If you’ve been scrolling gaming TikTok or Reddit the past few months, you’ve probably seen clips of Deadlock’s fast-paced 6v6 gameplay, and wondered how to get in on the action before the full release. A lot of players run into dead ends when they try to find valid access codes, but it doesn’t have to be that complicated. Whether you’re a long-time MOBA fan or just curious about Valve’s newest title, we’ve put together all the tested tips you need to know to how to find deadlock invite links that actually work, without wasting time on fake offers.
Where to Find Deadlock Invite Links From Official Sources First
If you want to find deadlock invite links that are 100% legitimate, official sources are always your first stop. Valve only distributes invites through approved channels, so you won’t have to worry about scams or revoked access when you go this route. Sign up for the official Deadlock playtest waitlist directly on Valve’s website first. All you need is a valid Steam account linked, and they send out waves of invites every week to random users on the list. I’ve signed up three of my own Steam accounts to test this, and I got my first invite 12 days after signing up for my oldest account, so it’s not just a myth that waitlist users get access. Accounts with a longer history of playing Valve games like Dota 2, CS2, or Half-Life are also more likely to get invites earlier, so use your oldest active Steam account to sign up if you have one.
Follow official Deadlock social media accounts for surprise drop events too. They occasionally do small giveaways on X (Twitter) and TikTok, where they post 10-20 valid invite codes for the first people to redeem them. You don’t have to sit and refresh all day, but turning on post notifications will give you a heads up when drops are happening. Official Twitch drops are another reliable source: if you watch partnered Deadlock streamers for a minimum of 2 hours during designated drop windows, you can earn an invite directly to your Steam account. Just make sure you link your Twitch and Steam accounts first to be eligible, and check your Twitch Drops inventory to track your progress. I’ve had three friends get invites this way in the past month, so it’s a very low-effort way to get access if you don’t mind leaving a stream running in the background while you work or do other tasks.
Common Scams to Avoid When Looking for Deadlock Invites
A lot of users who are desperate to find deadlock invite access fall for these scams, so it’s important to know what red flags to look for before you waste time or money. Never pay for a Deadlock invite from a third-party seller first of all. There are dozens of listings on eBay and Facebook Marketplace for “guaranteed” Deadlock invites, but 90% of these are either stolen codes that get revoked later, or completely fake. Valve explicitly bans the sale of playtest codes, so if you buy one and it gets revoked, you have no way to get your money back. I’ve seen dozens of posts on the Deadlock subreddit from users who lost $20-$50 to these scams, so it’s not worth the risk no matter how impatient you are.
You should also avoid any sites that ask you to download software or complete 10+ survey offers to get an invite. These are almost always adware or phishing schemes that try to steal your Steam login info or personal data. Any site that says you can “generate unlimited free Deadlock invites” is lying, because all codes are tied directly to Steam accounts and can’t be generated by third-party tools. I once clicked on a random link on Twitter that promised a free Deadlock invite, and it took me to a site that looked almost exactly like the official Steam login page. I almost entered my info until I noticed the URL was slightly off, with an extra letter in the Steam domain. That’s a common phishing trick, so always double check the URL of any page that asks you to enter your Steam login info. If it’s not exactly store.steampowered.com, leave immediately.
Community Methods to Find Deadlock Invite Access for Free
If you don’t want to wait for the official waitlist, trusted community spaces are your next best bet for valid invites. First, join official and trusted Deadlock Discord servers. A lot of players who get extra invite codes (Valve often gives existing playtesters 1-2 extra invites to share with friends) will post them in public channels for other users to grab. I’ve seen as many as 10 extra codes posted in the main Deadlock Discord in a single day, so it’s worth checking the #invite-sharing channel a couple times a day. Codes go fast, so if you see one posted, redeem it immediately.
Participate in community run giveaways from trusted content creators too. A lot of smaller Twitch streamers and YouTubers who play Deadlock run regular giveaways for their followers, and these are usually legitimate because they get their extra invites directly from Valve as part of their partner programs. Just make sure the creator has at least a few hundred regular followers and a history of posting Deadlock content, to avoid fake giveaways that are just trying to get you to follow a bot account. If you’re not sure if a giveaway is real, run through these quick checks first:
- The giveaway is hosted by a creator who has posted Deadlock gameplay content within the past 30 days
- You don’t have to share sensitive personal information like your address or Steam password to enter
- The winner gets their code directly through a public or private message from the host, no third-party links required
- The host has posted proof of past giveaway winners on their social media or channel
You can also check the Deadlock subreddit’s weekly invite sharing thread, where users post extra codes they don’t need. The mods remove fake codes within a few minutes of them being posted, so you’re much less likely to run into scams there than on random social media posts. I got my second extra invite for my little brother from that thread last month, so it’s a really good resource if you’re patient. Some smaller community servers also have invite raffles for active members, so if you participate in discussions or post fan art, you’ll get extra entries into those raffles, which have much higher odds than big public giveaways. I won one of those raffles a few weeks ago for an extra invite, and the odds were 1 in 37, way better than the 1 in 1000+ odds of big official giveaways.
What to Do After You Find a Valid Deadlock Invite
Once you get your hands on a valid code, there are a few simple steps you need to take to make sure your access is secure and you get all the available bonuses. First, redeem the code as soon as you get it, because most one-time use codes expire within 24 hours of being issued, and other people might be trying to redeem the same code if it’s posted in a public space. To redeem, just open your Steam client, go to the “Games” menu, select “Activate a Product on Steam”, and enter the 16-digit code. The game will start downloading immediately, and you’ll have permanent access to the playtest, even after future updates.
If you get an invite sent directly to your Steam account, make sure it’s from an official Valve account, not a random user pretending to be Valve. Official messages from Valve will have a blue checkmark next to the username, and will never ask you to click any external links or share personal info. If you get a message from a random user saying they have an invite for you, just ignore it, it’s almost always a scam. Link your Steam account to your Deadlock profile within the first 7 days of access to get extra in-game rewards too. Valve gives all new playtesters a free exclusive skin set if they link their account and complete one full match within the first week, so it’s a nice bonus you don’t want to miss. You don’t need a high-end PC to play either, the minimum system requirements are pretty low, so even if you have a mid-range laptop, you’ll be able to run it at 60 FPS on medium settings.
Once you’re in, you’ll likely get 1-2 extra invites to share with your friends after you play 10 matches, so you can pass on the favor to other people who are still looking for access. You should also report any fake or scam invites you run into to the relevant platform mods, to help other players avoid getting tricked.
Getting access to Deadlock’s closed playtest doesn’t have to cost you money or require you to jump through dozens of hoops. If you stick to official sources first, avoid obvious scams, and check trusted community spaces regularly, you’ll be able to find deadlock invite access way faster than you think. Just be patient, and don’t fall for any offers that seem too good to be true, and you’ll be playing your first match before you know it.