Subnautica 2 left early access and vacated the top spot. The new king of Steam's most-wishlisted? Valve's own Deadlock—a game that's been available, updated, and played by millions since late 2024. The contradiction reveals a quirk in how Valve defines "release."
Deadlock is Steam's most-wishlisted game right now. It also has over 50,000 daily players, a steady stream of balance patches, and a concurrent peak of 171,490. The disconnect exists because Valve still treats Deadlock as an unreleased title—it lacks an official "out of early access" label—so Steam's algorithm lets it stay on the wishlist chart. That's it. No conspiracy. Just a loophole in Valve's own platform logic.
What Exactly Is Deadlock?
Deadlock is a third-person MOBA-hero shooter hybrid from Valve. Think Dota 2's lane-pushing structure crossed with Overwatch's character abilities and Team Fortress 2's movement feel. Six players per team. You pick a hero with unique weapons and skills, push lanes, kill creeps, capture objectives, and destroy the enemy base. Matches run 25–40 minutes. It's been in "early access" since September 2024—though "early access" here means the same thing as "a full game that gets weekly updates."
Why Is It Still on the Wishlist Chart?
The SERP consensus says "most anticipated unreleased games." That's wrong. Deadlock isn't anticipated—it's already here. The hidden variable is Valve's internal release threshold. Steam's most-wishlisted list filters out games that have an official "Released" tag. Deadlock still wears the "Early Access" badge, and Valve never pushed a version 1.0 announcement. So Steam treats it as a future product. The moment Valve slaps a "Released" label on it—maybe for a console launch or a full marketing push—Deadlock vanishes from the list. Until then, it's Schrödinger's game: both released and unreleased.
Stop calling it unreleased. It's released. Valve just refuses to admit it.
Core Gameplay Loops
Deadlock's systems are borrowed from proven genres, but the execution is distinct. The lane structure uses four lanes (two on each side) with a central "jungle" area. Players earn souls from creeps and enemy heroes, which function as both XP and currency. Souls buy items from a mid-match shop—no gold from last-hitting minions only. Denying enemy souls by dealing damage to their creeps before they do is a critical skill.
Heroes fall into archetypes: carries (high late-game damage), supports (heals, shields, crowd control), and hybrids. Every hero has four abilities and a passive. Ability upgrades happen via "skill points" earned every few hundred souls. The map is semi-open with zip lines for quick movement between lanes, teleporters at the edges, and stealth routes. Vision is provided by "watchers"—static wards that reveal a circular area until destroyed.
Objectives include "Guardians" (tower equivalents), "Shrines" (barracks that spawn stronger creeps), and the enemy "Patron" (the core). A unique mechanic: when a Guardian falls, the attacking team gains a permanent buff to nearby creep damage. This creates a snowball that forces defenders to respond immediately.
Modes and Progression
Currently Deadlock offers two modes: Standard (ranked matchmaking with hidden MMR) and Quick Match (casual queue with no rank on the line). There is no single-player, no bot mode, no custom lobbies—yet. Valve has not announced a roadmap, but datamined files suggest a practice mode and a limited-time event queue.
| Mode | Queue Style | Rank Impact | Average Wait Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | Ranked solo/duo only | Hidden MMR but leaderboard tracks performance | 2–5 min |
| Quick Match | Full parties allowed | None | <1 min |
Progression is light: you unlock new heroes by accumulating "Merit" (XP earned per match) and completing hero-specific challenges. No battle pass. No cosmetic microtransactions—yet. The only monetization is the $14.99 early access price, which includes all current and future heroes. That price is likely temporary; expect a free-to-play model when the game "officially" launches.
Beginner Guidance: Three Fastest Mistakes to Avoid
Mistake 1: Ignoring lane denial. If the enemy gets 70% of creeps and you get 30%, you lose before the first Guardian fight. Practice last-hitting and denial in a private match. Mistake 2: Overextending without zip-line fallback. The map is wide; a lone push often ends with a gank from the jungle. Stick with a teammate until you know gank routes. Mistake 3: Using all abilities on cooldown. Deadlock's mana pool is shallow—most heroes can fire three abilities before emptying. Reserve at least one escape or stun for retreat.
Skip if you prefer slower, single-player experiences. Deadlock demands constant map awareness, team coordination, and fast reflex decisions. If you bounced off Dota 2 or League of Legends, this won't fix that.
Why play Deadlock over Overwatch 2 or Smite 2? The hidden axis is depth without abstraction. Deadlock uses a last-hit mechanic (souls) but removes inventory clutter—you buy items from a shared pool mid-match. It rewards mechanical aim (hitscan and projectile heroes exist) but also requires strategic lane management. No forced roles; you can swap heroes during a match's hero draft, but once the game begins you're stuck with your pick. That trade-off favors players who study matchups before queueing.
(And yes, the hero roster includes a character who throws an ice wall. It's just as annoying as you remember from Overwatch's Mei.)
FAQ: Common Questions from New Players
- Is Deadlock free?
- No—it currently costs $14.99 on Steam. Valve has said it will eventually be free to play, but no date is set. The purchase price includes all future heroes.
- Can I play it if I don't have a high-end PC?
- Yes. Deadlock runs on the Source 2 engine and is well-optimized. Valve lists a GTX 1060 as recommended. The game targets 60fps on medium settings even on older hardware.
- Why is it still on the most-wishlisted list after two years?
- Because Valve hasn't flipped the "Released" switch. Early Access games are considered "unreleased" by Steam's chart logic. The moment Valve calls it 1.0, Deadlock will drop off.
- How many heroes are there?
- As of May 2026, 22 heroes. Valve adds a new one every 6–8 weeks based on past cadence.
- Does it have ranked?
- Yes, Standard mode uses hidden MMR and a performance leaderboard. There's no visible rank icon like Gold or Platinum yet, but Valve is testing a tier system in the background.
What Happens When Valve Finally 'Releases' It?
The most likely scenario: Deadlock goes free to play, launches on consoles (PlayStation and Xbox have been rumored), and drops the early access price tag. When that happens, Steam will reclassify it as "Released," and the wishlist chart will lose its oddball king. Until then, Deadlock sits atop the list—a game that's somehow both out and not out.
The fix is simple: Valve can change a single dropdown. They haven't. So Deadlock remains steam's most-wishlisted oddity. Play it now—it's already here.
Sources: PC Gamer (May 19, 2026) — concurrent player data and wishlist ranking. SteamDB for player counts.
