Nowadays, the first-person shooter genre feels more oversaturated than ever before. This year alone, we have games such as Battlefield 6, Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, and DOOM: The Dark Ages, all of which will undoubtedly appeal to all sorts of players, regardless of whether they prefer multiplayer experiences, single-player narratives, or both. This isn’t taking into consideration games that consistently get updates, like Counter-Strike 2, Fortnite, Overwatch 2, and countless more. As a result, this raises a complicated question: for a new game to release onto the scene, one that isn’t part of a major franchise, what does it have to do to succeed?
This is a conundrum that many have tried to solve, but to no avail. One example is Delta Force, which was released for PC in January 2025 and launched for mobile devices in April 2025. This first-person shooter has elements from titles like Battlefield, Call of Duty, and Escape from Tarkov, while trying to do its own thing with hero shooter mechanics. The game has its own devoted fanbase on both platforms, but it is now releasing for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. How does Delta Force handle the new platforms in the midst of a new wave of first-person shooter content?
Last month, I had the opportunity to be flown out to Los Angeles and visit Tencent to try out this new version of Delta Force. I am forever thankful for the chance to get a better look at everything this game has to offer, both in-person and during a final playtest, which took place in early August. After playing both, it’s safe to say that while Delta Force has potential, it unfortunately has multiple hindrances that create an experience that fails to meet the expectations set by the best of the genre.
The Preview (July 1, 2025)
During the preview event at Tencent’s office in Los Angeles, I had an opportunity to speak to some of the marketing team from Team Jade, the developers of Delta Force. Everyone there was absolutely lovely to speak with, and they were quite welcoming when it came time to introduce the game to me and another member of the press who was present. This was certainly helpful for me in particular, as I was actually not too familiar with this Delta Force game, or in fact, the broader Delta Force franchise.
Indeed, despite my earlier statements, Delta Force is technically part of a pre-existing franchise. Released in 1998 for PC by Nova Logic, the first entry in the franchise (also titled Delta Force) was a first-person shooter that was surprisingly ahead of its time. It featured fairly impressive graphics, a wide open area to explore, and enemies that you can quickly dispatch with a small arsenal of weapons. Over the years, multiple sequels would be released, such as Delta Force: Land Warrior, Delta Force: Urban Warfare, and Delta Force: Black Hawk Down. The latest Delta Force marks the first new entry in sixteen years.
Delta Force, originally titled Delta Force: Hawk Ops, is a free-to-play first-person shooter. It has multiple modes, including one with massive-scale battles a la Battlefield, or an extraction mode similar to Escape from Tarkov. There are multiple weapons that are all customizable, usable vehicles, and, as the game’s main selling point, numerous operators, each with their own set of abilities and perks. There’s even a free single-player expansion, also titled Delta Force: Black Hawk Down. During the preview event, however, we only focused on the multiplayer aspect of the game, which would release soon on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S.
During the preview event, I played Delta Force on PlayStation 5 for about two hours. I got to try out a good portion of the game’s operators and both of its key modes, and based on what was shown, I was somewhat pleased with the results. There’s a lot in the game that I really enjoyed and just as many things that had me slightly concerned.
Let’s start with one of the game’s biggest attractions: the Operators. The concept of a hero shooter, even if it’s something as simple as having different classes in a game, has certainly lost its appeal over the years. Even something as simple as Rainbow Six: Siege has various operators, all with specific weapons, abilities, and backstories unique to that character. This isn’t a new concept, and on the surface, Delta Force doesn’t really do anything new with that premise.
During the preview, I mostly played as Luna and the latest operator, Tempest. Luna took a while to really click with, as she’s more range-based. I was drawn to her at first because of her bow and arrow, but unfortunately, it’s not too effective in combat and is mostly used to deliver ranged DPS. It didn’t help that I was paired up against bots for most of the session, so I was constantly getting downed at every opportunity.
