r/DeadlockTheGame • u/Axis251 • Feb 24 '26

Discussion A tweet that has me thinking.

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I don’t know if Riot can copy what valve has created with Deadlock. The atmosphere and setting so what I think makes deadlock so enjoyable. Yes the gameplay is amazing and the moba aspects are great but I just don’t think riot will even try to copy valve and make a deadlock clone. What is all y’all’s thoughts.

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u/Ar4er13 Lash Feb 25 '26

With bugs, lack of features, and (while I like it) art style that to casual screams "game from 2010"? At best you got stylish matte black coat with few acid washed stains and cracked windshield.

Also it is funny to say "Problem is not in gameplay, but all those games with similar gameplay didn't do stellarly"... then yes, at this problem it is the gameplay, if game with this setup couldn't ever reach the level of profit Riot needed. Problem is that Riot ever let the dev team turn it into this, rather than go with their usual scheme of ripping off the most popular competitor with pro scene (which would be either SF or MK, last of which spectacularly failed with its own spin on even simpler assist system)... its as if you'd have Valorant come out as a Quake 3 ripoff, and then wonder why it never performed that well (even if there are obviously fans of arena shooters).

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u/just_Okapi Dynamo Feb 25 '26

So because none of those other tag fighters made infinite money (what Riot wanted with 2XKO), there's something wrong with the gameplay? And it's not just that competitive fighting games are a small, heavily diluted genre that's insanely difficult to break into? I mean, look at Skullgirls, it's mechanically the best tag fighter ever made and it's an indie darling at best.

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u/Ar4er13 Lash Feb 25 '26 edited Feb 25 '26

So because none of those other tag fighters made infinite money (what Riot wanted with 2XKO), there's something wrong with the gameplay?

Game being well made for niche enthusiasts, doesn't translate into what is being discussed for average player or when game is viewed as a product. You can have a top tier blacksmith craft the finest damascus steel scythe, and it will still be objectively bad at doing its job compared to the cheapest lawnmower. Skullgirls is stellarly put together game, but even for average FG player it is a den of degeneracy with gameplay loop that looks absolutely not appealing to get into for the reward it offers... so yeah...for average person its gameplay is "bad" (well crafted, but useless).

So out of this we have 2 ways. Downsizing expectations, which you offer... which doesn't work for any company that wants to make profits, or even average users that will miss out on the game because it is inherently niche... or changing the gameplay loop (which can't really be done once you have that fucking scythe done, without discarding it fully).

As for "hard to breach market" that is true, but it is also a bad move to try and breach grassmowing market with your newest scythe vs a new lawnmower (and even then, people will stick to brands they know, unless new one will be truly something new)... because problem was never how well you will make a scythe, the problem is that you're conceptually making one, which makes scythe...a bad concept? Yeah, at this point in time, regardless of any niche or former situations.

All of that is ironic to discuss on Deadlock forums, but Valve has opportunity not to give a fuck and push scythe so hard, that they will find a base of scythe loving enthusiasts regardless.

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u/just_Okapi Dynamo Feb 25 '26

I fail to see how it's the scythe's fault that Riot thought it was a lawnmower. Or any of the other aforementioned scythes.

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u/Ar4er13 Lash Feb 25 '26

It ain't scythes fault, it is fault of people Riot hired to design a lawnmower in 10 years, but which still brought them a scythe, because they are hardcore scythemen, who fail to see that why other people wouldn't want to spend 4 hours doing their lawn. Scythe never had a chance nowadays.

What we are asking is "Does that mean me, a scythe enthusiast should have never received this new scythe I really like?"...and yeah... that situation is extremely profitable personally for you, but telling the business, that refitted entire factory, investing millions of dollars into making scythes that don't sell, that they should just temper expectations is... unrealistic and selfish at best?

Long story short, world sucks and we can't have what we want, unless enough people want it.

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u/just_Okapi Dynamo Feb 25 '26

That's not at all what I said?