Deadlock was previously a different game called Neon Prime. While the whole aspect of MOBA shooters has stayed as the main gameplay philosophy behind the game, other things like the design and setting have changed significantly.
Neon Prime was originally a sci-fi game, set in a prison planet with character designs that echoed the futuristic themes. But the setting and atmosphere were not really working out according to the internal testing team.
So instead of scrapping the whole idea as most companies would do, Valve decided to make the bold decision of revamping the game with a new Noir, late 40s setting. They revamped the initial Neon Prime characters to fit the timeframe of Deadlock.
Bebop’s design recalls the remains of Neon Prime
The game is still a work in progress, so a bit of residual design concepts from Neon Prime have stayed with the game. This can be especially seen with characters such as Yamato and Bebop.
But there’s a catch, which makes Bebop’s design actually work in this world. He is supposed to be a scrap golem. Deadlock is set in an alternative universe where the occult is normal and soul-fueled technology has progressed beyond the real-world scope.
So much so that machines can now become sentient and part of the working human society. Bebop was forged from scrapped mechanical parts gathered by the widowed Junkyard attendant, Ms. Shelly. Since then, he has become a loving son to her.
Bebop has a heart of gold; his reason for participating in the ritual is to wish for a cure to Ms. Shelly’s illness, which has been troubling her for some time. His backstory echoes references to the pop culture tropes of the tin man who longs to feel human emotion, and others, such as the fan favorite Iron Giant.
Lash has way too much pent-up hatred for Bebop
It is no secret that Lash and Bebop do not like each other. As I have talked about in another video previously, these two are always at each other’s throats, trying to get wins over one another in the underground Bear Pit fight scene.
The hate from Lash’s side, especially, is so much that he even stopped using his signature uppercut moves during the fight, after he found that Bebop also has it. He now opts for a more grounded strike out of sheer spite, refusing to associate with Bebop.
But some characters are fond of the scarp Golem. Characters like Ivy and Victor are good friends with him. Ivy, in one of their conversations, invites Bebop and Ms Shelly to dinner with the Arroyos. And Bebop wants Victor to come visit Ms. Shelly.
One fun fact about our favorite scrap Golem is that he is a fan of jazz music and likes to listen to it every night. In fact, his name itself is derived from the style of jazz known as Bebop.
