If you’re a fan of fast-paced competitive shooters, you’ve likely heard all the buzz around Valve’s newest title, Deadlock. The game blends hero shooter mechanics with MOBA strategy for a unique gameplay loop that has hundreds of thousands of players waiting to try it out long before its official full launch. In this guide, we’re breaking down exactly how to get early access to Deadlock without falling for fake codes or scam offers that are popping up all over social media right now. We’ve tested every method listed here personally, so you don’t have to waste time on tricks that don’t work.
Official Ways to Get Early Access to Deadlock Directly From Valve
Valve is the only official source for legitimate Deadlock early access, so all the methods we recommend first come directly from their official channels. The easiest and most reliable way to get in is signing up for the official Steam playtest, which you can do right from the Deadlock store page on Steam. All you have to do is navigate to the page, find the “Request Playtest Access” button, and click it to add your account to the waitlist. Valve pulls new players from the waitlist in batches every 1 to 2 weeks, so you don’t have to resubmit your request multiple times to be considered. You’ll get a pop-up notification on Steam if you’re selected, and the game will automatically be added to your library for immediate download. If you don’t get selected the first few rounds, don’t worry—Valve is consistently expanding the playtest pool as they fix bugs and add new content, so your odds go up the longer you’re on the list. If you’re serious about learning how to get early access to Deadlock, the official Steam playtest is always your best bet.
Alternative Legitimate Methods to Secure Early Access
If you don’t want to wait for random waitlist selection, there are a few other legitimate paths to early access that don’t involve giving your account info to random strangers online. First, if you’re an active content creator who covers Valve titles or competitive shooters, you can apply for the official content creator program for Deadlock. Applications are open to creators of all sizes, not just big influencers, as long as you have a consistent track record of posting relevant, appropriate content about similar games. Accepted creators get permanent early access, plus extra keys to give away to their audiences. Many players who want to know how to get early access to Deadlock overlook the content creator program, but it’s one of the fastest ways to get permanent access. Another option is entering official giveaways run directly by Valve or verified partner accounts on social media platforms like X (Twitter), Twitch, and TikTok. Never enter a giveaway that asks for your Steam password or payment information—legitimate giveaways only need your Steam ID to send the access key, and they will never ask for sensitive login details.
To boost your chances of being selected for the playtest faster, follow these simple steps when you sign up:
- Make sure your Steam account is in good standing with no active VAC bans or community restrictions
- Opt in to Steam Beta updates in your account settings to show you’re comfortable testing unfinished software
- Link your Steam account to your social media profiles if you post about gaming content, as Valve often prioritizes active community members
Common Scams to Avoid When Looking for Early Access
As demand for Deadlock early access has grown, so have the number of scams targeting excited players. Most of these scams are easy to spot once you know what to look for, but they can trick new players who don’t know how official access works. The most common scam is people selling “guaranteed” Deadlock keys on third-party marketplace sites or social media. Valve never sells early access keys to third-party sellers, so every key listed for sale is either fake, stolen, or will be revoked as soon as Valve detects it was sold. You could lose your money, or even get your Steam account banned for using a stolen key. If someone messages you out of the blue offering to sell you access, it’s almost certainly a scam, no matter how much they claim they can help you get early access to Deadlock. Another common scam is fake websites that claim to generate free Deadlock keys if you fill out a survey or download a file. These sites are almost always loaded with malware, or they steal your personal information to sell to third parties. If a site isn’t an official Valve or Steam domain, don’t enter any of your account details on it. Even if a friend sends you a link to one of these sites, double check with them first—their account might have been hacked to send out scam links to everyone on their friends list.
What to Expect After You Get Early Access
Once you get access to the playtest, it’s important to remember that Deadlock is still in active development, so you will run into bugs, unbalanced characters, and occasional server outages. This is completely normal for a pre-release game, and your feedback is one of the main reasons Valve runs these playtests. You’ll get a prompt to join the official Deadlock Discord server after you launch the game for the first time, where you can submit bug reports, give feedback on gameplay changes, and talk to other playtest members. You are allowed to stream and record gameplay of the playtest unless Valve explicitly announces a no-streaming period for new content drops, so you can share your experience with your friends or followers if you want. Keep in mind that your progress during the playtest may be wiped before the full launch, so don’t get too attached to your rank or unlocked cosmetics right now. The playtest build also gets updated every 1 to 2 weeks with new characters, balance changes, and bug fixes, so the game you’re playing one week might feel very different the next. That’s part of the fun of early access, though—you get to see the game evolve in real time before it’s released to the general public.
Getting early access to Deadlock doesn’t have to be complicated, as long as you stick to official channels and avoid too-good-to-be-true offers from random sources. Whether you sign up for the official waitlist, apply for the content creator program, or win a spot through an official giveaway, you’ll get to experience one of the most anticipated new competitive games of the last few years months before most other players. Just remember to be patient, keep an eye on your Steam notifications, and don’t give your personal information to anyone you don’t trust, and you’ll be playing Deadlock in no time.