the game, the more people selling thin air around it. A real invite is free and only ever comes through Steam from a friend. So skip these:
- "Deadlock access codes". They do not exist, and there is nowhere to type one in.
- "Sign in with Steam to claim your invite". A login form on someone else's site is an attempt to take your account.
- Paid invites. Even if the seller really adds and invites you, Valve can revoke access, and nobody refunds you.
What you are getting into: how Deadlock changed since 2024
Deadlock is Valve's team shooter with MOBA bones: six on six, lanes, troopers, an item shop and heroes with abilities. Valve opened the Steam page on August 23, 2024, with 21 heroes and a four-lane map, and that first autumn peaked at 171,490 players.
Then the game was taken apart. February 2025 rebuilt the map around three lanes, May rewrote the shop, patches slowed down, and by July the peak had dropped to 15,763. It looked finished. The turnaround came in August 2025, when heroes started arriving in batches with players voting on the order. After that came Old Gods, New Blood in January 2026, ranked matchmaking on July 30, and City Never Sleeps on September 29, which redrew New York from scratch and is releasing six new heroes one at a time on Tuesdays and Fridays.
There are 42 heroes now, the latest being Deadman Danny, a flying salesman with a rocket launcher, out on October 13. I went through every stage with dates and numbers in how Deadlock changed over two years, and the latest heroes and player records are in our Baba and Solomon story.
What comes next
Two City Never Sleeps heroes are left, Nurse Harrow and Violet. The next one lands on Friday, October 16 at 2pm PDT (21:00 UTC). The first Ranked season ends on November 5, with season two starting right after. Valve has said nothing about an open test or a release date, so an invite is still the only door. If that changes, it goes at the top of this page.
Sources
Deadlock on Steam (invite-only access, release date to be announced). Steam Support on limited accounts. Invite flow and timing: Shacknews, Sportskeeda. Player counts: SteamDB, earlier peaks via Shacknews, Dexerto and Notebookcheck. Heroes and dates: Valve's Steam posts, including the Deadman Danny announcement.
