Valve has given a rough timeline for Deadlock's next major update, and it is later than the game's community had been expecting. A developer known as Yoshi told players in the game's official Discord server that the best current estimate is late September, PCGamesN reports.
It has been seven months since Old Gods, New Blood, the overhaul that added six heroes to the MOBA, and speculation that a follow-up was imminent had built steadily in the server. Asked directly whether the patch could land the following week, Yoshi said no, adding that the team was still working heavily on it.
The best estimate we can make right now is that it will be late September. If we're able to release it sooner, we certainly will, but that is unlikely.
Playtesting, not scope
Yoshi said the update has taken longer than expected and that the team had originally planned for it to be out already. He attributed the delay to the regular process of playtesting and iteration rather than any change in what the update contains.
According to PCGamesN, Valve had held off on giving any schedule at all until it knew whether the update simply needed another week or two or something longer, in order to offer the most accurate timeline it could. The volume of players guessing at a date, or demanding a response, had grown loud enough over the preceding weeks to crowd out other discussion in the server.
What players can expect until then
Yoshi acknowledged the timing would disappoint, saying the team knew it was not what players wanted to hear given the recent speculation that the update could arrive any day. On PCGamesN's reading, that leaves no dramatic new modes, map redesigns or meta-altering shake-ups due for at least a few more weeks.
Yoshi said Valve would give the community advance notice — or, as he put it, order a ton of pizza — when release was a few days away, adding that the team hopes players will like the update when it comes out.