Once I got a chance to play as Tempest, though, that’s where things really started to click into place. I really liked her abilities, especially the ones that allowed for increased mobility, a unique type of grenade, alongside the fact that she could pull herself out of combat very quickly with an emergency evasion device. It’s a great time playing as her, and I imagine it’s the same for a lot of the other operators that I didn’t have a chance to try out. Though there are some problems with that structure, too, that would only become apparent during the final playtest in early August.
However, a first-person shooter is only as good as its gameplay, and thankfully, I have to say that Delta Force‘s gameplay is fantastic. It scratches that perfect Battlefield itch with each weapon having a great kick behind it. There’s a great sense of realism behind it, yet there’s still a little bit of that sense of speed you’d get in games like Call of Duty. It blends multiple different styles, which you think wouldn’t work, but it surprisingly feels very natural.
One of my favorite touches with Delta Force is the gun customization. While most games have limits to what accessories you can add to them, here, there are no limits. During the session, I added a bunch of nonsensical attachments to a revolver with no care or desire to make a gun that functioned even remotely correctly. The revolver had an insane amount of recoil, but I felt so proud of my horrific creation.
Another aspect of the gameplay I found to be fairly enjoyable was the main Warfare mode. It once again fits into that Battlefield-esque niche, where you fight across a massive map as you try and control more zones compared to your opponents. There are a lot of grand-scale fights and a lot of small-scale encounters. I got a kick out of the giant turret I encountered on one of the maps, where I just spent a solid ten minutes quickly ripping enemies apart. It was fun, and I really enjoyed seeing some destructible environments. I do wish there were more maps that had a bit more vertical scale, rather than being simply wide. Plus, some of the matches would drag on a bit too long.
Then there’s the Operations mode, and unfortunately, I didn’t click with this one as much. This is the mode that is heavily inspired by extraction shooters, but a lot of the moment-to-moment encounters feel extremely lifeless. Encounters were scarce, and the loot I recovered felt meaningless. I didn’t feel like I was exploring a big area; instead, I felt like I was dropped in the middle of nowhere with nothing to do. Plus, my game actually managed to crash during a section, which certainly didn’t help my opinion of it.
Operations wasn’t the only concern that crossed my mind during the play session. There were some technical issues I noticed, particularly with the animations and graphics. Some of the textures don’t really look right, specifically with the liquid simulation. You can see a dam in one of the maps, and the way that the water looks flowing from the dam doesn’t look like it’s rendered right. When characters talk, you can’t see their lips move. While these problems may seem minute, you come to expect a certain level of quality with modern first-person shooters, and when you don’t get it, you really feel that loss.
This is part of my biggest issue with Delta Force: what it does differently compared to other games in the genre. I’ve talked at length about what the game does that’s similar to Battlefield, Call of Duty, Escape from Tarkov, or Rainbow Six, but there isn’t much that this game does that is unique to itself. Yes, the game is free-to-play, which is a huge point in its favor.
However, a lot of shooters nowadays are free-to-play, such as Call of Duty Warzone, Halo Infinite, or Fortnite. Even the upcoming Battlefield 6 is set to have a free battle royale mode. Why would you invest your time in Delta Force when you can instead put that time towards a game that does what it does, only better?
Fortunately, I had a chance to actually speak with some of the developers behind Delta Force: Lead System Designer Xianwen Wang and Lead UI/UX Designer Ree Chen. It was a great chance to poke their brain a little more about some of the finer details of the release. The first thing I immediately wanted to ask them was if this new version would bring parity between all versions. I was pleased to hear that their answer was a unanimous yes, so if you’re picking up the PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X|S version of the game, you will not only have access to cross-progression and cross-play, but updates will be released for both consoles and PC simultaneously.
I also wanted to know what the process of creating classes was, specifically in the case of Tempest, and where the idea of her inception came from. Both Wang and Chen needed a moment to reflect before answering, but what they informed me was that operators are actually handled by another team. The process of creating an operator starts with the narrative team coming up with a concept, then the gameplay team working around that concept and bringing it to life.
