Presented by Tencent’s TiMi Studios and Team Jade, Wccftech had the exclusive opportunity to visit Los Angeles for an early glimpse of the brand’s first-ever comprehensive console (also available on PC and mobile) game, Delta Force: Hawk Operations. Being the newest addition to the Delta Force series after a fifteen-year hiatus, the director of Call of Duty Mobile, Leo Yao, has embarked on an ambitious project that many contemporary gamers may not have encountered. Departing from the traditional tactical approach of the Delta Force series, Hawk Operations intends to revitalize the shooter franchise with modern features while preserving some of its distinctive characteristics.

During our 90-minute preview, we were able to test two multiplayer modes of Delta Force: Hawk Operations and catch a brief look at the Black Hawk Down campaign. The event was intimate, with just a few members of Team Jade accompanying us as the sole media representatives present. Across various sessions, only a small number of other media outlets were in attendance, and NetEase highlighted this as an exclusive opportunity before the official presentation at Summer Game Fest this weekend.

The influence of Call of Duty Mobile is prominently felt as players assemble their loadouts before landing on the battlefield. Initially, players select an operator to deploy in battle, each equipped with a range of special weapons and abilities driven by cooldown timers, setting them apart beyond merely being distinct targets on the battlefield. The weapons themselves offer numerous attachments that can be unlocked and attached, resembling the familiar mechanics of Call of Duty. Attachments appeared to have an associated currency cost that can be obtained by simply engaging in Delta Force gameplay, although I was unable to determine the cost per attachment or whether there were specific requirements per account or weapon for unlocking attachments or weapons.

The primary multiplayer mode, Chaos Conflict, involves large-scale operations unfolding across expansive maps, with teams divided into manageable squads. The map in this particular mode adopted an attack-and-defend structure. Attackers were tasked with advancing and capturing critical points, while defenders needed to hold off enemy forces until either side ran out of reinforcements. Players could spawn on squadmates out of harm’s way or back at essential locations, a feature reminiscent of Battlefield gameplay where players would either play as a medic or assault class to resupply on the frontlines. In Delta Force: Hawk Operations, I caught a glimpse of the various operator classes functioning similarly, but I am eager to delve deeper into the multiplayer modes to understand how progression and operator unlocks are managed on a larger scale. Will the game reward diverse playstyles beyond pursuing the highest kill-death ratio? Could supporting as a medic and providing medical supplies be a viable strategy for climbing the leaderboards? How do tanks and other vehicles perform in Chaos Conflict? These are queries that lingered after my initial preview, and I look forward to exploring them further in the upcoming closed beta or hands-on sessions.

The second distinctive mode of Delta Force: Hawk Operations showcased thus far and available for play at this month’s event is Risky Missions. This mode represents Team Jade’s take on the extraction shooter concept: teams of three Operators choose a spawning point on the map, scour for loot and high-value targets, complete mini-missions, and attempt to extract and carry forward their earned rewards into subsequent games. The showcased map was sizeable to traverse without resorting to a vehicle, and I managed to navigate most of the terrain, stumbling upon hidden loot caches and encountering minibosses armed with heavy artillery, beginning my journey towards extraction before encountering another player. Since this was an offline session, the players I encountered were all bots, exhibiting a level of AI intelligence comparable to what one would expect from Call of Duty Mobile bot matches (i.e., not highly reactive or threatening unless caught off guard). The majority of the loot I encountered was deemed “useless and not worth carrying,” although occasionally, different colored loot items surfaced that were valuable and warranted extraction for a substantial currency reward. The process of looting entails halting to inspect cabinets or other containers, awaiting the inventory menu to appear, and then watching items get scanned individually. While this mechanism may seem effective on paper for compelling players to make deliberate choices regarding when to search for loot, in practice, players swiftly sift through the inventory, anticipating the significance of each find, all the while hoping an enemy doesn’t suddenly enter the room.

The Risky Missions mode of Delta Force: Hawk Operations presents several innovative concepts that warrant further exploration. Players can bring an array of ammunition rarity tiers into the operation, and I am intrigued to learn the distinctions between a green box of 7.62mm rounds versus a purple variant. Similarly, there are diverse ways to equip an operator, from helmets and backpacks to armor satchels offering varied numerical advantages in terms of defense and gear capacity. Although I did not have the chance to witness firsthand whether these items might confer additional passive benefits to a player, given the diverse loot encountered thus far, I would not be surprised if such enhancements were included. Another area for potential improvement is the player count. During our conversation, Leo Yao mentioned that they were contemplating having fewer participants than what players might typically find in Call of Duty’s DMZ mode (which comprises 22 squad teams of three players, totaling 66). The manner in which AI bots and missions may heighten the sense of danger in the game remains to be seen, but for a title aiming to capture the high-stakes essence of an extraction shooter, there must be a palpable threat at every turn. I commend Team Jade for incorporating random escape points that may not always be available in every map rotation.

Lastly, Leo Yao unveiled a brief campaign trailer for the Black Hawk Down narrative. Interestingly, this marks the second occasion where Delta Force has intersected with Black Hawk Down, though unlike the 2003 adaptation, Delta Force: Hawk Operations draws from the film rather than its literary source. Leo Yao expressed pride in securing the film rights (as well as the Delta Force franchise as a whole) and incorporating movie clips in the game. Additional campaign details will be disclosed as Team Jade predominantly focused on the multiplayer facets, with the campaign receiving its premiere trailer during Summer Game Fest. The PC Alpha testing is scheduled for July, as detailed here.