Riot Games has officially put an end to speculation surrounding a potential rival to Valve’s highly-anticipated hero shooter, Deadlock. The studio’s direct denial has extinguished the claim, confirming that no such project is in development.
Riot Games’ impressive portfolio boasts two wildly successful live-service titles: League of Legends and Valorant. These games attract millions of active players daily, solidifying their status as crown jewels for the company. Valve’s Deadlock, currently in alpha testing, combines elements of League’s multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) and Valorant’s hero shooter gameplay, offering a unique blend that’s already drawn 100,000 daily players.
A recent baseless rumor claimed that Riot Games secured a $200 million investment from Tencent to develop a Deadlock competitor. The allegation relied on a fabricated PC Gamer article and was swiftly dismissed by Riot Games’ communication manager, Joe Hixson, on Twitter.
Riot Games’ communication manager, Joe Hixson, unequivocally dismissed the rumor as “completely fabricated,” highlighting that the cited article doesn’t exist and Tencent’s investment approach is far more strategic. To put the speculation to rest, Hixson clarified that Riot’s R&D department isn’t exploring any projects similar to Deadlock. Instead, the company is focused on two new League of Legends-related initiatives: 2XKO, a free-to-play fighting game slated for 2025, and an untitled MMO currently in development, though further away from release.
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Given its current workload, it’s unlikely that Riot Games is developing a high-profile Deadlock competitor. The studio’s plate is already full, particularly with Valorant’s upcoming transition to Unreal Engine 5. With League of Legends and Valorant already dominating the MOBA and hero shooter spaces, it’s logical that Riot would explore new avenues rather than repeating past successes. The company’s recent projects, including those in development and canceled, indicate a strategic focus on the fighting game genre. Notably, 2XKO is showing promise with players, positioning it as a potential breakout hit when it launches in 2025.
