The new MOBA shooter from Valve is called Deadlock and is currently in a testing phase on Steam. Like many other MOBAs, Deadlock has a significant problem that Valve aims to solve with two innovations.
What is the problem with MOBAs? The entry into these popular multiplayer games is considered particularly tricky. There are various characters with different abilities, as well as weaknesses and strengths. Moreover, there are several items that bring their own effects.
If a new player has to learn all these things, there is another hurdle to overcome: the game mechanics of a MOBA. Besides mastering their character and understanding the items, there is the so-called macro.
Macro refers to everything that is not the direct mechanics of a character, but a decision on the map and gameplay level. This includes, among other things:
- When should an objective on the map be completed (bosses or buildings)
- At what point is a gank appropriate
- When to fight and when to farm
All the small decisions of the macro can indeed present a hurdle for MOBA newcomers as they familiarize themselves with the characters and items. With the major “Old Gods, New Blood” update, Valve introduced two innovations to assist new players.
The tutorial has finally been revamped
What do you learn in the Deadlock tutorial? Shortly after the major update, a new small tutorial was added. Where previously only outdated videos explained the gameplay mechanics of Deadlock, there is now an interactive tutorial to play.
There, you learn the basic mechanics of Deadlock, and you will be shown how the first minutes of the laning phase play out. If you complete the tutorial, the game recommends that you jump into a round of the new game mode Street Brawl.
The new game mode focuses on the characters
What is the new game mode? With Street Brawl, a new game mode has arrived in the “Old Gods, New Blood” update for Deadlock. There, 4 players compete against each other in short skirmishes that take place on just one lane. The items are chosen from a random selection.
Why is Street Brawl good for newcomers? Deadlock has a very steep learning curve, and it starts with the 38 characters and the movements of Deadlock. With Street Brawl, Valve has created a game mode in which you can extensively test every hero. The advantage over a normal round of Deadlock is that you get a feel for the heroes, abilities, items, and movement without being overwhelmed by the MOBA aspect.
Once you have familiarized yourself with the basics of the heroes, you can start a proper round of Deadlock and overcome the macro hurdle. Here you can find our 10 beginner tips for Deadlock.
For MeinMMO author Nico, the characters in Deadlock are among the best that the MOBA genre has to offer. In 11,000 hours, he tried hundreds of heroes, but especially the 6 new ones from Deadlock stand out: In 11,000 hours, I tried over 330 MOBA heroes and for me it is clear: Valve’s new hit on Steam has the best
