Deadlock, Valve's MOBA-shooter, has seen a significant player decline, with peak online counts now hovering around 18,000-20,000, a far cry from its initial peak of over 170,000. In response to this, Valve has announced a strategic shift in its development approach.
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Previously adhering to a bi-weekly update schedule, Valve acknowledges that this rapid release cycle hindered thorough testing and implementation of changes. The new strategy will abandon a fixed update timeline, prioritizing quality over frequency. While hotfixes will remain a regular occurrence, major updates will now be released less frequently, but with more substantial content and improvements, according to the development team.
Despite the player drop-off, Valve assures fans that Deadlock is not in jeopardy. The game is still in early access, with no release date set. The shift in update frequency is viewed as a necessary adjustment to optimize the development process, mirroring similar strategies employed with other successful Valve titles like Dota 2. The company's focus remains on delivering a high-quality product, believing that a polished game will ultimately attract and retain players organically. Furthermore, the potential development of a new Half-Life game may also influence the pace of Deadlock's development.
