How to Invite Friends to the Deadlock Playtest: A Step-by-Step Guide

Deadlock's playtest may be closed to the general public, but if you or your friends have access, joining in becomes quite simple. The game is already a lot of fun, even in its early development stages, and the experience is even better when shared with a full lobby of friends.

As many players are aware, the Deadlock playtest is invite-only. However, Valve has been generous with invitations—CEO Gabe Newell has even personally handed out invites. If you're looking to bring your friends into the game or want to know how to team up with others, here's a guide to help you do both.

How To Invite Friends To The Deadlock Playtest

If you've received a Deadlock invitation, you can easily invite your friends to join you in the game. From the main menu screen, look for the "Invite Your Friends" button, highlighted in turquoise blue, located in the lower right corner beneath the matchmaking status and Discord invitation widgets. Clicking this button opens a new window displaying your friends list. Simply hover your mouse over a friend's name, and an invite button will appear.

As of now, Deadlock invitations can take anywhere from 30 minutes to two days to arrive. Remind your friends to keep an eye on their Steam inbox so they don't miss your invitation. If they have their accounts linked to the Steam mobile app, they’ll also receive a notification on their phones once the invitation arrives.

How Many Friends Can You Invite To Deadlock?

Currently, there doesn't seem to be a limit on how many friends you can invite to the game. You’re free to send out as many invitations as you like. You can also invite strangers you meet online through platforms like Discord or Reddit—just ask for their Steam friend codes and follow the steps above. While Deadlock incorporates hero shooter elements, it plays and feels much closer to classic MOBA games like Dota and League of Legends.

When Will The Deadlock Playtest End?

As of now, there’s no official end date for the Deadlock playtest. However, if previous playtests for Valve games like Dota 2 or Counter-Strike 2 are any indication, the Deadlock playtest will likely continue until the game is fully released.