Valve’s new multiplayer game Deadlock is described as a MOBA shooter, but is that even accurate? MeinMMO editor Dariusz took a look at the game and tells you whether he sees Deadlock as a shooter or as a MOBA.
Deadlock is currently extremely popular on Steam. The game has already reached over 106,000 players during the current alpha test and even shooter legend shroud raves about Deadlock. In social networks, Deadlock is currently often described as a MOBA shooter, so a mix of MOBA and shooter.
The MOBA part is expressed in four lanes where the 6 players per team battle. There they defeat infantry (NPC opponents), level up their abilities, and try to get closer to the enemy base and besiege it. To succeed, they must face off against other players as well as enemy guardians and runners.
Deadlock has firearms, so the thought that it is also a shooter is not far-fetched. But does Valve’s upcoming multiplayer game really play like a shooter? MeinMMO editor Dariusz has a clear opinion on this.
What makes him an expert? As an expert, he stands out because he has played nearly every shooter or at least dealt extensively with it, possesses a fundamental knowledge of the respective games, and can categorize and explain topics. This role differs accordingly from that of a professional player, who excels through outstanding skill and expertise in usually only one game.
Deadlock is much more MOBA than shooter
Is Deadlock now a MOBA or a shooter? It probably always depends on the perspective and personal expectations. The game has aspects of both, but those expecting a pure shooter may not enjoy Deadlock.
I am a shooter player through and through. When I want to play something in the evening, the question is usually just: Am I playing a PvE shooter today or am I in the mood for PvP? However, Deadlock feels much more like a MOBA to me than a shooter. My aim, my game sense, and my movement that I have developed in various shooters are of no use to me in Deadlock.
The time-to-kill of the heroes in Deadlock is very high, the use of abilities in battles with other players is very important, and the actual weaponry has little influence on the outcome of a fight.
Even the best aim is not a guaranteed victory
Valve secretly loaded my gun with blanks, and that frustrates me. Even if you have much better aim than your opponents, for example, you will rarely win a 1v2 in Deadlock just through good aim.
In a Valorant, you could ideally finish such a confrontation with 2 bullets, so 2 clean headshots. In CoD and other games, this often works with a maximum of one magazine. In Deadlock, firearms do not deal much damage. Forget about a 1-shot headshot.
This is even different in hero shooters like Overwatch 2. There, you can get kills with pure weapon skill, even if you don’t use any abilities at all. If necessary, you simply choose Soldier 76 and play him like any other shooter. You may lose the match and your teammates could be angry, but with pure aim, you’ll get one step further than in Deadlock. You can definitely eliminate an Ana or Kiriko without any problems.
Deadlock is much more than just pew pew
If you have played a MOBA before, adjusting to the game mechanics of Deadlock is probably not a problem for you. Although I know shooters very well, I have never played a MOBA. Accordingly, my performance in the rounds I played was pretty poor – and I made an effort to understand what my tasks are.
You need to understand how the different heroes function, which is even more crucial due to the importance of abilities in direct combat. You need to understand what roles the infantry, guardians, and runners play and what the souls are for. And you need to understand which items you should buy in the shop with which hero in which situation.
Deadlock is fundamentally DOTA 2 in third-person perspective. Yes, there are firearms, but that does not mean that Deadlock plays like a normal shooter. Primarily, you need to know the game mechanics of a MOBA. On the other hand, there are probably also MOBA players who say: “Deadlock is much too much a shooter for me.”
If you feel like I do and think Deadlock plays too little like a shooter and too much like a MOBA, then you might find a game you like better on MeinMMO: The 25 best shooters 2024 – These PvP and PvE games impress with their gameplay
