So what. They already have their article and it will be out anyways within like two years latest probably. The value of talking about deadlock is much higher and valve profits from this advertising as well.

Yeah exactly. It's quite likely they didn't really blacklist The Verge anyways, just won't send them invites any more for this particular game. Best kind of marketing is hype marketing, and this is how you fuel the hype.

As someone whose played it I can say that it has some cool concepts but it's sorta mid atm. It's what to be expected for an alpha game though, I just hope they push the aethetic harder and not just use it as set dressing cause so far the aethetic is the most unique part about it. The rest is just overwatch meets leagueDota but slightly jankier (Again, to be expected since it's alpha.)

So apparently they had a bit asking players to not share info about the game, but you could technically back out of it without agreeing so legally they can post whatever they want. It feels like a case of "this is legal to do but maybe kinda shitty and valve might be upset". Basically the agreement was informal and not enforceable and the verge just said fuck it. They did get banned afterwards, but I think that and not working with them in the future is all valve can do.

Edit: didn't even require agreement, so honestly it's kinda fair game. I was a bit hostile calling it shitty, I felt like it was a loophole or something but it's more Valve just saying "hey pls don't" and the verge replying "no thanks", and eating the game ban since that's all valve can really do.

Valve got burned many ages ago with Half-Life 2 and they only go to press about a game when it's in the final phases of development, to release.

they were at least reputable with standards

I think you must be talking about a different website?

They literally included a screenshot of valve asking to not share information about the game with a little quip about how they pressed escape instead of ok. Blantant disrespect to valves wishes even if it's not a legally binding agreement.

They chose getting clicks over doing right by valve. Shame on them.

They did ask Valve:

Though Valve didn’t respond to my requests for comment

It's not clear if he actually got access from Valve or from a friend or someone else. The article simply states

Earlier today, I received a no-strings-attached invite to play Deadlock on Steam.

Honestly I don't think valve is as mad as you would think

Oh but it is very very fun. Addicting even. Full time job and business owner and in the last 5 weeks I've logged 125hrs.