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Does Deadlock have an anti-cheat?

Will cheaters be able to run around freely?

Abrams select screen in Deadlock
Credit: Valve

Having an anti-cheat is something crucial for games nowadays, especially for multiplayer titles like Deadlock. The game is currently in its closed beta, which means features are added or adjusted almost every week. For instance, the ability to create custom matches was implemented very recently.

Here is everything we know about the presence of an anti-cheat system as we wait for more information from the developers at Valve.

Does Deadlock have an anti-cheat?

The good news for all Deadlock players is that the game has an anti-cheat system in place. An update released on September 26 added an early anti-cheat detection system into the game.

Deadlock character jumping

As per the patch notes released on the game's official Discord server, "When a user is detected as cheating, during the game session the opponents will be given a choice between banning the user immediately and ending the match or turning the cheater into a frog for the rest of the game and then banning them afterwards."

The notes also explained that this is supposed to be an early anti-cheat, with "conservative detection levels." The developers are already working on a second version of the anti-cheat, which is set to be a more robust and complete system.

At the moment, it's unclear if this second version will be ready before the game's full release.

How to get access?

There are only two ways to get access to the Deadlock playtest or closed beta: getting a random invite from Valve or receiving an invite from a friend who's already downloaded the title.

The second method is the most straightforward since we believe Valve is not sending any more invitations. Once you find a friend with access, they have to follow these steps:

  • Start the game and click the option "Invite your friends" at the bottom right of Deadlock's start menu.
  • A list of this person's Steam friends will show up and they only have to select you to send the invite.

The invites usually take between 1 and 2 days to arrive, so be patient. Once you have it, you should get a notification like this one:

Deadlock playtest invite notification on Steam

You only have to accept the invite and the game's playtest will be available to download from your Steam library.

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