Deadlock's 2025 Update Schedule: Fewer, Bigger Patches

Valve has announced a shift in its update strategy for Deadlock in 2025, prioritizing larger, less frequent patches over the consistent bi-weekly updates of 2024. This decision, communicated via the official Deadlock Discord, aims to streamline the development process and allow for more substantial content updates.

While this news may disappoint players accustomed to the rapid pace of updates, Valve assures that future patches will be significantly more extensive. The change is attributed to the challenges of maintaining a two-week update cycle, hindering internal iteration and preventing sufficient time for external feedback before subsequent updates. The winter update, featuring unique gameplay adjustments, serves as a preview of this new approach, hinting at the potential for more frequent limited-time events in the future.

Deadlock, a free-to-play third-person hero shooter with a distinctive steampunk aesthetic, has rapidly gained popularity since its early 2024 Steam release. Its success, despite competition from titles like Marvel Rivals, highlights its polished gameplay and diverse roster of 22 playable characters, further expanded by eight additional heroes in the Hero Labs mode. The game's innovative anti-cheat measures also contribute to its positive reception.

According to Valve developer Yoshi, the revised update schedule will involve larger, event-like patches released on a less frequent basis, supplemented by hotfixes as needed. While a concrete release date remains unannounced, 2025 promises more substantial Deadlock content updates. The shift towards larger, less frequent updates suggests a focus on significant gameplay changes and potentially more elaborate limited-time events, ensuring a more impactful player experience.