In the case of Tempest, they started with the fact that she has an exoskeleton that adapts to disadvantages, then created abilities to match, specifically with the feature allowing her to quickly escape combat at the push of a button. I was more than satisfied with this answer, as it was great insight into the behind-the-scenes creation of one of the game’s most interesting aspects.
This led me to my biggest question: “What, in your opinion, are the differences that set this game apart from others in the genre?” This too required some reflection from both Wang and Chen. Eventually, they settled on these key aspects: for one, the game being playable on PC, mobile devices, and consoles is one point in its favor, plus the addition of both crossplay and cross-progression. The other unique feature they described is the aforementioned operators, and just how different they are from what one would expect from other entries in the genre.
The point I found most fascinating from their answer, though, was the idea of gameplay being the key to Delta Force‘s success. At multiple points, the developers stressed that the “gameplay should speak for itself.” The unique levels of customization, the kick behind each weapon, and how satisfying gameplay feels are all features that the developers are all too happy to show off. I think this is an extremely admirable sentiment, especially in the modern wave of shooters focusing more and more on competitive spaces and “world championships.”
My last question I just had to ask was, since we’ve got Delta Force on iOS, Android, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC, “could we expect to see the game on Nintendo Switch 2?” Everyone in the room chuckled a bit, then asked to “Let us focus on figuring out PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S first, then we’ll see about the future.” Fingers crossed that we do eventually get Delta Force on Nintendo Switch 2, because despite my issues with the game, I think it would be very successful and fill a niche that hasn’t yet been filled on the new system.
After that unsurprising answer, we wrapped up for the day, I said my goodbyes, and went back to the hotel. I had a great time during the preview event for Delta Force and loved the chance to meet the people behind this fascinating game. Before I could truly articulate my thoughts on everything the game had to offer, though, I wanted one last chance to play the console version before release. Luckily, I was able to play a final playtest of Delta Force before it launched on both PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S, and this truly put all of the game’s weaknesses into greater focus.
Final Playtest (August 8, 2025)
Playing Delta Force with bots in a contained space is a drastically different experience from playing it with real players. It’s worth noting that the first-person shooter space had become significantly different compared to when I had first gone to the preview event. Namely, EA had officially revealed Battlefield 6 and held a beta that cemented it as a brilliant return-to-form for the franchise that prioritized fun above all else. In fact, just before playing this final test, I had spent several hours with Battlefield 6‘s beta and had a great time.
While it may be unfair to compare these two games, once again, it’s worth noting that Delta Force pulls a lot from Battlefield‘s formula. This was especially apparent in the playtest, as I noticed far more of the destructible environments, big-scale battles, various vehicles, and even a mode where you’re trying to defend against your opponents, who are attempting to control as many points on the map as possible before advancing. As such, in part due to these direct comparisons and new issues that became more noticeable in the playtest, I am still a bit skeptical about the appeal of Delta Force compared to other games on the market.
One of the biggest problems I noticed in this new setting is the Operators. While the concept is great, they are not balanced at all. To start with, you get four basic Operators that can use fairly fundamental abilities, like a bow-and-arrow, a grenade launcher, and so on. These abilities are great and fun to use in a vacuum, but they aren’t too effective in the grand scheme of things.
That lack of effectiveness isn’t helped by the fact that you will usually be fighting against those who have grinded through the game and unlocked multiple Operators, who have access to far more advanced abilities like smoke walls, stealth, and even a grappling hook. More often than not, I found myself severely outmatched in multiplayer, as I spent most of the match being downed and unable to see who’d attacked me because of the walls of smoke or someone shooting me from halfway across the map thanks to a special perk that I don’t have access to.
On the plus side, I did really enjoy getting to fiddle around with the different vehicles. For a brief moment, I was allowed to be in a Helicopter (which the pilot just flailed around in a circle for a few minutes) and a small infantry vehicle with a turret attached. Yet even these were constantly being countered by the opposing operators. At every moment, I would see someone with an anti-vehicle mine, or a shield, or a rocket launcher that prevented further advancement.
