One of the worst things for a primary console player is to see exciting gameplay and then be met by the “only for PC” label right afterwards. As a primary console player, this problem occurs often, and each time the blow doesn’t land softly. I’ve had my eyes on Delta Force since Team Jade announced it in 2024. The focus on providing fans with three separate game modes that embody everything commonly found in the FPS genre was intriguing.
Still, I instantly felt FOMO the moment it was revealed as a free-to-play, PC exclusive. However, Team Jade made the surprising announcement that Delta Force would be coming to consoles in Q1 2025, with all the bells and whistles from the full release (not early access or beta). When that revelation occurred, I knew I had to jump in and see what all the commotion behind the ‘free Battlefield’ title was about. When I was given a chance to get behind the helmet of one of the operators found in Delta Force on console early, I gladly enlisted for service.
Delta Force’s extensive history as a gaming franchise is well explained in CGMagazine’s previous PC preview, and it’s safe to say the franchise matters. But what separates it from the pack? Impressive gameplay that players wouldn’t believe is free, chaotic game modes, and a single player campaign stapled to the entire experience portraying a real-life famous historical moment, Black Hawk Down (which is known as in textbooks as the Battle of Mogadishu, but based on the 2001 film of the same name).
First things first, if fans aren’t familiar with hero shooters, Delta Force totes gameplay that’s reminiscent of the genre, but it plays more like the fast-paced FPS titles that don’t slot into that category. Think of Delta Force as a fine-tuned, big release experience, but without having a price tag to start with, so all the risk is held by the developer and publisher. I’m happy to report all of Team Jade’s efforts have brought fans a solid console port.
Although it was a preview build I cut my teeth on for console, I tried the initial experience for PC afterwards to check out what the premium marketplace looks like, and I noticed the free-to-play reminders were completely MIA from Delta Force menus. Not only does Team Jade care about their title, but they also believe in it.
I jumped into a game playing as one of the support (healing class) operators. I played the heroic Stinger, and if his perfectly quaffed hair said anything about his abilities, you’d know he’s just as good as the pomade he uses to keep it together on the battlefield. Like other hero shooters, Delta Force gives you access to notable perks exclusive to each character and class.
Stinger uses a healing pistol that feels like Mercy’s staff from Overwatch 2. He can heal from a serious range, which keeps himself and the target out of harm’s way, but unlike Mercy, he can also deliver serious punishment. You can outfit the support class with some solid firepower, like assault rifles (the AK-74 comes to mind) and a high-powered hand-cannon equivalent as a sidearm.
Stinger comes with other perks that allow him to support the team in other ways. A smokescreen sets up confusion for the enemy, allowing you to revive downed allies, and smoke grenades can allow you to make an escape when a hail of bullets is swarming you. These two perks allow you to think outside the box. Instead of just healing, you can deploy smoke and flank around with your assault weaponry to provide cover fire in a huge 32v32 Warfare game, giving relief to battered teammates holding down an objective.
This freedom allows players to critically think where they’re best placed on the battlefield to help the team, and instead of being a one-trick pony like other hero shooters demand, Delta Force wants all combatants to get in on the action as much as possible. I was able to test the two main game modes for console (not the campaign, Black Hawk Down), and both ran at a buttery smooth 60FPS even during the highest load-bearing moments, on the Xbox Series X console.
While Delta Force names its classes, players can deploy however they like and play how it best helps their team. You aren’t allowed to switch characters in the middle of the fight (like every other Hero-based title on the market), but you can switch your tactics to become more effective for the map. The developers also confirmed that not only is Delta Force cross-play capable, but players can turn it off completely to avoid running into seasoned PC players when it launches for console, a boon for the newest hires to take the field.
I tried out the Operations mode first. This mode gave me big déjà vu. It plays a lot like other free-to-play squad extraction shooters. You dive into a PvPvE map, collect valuables, and extract to keep your spoils. I can’t shake that I’ve felt like I’ve played this mode many times over, and in fact, it is very similar to other extraction shooters in the genre. Rainbow Six: Extraction, Exoborne, and Mecha BREAK all come to mind, but Delta Force has its own identity.
These Operations missions boil down to fun, high-risk, high-reward encounters that also build the world of Delta Force. Not only are you ‘doing fun stuff’ but this is peeking behind the curtain to check out what a Delta Force unit is for in the first place, and it’s always good to have a reason behind unloading your weapon into adversaries. Each unit performs unsanctioned or black-ops missions against the rogue paramilitary Haavk faction, and these missions tie into map-based stories like the newly released Tide Prison and Cyclone maps.
The developer’s philosophy is to preserve the spirit of the original game series while building a modern take on the FPS genre, and with all the detail and focus Team Jade threw under the hood of Delta Force show they mean business.
These encounters can become sweaty affairs quickly, as high-priority targets litter the battlefield as well as other three-man units searching for the bag. When you scoop a high-priority target, other teams can become wise to your newfound wealth, and they will try to scrape your corpse for spoils. You can make a mad dash to extract, taking the wealth with you, or you can stick around and load your bag with more goods to leave with.
The Warfare mode is where Team Jade lets Delta Force do the talking. This mode is a chaotic 32v32 battlefield where everything feels like it’s trying to kill you. There are vehicles with great controls, game modes like deathmatch and King of the Hill, and just good old-fashioned FPS shenanigans. This mode plays incredibly well on console, and it feels like playing an older Battlefield 3 match, but with more things to worry about and roles to play, separating the Force from the rest of the FPS title catalogue.
After hitting a blood rush of killing enemies, healing allies, capturing objectives and taking a buggy to the next objective, it’s clear Team Jade took their time in making every decision open to the player feel deliberate. Instead of “I should do this,” the player can use what they feel comfortable with and march forward with their own best playstyle. If you don’t like vehicle gameplay, you don’t have to even approach one.
Unlike Fortnite’s reliance on the building mechanic (in the base mode), Delta Force doesn’t make the player feel shoehorned into playing one style or mechanic of the game. Every option is open at your disposal, including the option to avoid full segments of gameplay. On the other hand, vehicles feel incredibly responsive, and they work well in their own right.
After speaking with the developers regarding some of the work they’ve done on the title, I asked how important it was for the players to have a sense of progression, and they think it’s incredibly important. Instead of having the entire arsenal open to players at once, playing unlocks further weaponry, giving the unit a stronger leg to stand on. The developers went on to detail how their community was using Vyron’s Magnetic Bomb to assault enemy bases. The Magnetic Bomb used to not harm teammates even when stuck to them, so fans would stick their team with it and send them right into the heart of the enemy for big results.
When the development team realized this could be abused, instead of removing it outright, they made it so the magnetic bomb kills the carrier it’s stuck to, regardless of team. They explicitly mentioned that it’s important for fans to explore and find these fun aspects of gameplay, and instead of banning it, they made it work in-game, but fairly. Team Jade doesn’t just develop Delta Force alone; they listen to player feedback and adjust to make matches feel fair, exciting, and most importantly, fun to play. Team Jade developed Delta Force as a game that the developers want to play as much as the fans, and that shows they care.
Delta Force coming to console wasn’t on my bingo card for 2025, but now they have my full attention. A free-to-play title with a baked-in campaign, developers who want their fanbase to have fun, and the lack of marketplace reminders bogging the experience down may be exactly what the free-to-play genre needs. Delta Force is heading to console tomorrow, August 19, and I can’t wait to jump back into Warfare and try the new Tide Prison map as it launches.
