Thousands are currently playing Valve’s new MOBA shooter Deadlock. However, some players are using a feature to troll other players.
What is this feature? In Valve’s new MOBA shooter Deadlock (Steam), any player can pause the game for all players in the ongoing match for up to 20 seconds by pressing the “P” key. This feature is also present in DOTA 2, the MOBA also developed by Valve.
The feature is generally intended for tactical discussions within the team or to catch a breath when things are going poorly. In eSports, this is often referred to as a “Tactical Timeout”.
Even now – before the game is officially out, there are players who are using this otherwise sensible function to be mean or even toxic.
Mental Games and Time to Flame
How are players using the function for evil? There are various ways to misuse the timeout.
- Some players chain their available pauses together in the middle of the game (via X.com), to provoke opponents
- Other players use the function to yell at their teammates, insult them, and blame them for the loss during that time.
- Some players also chain their available pauses at the end of the game to annoy the opponents one last time.
The German streamer ohnePixel also explained “mental warfare” to his opponents when he discovered the feature, and requested his teammates to call for a pause for all to start.
Here is the clip from ohnePixel on X.com:
Changes to the Timeout Feature are Likely
Could Valve still adjust the feature? Yes, Deadlock is currently only in an early alpha test. The developers are still working on the game.
In the future, there could be various ways in which Valve regulates the use of timeouts. This includes restrictions and cooldowns that determine how often a player or a team can initiate a timeout within a certain period.
In DOTA 2, the system is also regulated by the so-called “Behavior Score”. This value indicates how exemplary a player behaves. Individuals who often display toxic behavior, quit matches, or are frequently AFK might not have access to the timeout function because their “Behavior Score” is too low.
Valve’s new multiplayer game combines shooter with MOBA
What kind of game is it actually? Deadlock is an upcoming multiplayer game from Valve that is currently in alpha testing. The game is being referred to as a MOBA shooter by initial players because it features elements of both a MOBA and a shooter.
In Deadlock, 2 teams compete against each other. Each hero has different weapons and 4 different abilities. The shooter gameplay is reminiscent of Overwatch, but unlike Blizzard’s shooter, Deadlock is played from a third-person perspective.
Deadlock has already reached over 90,000 players on Steam during the alpha tests. Even before the game was officially announced by Valve, leaks about the game and its gameplay circulated on social networks and YouTube. However, Valve has now confirmed the existence of Deadlock: Valve officially announces new multiplayer game, it’s like a mix of Team Fortress and Dota 2
