Could Delta Force esports be as big as VALORANT? – The competitive scene is heating up

Tactical shooters are flooding the market in 2025. While many offer cartoon graphics or unique twists, Delta Force is a shooter that focuses on what most players want to see in an FPS: tactical gameplay and modern gunfights, alongside powerful abilities.

Players have access to a variety of operators, weapons, and even a few vehicles in Delta Force, plus it’s free to play and available on a multitude of platforms. The competitive scene for Delta Force has grown wider throughout 2025, so we’re taking a look at how big of an esport Delta Force could become in 2026 and beyond.

Delta Force may be a young game, but it’s already off to a great start in the esports scene. Between September 21-23, players from all around the globe will gather in China for the Invitational to compete for the title of Delta Force champion. Official Delta Force channels have been promoting the upcoming competition on social media, signalling full commitment to the esports community.

In the Delta Force Invitational, $500,000 will be up for grabs, so the total prize pool will motivate competitive players to perform their best and develop new strategies. This tournament will likely just be the beginning of Delta Force’s time in the esports spotlight, as the recent console launch will grow the player base significantly.

The state of competitive in Delta Force is looking very good, and the total number of viewers during the Invitational in September may be an indication of its esports potential.

Every video game needs to reach a certain audience in order to be successful in the gaming market. There are so many free-to-play FPS games in 2025, so every title requires something to stand out. In Fortnite, it’s the building, while Rainbow Six Siege X has a huge roster of operators.

For Delta Force, its primary standout feature is that it offers both tactical and casual modes that appeal to a broad FPS fan base. Operations is great for gamers who enjoy smaller matches with tactical gameplay, whereas Warfare offers large-scale battles with dozens of players, similar to gameplay in Battlefield 4. There’s even a story mode for fans of action-packed campaigns.

In our opinion, one of the indicators that a game could become a popular esport is how many players find it fun. A game needs an active player base before its esports potential can truly take off, so luckily, Delta Force’s lineup of modes will likely attract a large audience over time.

A roster of unique characters or operators is a great feature of any competitive video game, and Delta Force offers four distinct classes. The classes consist of Assault, Support, Recon, and Engineer, which are all very different, so teams need to build a balanced party to achieve victory in Operations. Team variation makes the competition more interesting, which is why we think that Delta Force’s class system is one of its best competitive features.

Delta Force is in the spotlight right now because of its console launch in August 2025. Players on PlayStation and Xbox consoles now have access to Delta Force’s multiplayer for free, prompting thousands of gamers to try out the newest first-person shooter.

Additionally, the announcement of the Delta Force Invitational confirms that support for Delta Force esports is in full force, so it’s the perfect time to tune in and contribute to the competitive action. 

The Steam Charts confirm that Delta Force has had tens of thousands of regular players throughout the last few months, and the recent release on consoles may be the push Delta Force needs to become the next biggest esport in the FPS genre.

Soon enough, Delta Force esports could be as big as VALORANT, but it needs to expand its reach to more players before it can compete with the big leagues. With the recent console launch and its free-to-play model, Delta Force is already well on its way to success.

It’s a fantastic time for a fresh first-person shooter to shake up the esports industry, and though Delta Force could be considered a typical FPS with modern combat, there will always be a demand for realistic warfare and environments in first-person shooters.