Delta Force: Hawk Ops, the free-to-play tactical FPS and Call of Duty/Battlefield challenger from publisher Tencent, is launching for PC as a global open beta on 5th December this year.
The Delta Force series was originally developed by NovaLogic and debuted in 1998; it would go on to spawn eight sequels, with a ninth announced but never released as a result of NovaLogic’s closure in 2016. Last year, however, Tencent announced it was reviving the Delta Force series for PC, consoles, and mobile, and its reboot (developed by the publisher’s Timi Studio Group, which created Call of Duty: Mobile) has had several alpha playtests since then.
Delta Force is now ready to move to the next stage, and its global open beta (previously referred to as Early Access) is considered to be its “initial release version”, featuring full live-service content updates and no more progress resets. Open beta on 5th December will also mark the start of the game’s first season, Genesis, which is set to introduce new maps and modes for both its 32-player Hazard Operations component and Hazard Operations’ squad-based PvPvE. There’s also talk of a new operator joining the existing seven, new weapons, and a new vehicle.
Tencent’s FAQ explains paid content – Battle Passes, weapon appearances, and vehicle appearances are all specifically mentioned – will also be available once the open beta goes live, but it insists there’ll be “no pay-to-win elements”. And looking to the future, new maps, modes, Operators, weapons, and vehicles are all expected to be introduced as the open beta progresses, alongside with gameplay enhancements, improved performance, bug fixes, better anti-cheat, and controller support. Delta Force’s third element, its Black Hawk Down-inspired single-player campaign, will arrive at an unspecified later date.
Delta Force: Hawk Ops will be available via Tencent’s official browser, Steam, and the Epic Games Store when it launches into open beta on 5th December. PlayStation, Xbox, and mobile releases are all expected in “Q1” 2025.
“If Hawk Ops can provide a decent single-player experience, alongside its combination of big multiplayer fireworks and free-roaming tactical engagements,” Eurogamer contributor Rick Lane wrote in his preview earlier this year, “then Battlefield and Call of Duty could be in for a rather unpleasant surprise.