How to access Valve’s hero shooter Deadlock invite alpha playtest

Valve’s not-so-secret new shooter MOBA Deadlock is gaining traction after its closed playtest began taking on new players. More and more people are keen on trying out the game—and here’s how you gain access.

The Cursed Apple is waiting to be explored. As one of 20 heroes, each sporting a unique kit of abilities, your aim is to charge and destroy the enemy base before you lose your own. Unfortunately, access to Deadlock right now is down to a little luck, but having a friend already in the test will help immensely.

Here’s how to access Valve’s Deadlock closed playtest.

How to join the Deadlock playtest

To access the Deadlock alpha playtest, you need to have a friend on your Steam friends list already in the test. They can then send you a unique invite, after which you’ll receive an email and a Steam notification when Valve has added your account to the playtest. When this is done, you can install and play Deadlock.

If you’re lucky enough to have access to the playtest already and want to invite friends, select the “Invite your Friends” button on the bottom-right of the Deadlock main menu, then scroll through your friend’s list and select those who want to play. They may not receive an invite straight away, but once it’s sent, all they have to do is wait and accept it.

How long does a Deadlock invite take to deliver?

How long a friend invite takes in Deadlock varies. The game says it could take anywhere between one to two days, although several people in online forums like Reddit and Steam have reported wildly different times.

On one Reddit thread, one Deadlock player reported five days, while another said it took two to three days for their invite to deliver. Another person on Steam forums said it took only 15 minutes to get an email inviting them to play—luck must’ve been on their side.

It seems like the time it takes for a Deadlock invite to arrive in your email could vary from a near-immediate arrival to a few days. If you haven’t gotten one yet but you know your friend has already invited you, check your email inbox every day for a chance at finally snagging access.

Is there an open beta for Deadlock?

Valve has not publicly announced an open beta for Deadlock yet, so outside of having a friend invite you, there isn’t any other way to access the playtest. This wave-by-wave invite method is something of a norm for Valve: It’s been slowly opening up access to its projects since the days of Dota 2 and, more recently, Counter-Strike 2.

Early playtests were only open for a select few, but as of June 2024, Valve has issued further waves of invites to players. Nearly 20,000 concurrent players were spotted in the playtest in early August, so it’s clear the developer is ramping up access to properly stress-test Deadlock. In any case, keep an eye on your emails for the Steam invite!