The issue is that, unless you have unlocked more than the main four operators, you’re going to be at a severe disadvantage compared to everyone else. This makes things especially difficult since crossplay is enabled, so if you’re jumping in for the first time like me, you’re going to find yourself struggling very quickly. While I was fine with the gun customization being unbalanced, in a game so focused on having multiple playable operators, balancing each so that every option is equally viable is a must.
I did also give Operations another try, and I still couldn’t figure out its appeal. Even when paired with and against human players, the environments are far too empty and barren of any interesting loot or thrilling encounters to make things interesting. I have heard that this issue may improve if you switch to maps of higher difficulty, but those must be unlocked through more playtime. The idea of “unlocking more the more you play” also applies to the operators. While this concept is good in theory, I’m just not too sure the gameplay is exciting enough to warrant more playtime.
That, to me, is the biggest folly of Delta Force‘s design. Yes, the gunplay feels satisfying, but the actual moment-to-moment gameplay is constantly being hindered by unbalanced operators, technical issues, and mechanics that are pulled from other shooters without any care about how they’re implemented. This, once again, raises the ultimate question: why would anyone pick up Delta Force?
When the average buyer sees Delta Force in the PlayStation or Microsoft Store, they’re likely going to pass right by it. This is because there are countless other free multiplayer shooters that are available to purchase, and, both on the surface and in execution, Delta Force doesn’t really do anything unique compared to those games. This may not have been a problem earlier this year, but in a time where Battlefield, Call of Duty, and Fortnite are dominating the multiplayer shooter space, there is no reason to even consider trying Delta Force.
Perhaps if there were an interesting story or world to sink my teeth into, that would counterbalance my issues. However, the world of Delta Force isn’t all that remarkable. There is an opening cutscene for the season that introduces the antagonist and new operator, but it all feels very generic. You have a villain who is talking about how chaos rules above all else, while an elite group of soldiers tries to stop him and his acolytes. While the actual cutscenes themselves are cool, this isn’t anything new for the genre.
In theory, Delta Force has an interesting foundation that can be built on and adjusted in future updates. Plus, thanks to the way the game is structured, a lot of my issues with balancing, textures, and so on can all be fixed at a later date. Even still, I am personally not interested enough to see this game through to its future, regardless of how interesting the updates are.
Is Delta Force Worth Your Time?
The first-person shooter genre has always had a special place in my heart. Games like Halo 3 and Battlefield 4 defined a massive portion of my life, with the former being part of the reason I even became interested in the gaming medium in the first place. I wanted Delta Force to scratch that old itch and fill the void that the modern landscape of first-person shooters has left vacant. Unfortunately, this wasn’t the case.
There are some things that Delta Force did great, don’t get me wrong. I think the actual concept of operators is a good way to distinguish the game from others in the genre. The gunplay feels great and perfectly satisfying in all the right ways. Additionally, the addition of crossplay and cross-progression between PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, iOS, Android, and PC is a great touch that will certainly make the game more accessible to all audiences. Despite all the things that Delta Force does right, based on what I saw in the preview and the playtest, there are so many major issues that hinder the game’s overall quality.
The balancing between operators is completely broken, and if you’re jumping in for the first time against people on other platforms who’ve potentially been playing for hundreds of hours, you will be at a severe disadvantage. The modes and story of Delta Force are very much lacking, as are the game’s textures and technical detail. The biggest issue is that the game doesn’t do anything new or exciting compared to others on the market, which are also available for free and offer more modes, more quality, and better gameplay.
While the quality of Delta Force‘s gameplay may speak for itself, it is unfortunately not fun enough to make spending hundreds of hours trying to unlock its operators and other features worth it. Perhaps if you’ve already spent a lot of time playing Delta Force on other platforms, you may enjoy playing it on either PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X|S. However, if you’re simply looking for a new first-person shooter coming out this year, you may be better off looking elsewhere, especially since the genre is more oversaturated than ever. At the end of the day, Delta Force doesn’t do enough to separate itself from the rest of the genre, making it a game that is somewhat hard to recommend.
