Deadlock proves gaming’s most divisive feature isn’t always bad

Gaming exclusives have been a point of contention for decades now. Since Xbox and PlayStation began their exclusivity battle, practically every platform introduced a title that’s solely on their hardware, in the hopes of encouraging players to buy all the different consoles.

However, this battle caused considerable frustration among players. After all, not many people want to (or can afford to) buy a PlayStation, Xbox, Switch, and PC (and a Steam Deck if you want to be fancy) just to play one game. Since then, there’s always been this element of inherent frustration whenever a new exclusive is released.

That is until Deadlock came and flipped the entire notion on its head – proving not all gaming exclusives have to be a bad thing.

Why Deadlock?

Now, you’d be forgiven for not knowing what Deadlock was back at the start of 2024, or even a few months ago. After all, technically the game didn’t fully exist, or at least it wasn’t officially recognized by Valve, despite the thousands of players already clocking in over 100 hours in its playtest.

Deadlock is a free-to-play hero shooter MOBA that looks a lot like Dota, Overwatch, and all the other similar games that came before it. So, what makes it special, you may be asking? Well, that’s the kicker. You can’t play it.

Head over to Steam and type in Deadlock; it won’t let you in, unless you know someone who’s already got access or managed to get an invite from Valve themselves (lucky you). This playtest is ultimately the perfect representation of exclusivity that works.

Except, rather than serving as the bouncer in front of the club, not letting you in because they’re full or because they feel like it, Deadlock is more the VIP section, always in view with a D-list celebrity or two, but completely blocked off to the ‘unimportant’ people stuck on the sticky dance floor being jostled by a rowdy crowd.

Deadlock has managed to take a controversial gaming feature, mix it with an overdone genre (if you ask me), and craft one of the most desirable games of 2024 despite few people being able to play it.

Deadlock’s exclusivity works for it rather than against it

Sticking with that club analogy, crafting a cocktail with some pretty undesirable ingredients usually makes a gross-tasting drink. Still, sometimes, you can mix Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, Tabasco, tomato juice, pepper, vodka, and celery, and make something pretty delicious (don’t knock a Bloody Mary ’till you’ve tried it). This is exactly how Deadlock works and how its exclusivity managed to work for it instead of against it.

Firstly, no game would be as successful as this if it wasn’t any good. The MOBA Overwatch style works, and there’s a massive playerbase for that kind of gameplay. On top of this, even though it’s only in playtest, this game has everything. If you want to go around and shoot the other team, you can, if you want to find the best character and perfect their build, then go right ahead. There’s tons to put into this adventure, and it certainly has that replayability that has everyone talking.

However, despite the gameplay, it’s the marketing (or lack thereof) that’s propelled Deadlock to such great heights.

In 2024, few things are worse than missing out. Players want to be in on the latest game, they want to be up to date with the new adventures, and more fans are looking to get into early access so they can be the few that got the game early.

So, when you create a game that’s by a developer renowned for making classics like CS:GO, Half-Life, Dota, and Portal and then never properly announce it, of course, people will want to play it. Then, deny its existence while letting in a select few players who talk or write about it, and you have even more people looking to dive in.

Lastly, allow those select few to invite more select few, and that exclusivity is enough to make you feel like a VIP, enjoying a game that’s not out or even reached its peak popularity yet.

Deadlock has perfectly capitalized on that FOMO, the desire to have what others don’t, and the quality Valve has spent over 20 years crafting. As such, we have a phenomenon that will likely carry the game to unreal heights and should soar for months or even years.

Exclusives aren’t that bad

So, if Deadlock did it, does that mean exclusivity is going to plague the gaming world from now on? Will Sony, Microsoft, or even big developers like Larian consign their games to one console and only allow a select few players in so they can increase the hype and demand? Probably not.

It’s worth noting that Deadlock truly feels like a once-in-a-lifetime situation that’s utterly mindblowing, and its success is unfounded, but it’s unlikely we’ll ever see this again. Not only is this a huge gamble, but it’s also extremely unlikely to pay off.

Then there’s the real question: does Deadlock prove that exclusives aren’t as bad as we’ve made them out to be? Now, in some instances, yes. Deadlock has managed to bring in a trove of fans who are desperate to enjoy its battles. It’s created a group of dedicated players within its fights, rather than being swarmed with cheaters or griefers. Sure, they still exist, but with limited access, the active playerbase has thrived.

However, future trends can’t be ignored, and there’s always a worry surrounding the real benefits of this kind of marketing. Sure, it’s definitely good for the company – Valve’s managed to promote a game without paying for many adverts or marketing – but what about the players?

While this kind of release has certainly shaken the core of the industry, it’s hard to shake the feeling that if this becomes a trend, players will ultimately suffer. More will miss out on certain releases, and more will be forced to buy a specific console or go through risky means to get a code in order to take part.

Now, this is all speculation, and I don’t want to draw away from the impressive success we’ve seen with Deadlock. While the future is uncertain, it’s hard to deny how Deadlock has proven gaming exclusives aren’t always that bad.