Deadlock's beta is fun, but players can only fully enjoy the game during matchmaking hours. Per the Deadlock schedule, the game's matchmaking system shuts down during off-hours.

Deadlock's free to play, but the game's still on limited access, and this also applies to its servers at its current stage. While we expect the servers to start running all the time as Deadlock's beta nears its end, players looking to play Deadlock have to adjust their schedules around the game's matchmaking hours.

When are Deadlock's Matchmaking Hours?

Deadlock's matchmaking hours take effect between Monday to Thursday and Friday to Sunday. Here's a complete breakdown of the Deadlock Schedule.

• Eastern Time
• Monday to Thursday: 5pm to 6am
• Friday to Sunday: 1pm to 6am
• Central European Time
• Monday to Thursday: 3pm to 3am
• Friday to Sunday: 11am to 4am

Can You Play Deadlock After Matchmaking Hours?

Yes, you can continue to play Deadlock after your regional matchmaking hours—if you switch to another region. Most of the time, once your matchmaking hours end, another region's will be about the start, and you can jump in on that action with a quick region hop.

To change servers/regions in Deadlock, you need to:

• Launch Deadlock.
• Press F7 to bring up the game's console.
• Enter the server's respective console commands to change from your existing one.
• North America: citadel_region_override 0
• Europe: citadel_region_override 1
• Asia: citadel_region_override 2
• South America: citadel_region_override 3
• Oceania: citadel_region_override 5
• You can return to your original server with the "citadel_region_override -1" command.

However, region hopping could cause lag and ping depending on your location. If you're switching to a server far away from your location, expect delays in your gameplay experience.

Why does Deadlock have Matchmaking Hours?

Deadlock has matchmaking hours because Valve needs the downtime at the game's current stage of development. Once Deadlock servers go down, Valve will likely use the opportunity to roll out backend changes.

Playtest titles, like Deadlock, are generally miles away from reaching their final form, so the developers use every opportunity to implement new features to the game while improving the existing ones. While Valve might also have other reasons, these restrictions could also slowly come to an end as Deadlock draws more players and continues to rise in popularity on Steam.

Despite being on limited access, Deadlock became one of the hottest games on Steam during the summer of 2024, leaping into the list of most played games on the platform. This has also been the main reason why many players have been confused about the matchmaking hours since the game's player count grew more than anticipated in a relatively short time, and such limitations often take place in titles with low player numbers.