Is Delta Force winning thanks to Battlefield 6 hype?

I admit it can be difficult to look away from the incoming juggernaut that is Battlefield 6. The glitz, the triple-A production, the premium price tag, and the joy of not being BF 2042. However, the hype that it’s generating appears to be doing something interesting in bolstering interest in other FPS titles (that aren’t called Black Ops). 

I’m half joking about Call of Duty, but Delta Force in particular could be benefiting from the current focus on Battlefield and its alternatives. We’ll examine what appears to be happening below. It’s not exactly straightforward, but there’s an interesting mix of factors at play here that seem to be boosting a popular free-to-play title. 

If you’ve yet to come across Delta Force, this free-to-access Battlefield-like FPS title was released to PC in December 2024. It’s just recently arrived on Xbox Series X/S and PlayStation 5, too, bringing more eyes to the work of developers Team Jade. That’s important, and we’ll come back to it, but the game is definitely having a moment. 

A recent boost to Delta Force’s gaming community has been hard to miss. As shown on SteamDB, the start of September saw Delta Force reach its all-time peak for PC players, 213,519. Given that the title is not yet a year old, that’s a healthy thing – showing the potential for further growth and perhaps higher peaks in the future. 

Delta Force’s initial player base was around 118,000 on release. That puts the new peak player count substantially higher than where the game started with PC players, nearly but not quite doubling the number of gamers enjoying it at one time. Has that growth been all organic? Or are there clear contributory factors relating to a certain BF6?

Delta Force has been on an upward trend for several months, and it’s clear that the developers are delivering content and updates to a community that appreciates the work. Having inexplicably dipped to a peak of 95.6K players at the end of March, despite three announced updates during the month, Delta Force began a steady and ongoing increase in players during April. This month brought new season content and the ‘Burst Fest’ celebration, both of which were well-received and also saw a spike in Google searches for “Delta Force”. The market for a free-to-play military-inspired, team-based, multiplayer FPS was proving itself.

Alongside these updates, Delta Force’s developer has been visibly engaging with its community for months. And honestly, you’d be hard-pressed to find a day when the Delta Force X account (138K followers as I write) doesn’t post something to interact with its following.

That’s not all, though, since in July the inaugural Delta Force Invitational (DFI) was announced, officially kicking off the competitive scene for the title. All part of the ESports roadmap for Delta Force, which has ambitions to help take the game well beyond being a Battlefield-like experience for players who don’t want to shell out at least $70.

As we can see, Delta Force has been carving its own path by doing a lot right. In fact, if you play the game, you’ll see how good it is for a free-to-play title. But it’s clear that since some early summer rumblings, Battlefield 6 has been simmering with intent to take over the FPS landscape. Yet, there’s a clear reason why gamers would opt for Delta Force instead. 

Comparing Battlefield 6 and Delta Force, they are quite different titles, but the BF franchise and Delta Force are cut from not dissimilar cloth. To my senses, DF feels pretty close to older Battlefield games. The dollar-shaped elephants in this room, though, are Battlefield’s $70/$100 options. Enough to make gamers search for “BF6 alternatives”? I think so.

Interestingly, historical search trends show Google searches for both “Delta Force” and “Black Ops” increased as the second BF6 beta weekend ended (with “Battlefield 6” searches dipping from August 16 to August 19). This suggests gamers were looking for alternatives, and since then, search trends for the three titles have been closely synchronised.

With player interest divided, Delta Force has been steadily growing its player base since that second BF6 beta weekend. Not only did its peak PC players pass 200,000 that very weekend, but it also launched for PS5 and Xbox Series S on August 19, adding further momentum with cross-platform play, followed by an August 28 content update.

While it’s incalculable how many players are put off by the cost of BF6 as a triple-A game (and those testing the waters of a free-to-play alternative), Delta Force is continuing to do what it does best. It’s focusing on new content, new players, and refining what it offers at a time when FPS players are genuinely looking for viable, enjoyable, value-laden titles.

One further thing that shouldn’t be overlooked is the player count comparison of Delta Force and Battlefield 2042. EA has incentivised would-be BF6 players to check out BF 2042 and unlock Battlefield 6 skins ahead of launch. Even still, 2042 could only peak at approximately 75,000 players in August. Its all-time player peak? 107,000. That’s half of Delta Force’s recent record.

Delta Force has done a great job of providing continual updates, community engagement, and refining its proposition. Rolling out to consoles at a time when a BF6-shaped vacuum appeared with the ending of the Battlefield 6 open beta was inspired. Combined with DF being free-to-play, it’s in a commendable and healthy position.

Is Delta Force doing well thanks to Battlefield 6’s hype? Well, Google Trends and player counts suggest a recent link, and gamers are undoubtedly keeping their options open. However, if Delta Force is making the most of the current FPS buzz, it appears to be down to its ability to keep moving and making good decisions. Perhaps that it’s free, not $70, also helps.