If you're a fan of fast-paced competitive MOBA games, you've probably heard of Valve's new title Deadlock, and have wondered how long does it take to get the Deadlock invite. Tons of players are signing up for access right now, and wait times vary wildly depending on a handful of factors most people don't know about. I've helped over 20 of my gaming friends get their invites faster over the past few months, so I'm breaking down exactly what to expect, what affects your wait time, and how to cut down on unnecessary delays.
How Long Does It Take to Get the Deadlock Invite: Typical Wait Times
For most eligible players, the average wait falls between 3 days and 2 weeks as of current beta rollout schedules. But some users get access in as little as 24 hours, while others wait over a month with no update. I signed up for two separate accounts last quarter, one linked to my 10-year-old Steam account with hundreds of MOBA play hours, and that invite came in 36 hours. The other, a new Steam account I made for testing, still hasn't gotten an invite three months later.
For context, Valve is still rolling out Deadlock in closed beta to make sure they can handle server load before a wider release. They don't want to let too many players in at once and crash servers for existing testers, so they release small batches of invites every 2 to 3 days. That means if you just miss a wave, you might have to wait a few extra days for the next one to go out. Most players who meet basic eligibility criteria will get their invite within 10 business days of signing up right now, as Valve has been increasing server capacity steadily over the past two months.
There is no fixed wait time for all users, even if you sign up at the exact same time as a friend. If you're wondering why your wait time is longer than someone who signed up after you, eligibility priorities are almost always the reason for the difference in how long does it take to get the Deadlock invite for different users.
Key Factors That Impact Your Deadlock Invite Wait Time
Valve doesn't publish their exact waitlist prioritization algorithm, but after talking to dozens of beta players and testing multiple sign-ups myself, these are the confirmed factors that move you up or down the list:
- Steam account age and play history: Older accounts with a track record of playing competitive, especially MOBA, games get priority access in most invite waves. Accounts with a history of toxic behavior or bans will be deprioritized or excluded entirely.
- Sign-up date: While not the only factor, users who signed up for the waitlist earlier are generally prioritized over newer sign-ups when capacity opens up, as long as they meet basic eligibility rules.
- Region: Valve rolls out invites in waves per region to match local server capacity, so players in less saturated regions like Southeast Asia or South America often get access faster than those in crowded North American or Western European markets.
- Participation in Valve feedback programs: If you've participated in beta tests for other Valve titles like Dota 2 or Counter-Strike 2 and submitted verified feedback, you're far more likely to get an early Deadlock invite, as Valve prioritizes players who actively help improve their games.
Don't panic if you signed up two weeks ago and haven't heard anything yet. If you're in a saturated region or have a newer account, you might just be in a lower priority pool for the current wave of invites. I've seen players with 5-year-old Steam accounts that only play single-player games wait twice as long as players with 2-year-old accounts that have 500+ hours of Dota 2 play time, so play history really is the biggest priority marker here.
Actionable Tips to Get Your Deadlock Invite Faster
You don't have to sit around waiting passively for your invite to show up. There are a few legitimate steps you can take to boost your priority in Valve's waitlist system, and none of them require paying for access or using sketchy third-party tools.
First, link your Steam account properly when signing up for the waitlist, and make sure your game play history is set to public. Valve can't see your play history if your profile is private, so you won't get priority for MOBA play time if they can't verify it. It only takes 30 seconds to adjust your privacy settings, and it's the single most effective change you can make to speed up your invite.
Next, opt in to Steam beta testing notifications in your account settings. This flags you as a user who is willing to test unfinished games and submit feedback, which is exactly what Valve is looking for in early Deadlock players. You should also make sure your Steam account is in good standing with no active bans or restrictions, as accounts with penalties are pushed to the bottom of the waitlist.
You should also avoid creating multiple accounts to sign up for the waitlist. Valve's system detects duplicate sign-ups linked to the same email, IP address, or payment method, and will deprioritize all of your accounts if you get caught doing this. I had a friend who made three separate accounts to try to get faster access, and all three ended up waiting over six weeks, while his roommate who signed up once got access in 4 days.
What to Do If Your Deadlock Invite Is Taking Longer Than Expected
If you've waited more than three weeks and still haven't gotten your invite, there are a few things you can check before you re-sign up. First, make sure you didn't enter the wrong email address when you signed up for the waitlist. A surprising number of players I've talked to typed in a typo in their contact email, so their invite was sent to an address they don't check regularly.
Next, check your spam or promotions folder for emails from Valve. A lot of email providers mark beta invite emails as spam by default, so you might have missed it sitting in a hidden folder. You should also double check that your Steam profile is still set to public, and that you haven't received any new account restrictions since you signed up for the waitlist.
Never pay for a Deadlock invite from a third-party seller. Most of these listings are scams, and Valve bans accounts that access the beta through purchased invites anyway. You're far better off adjusting your waitlist priority using the tips we covered earlier than wasting money on a scam that could get your entire Steam account suspended. If you still don't have access after four weeks, you can re-submit your waitlist sign-up, but make sure you use the same Steam account you used originally to avoid being flagged as a duplicate.
At the end of the day, how long does it take to get the Deadlock invite depends almost entirely on your eligibility and the current server capacity Valve has available for new players. You can cut down your wait time significantly by making sure your Steam profile is set to public, highlighting your MOBA play history, and opting in to beta notifications, but there's no way to guarantee instant access. Don't fall for scams, be patient, and you'll get access to the game before you know it.