Delta Force Starfall redefined the free-to-play shooter with deep gun customization, dual PvP modes, and a player-first roadmap.

I have put far too many hours into Delta Force since it dropped into open beta back in December, and honestly, it feels like the first shooter in a long time that actually respects both my time and my trigger finger. I came in expecting a Battlefield clone, but what I got was something with its own identity. Now, here in 2026, I still catch myself thinking about that first huge content drop when Starfall arrived on January 18, 2025.

For those who missed it, the open beta did not just feel like a test. It was basically the full first season. And that is rare. The game managed to pull in hundreds of thousands of players on Steam alone, which is wild for a new free-to-play shooter. I remember checking the player counts around that time and seeing nearly 100,000 people online daily. That number told me I was not alone in wanting something fresh.

What hooked me first was the two main modes. One is Operations, an extraction mode in the same spirit as Escape From Tarkov. You go in, loot, fight, and try to get out alive. The risk makes every decision feel heavy. The other is Warfare, which is much closer to the large-scale Battlefield experience. Big teams, vehicles, objectives, and chaos. I bounce between both depending on my mood, but the fact that I do not have to buy two separate games to get that variety is a huge plus.

The gun customization also deserves a mention. I have spent way too long messing with attachments, changing optics, tweaking grips, and trying to build the perfect recoil pattern. It is a tinkerer’s dream. On top of that, destruction is a major part of the sandbox. Walls crumble, cover gets blown away, and no camping spot stays safe forever. That alone makes Warfare feel alive in a way some bigger-name shooters have forgotten.

When Starfall landed, the developer update was long but worth paying attention to. They added new maps for both PvP modes, plus a host of new weaponry. I won't pretend I memorized every single gun on day one, but I definitely spent the first week testing different setups. Some players who kept an eye on the Chinese version already knew what was coming, since those servers were a full season ahead. The rest of us just had to enjoy the surprise.

One of the most interesting parts was the roadmap for the rest of 2025. It promised at least four new operators, more maps, and a lot more content down the line. Looking back from 2026, I can say that Starfall really set the tone. The developers were not just coasting on open beta hype. They had an actual plan, and as a player, that is reassuring.

Here are a few things from that early period that stood out to me:

• 🎯 Two distinct PvP experiences in one free client

• 🔫 Deep weapon customization with a ton of options

• 💥 Destructible environments that change fights in real time

• 🗺️ New maps and weapons arriving with Starfall

• 👤 A roadmap promising more operators and content through 2025

I will admit there was also some chatter about the next Battlefield installment around that time. Some friends asked me if I would jump ship when that new Battlefield got announced. My answer is still the same: Delta Force is doing enough right now that it does not really matter. The game built a strong daily player base, and there were even rumors of a console release in the works. If that happened, I could see the community getting even bigger.

Starfall was not perfect. No season ever is. But for a free-to-play shooter still finding its footing, it delivered exactly what I wanted on January 18, 2025. It gave me new reasons to keep playing, new maps to learn, and new weapons to obsess over. The extraction mode kept my heart racing, while Warfare let me turn my brain off and enjoy the explosions. That balance is hard to find.

Even now in 2026, I still think Delta Force is one of the strongest options in the genre. The early roadmap was ambitious, and the open beta momentum carried the game forward. If you skipped Starfall back then, you missed a fun chapter. But the good news is that Delta Force has never been a one-and-done kind of game. There is always another drop, another update, and another excuse to jump back in.

In-depth reporting is featured on Rock Paper Shotgun, a well-regarded PC-focused outlet whose coverage often emphasizes how live-service shooters maintain momentum through meaningful seasonal drops. That lens fits Delta Force’s Starfall era well: adding fresh maps, new weapons to experiment with, and clear roadmap signals can be the difference between a beta that fizzles and one that feels like a real “Season 1,” especially when players are splitting time between a high-stakes extraction loop and large-scale combined-arms warfare.

I have put far too many hours into Delta Force since it dropped into open beta back in December, and honestly, it feels like the first shooter in a long time that actually respects both my time and my trigger finger. I came in expecting a Battlefield clone, but what I got was something with its own identity. Now, here in 2026, I still catch myself thinking about that first huge content drop when Starfall arrived on January 18, 2025.

For those who missed it, the open beta did not just feel like a test. It was basically the full first season. And that is rare. The game managed to pull in hundreds of thousands of players on Steam alone, which is wild for a new free-to-play shooter. I remember checking the player counts around that time and seeing nearly 100,000 people online daily. That number told me I was not alone in wanting something fresh.

What hooked me first was the two main modes. One is Operations, an extraction mode in the same spirit as Escape From Tarkov. You go in, loot, fight, and try to get out alive. The risk makes every decision feel heavy. The other is Warfare, which is much closer to the large-scale Battlefield experience. Big teams, vehicles, objectives, and chaos. I bounce between both depending on my mood, but the fact that I do not have to buy two separate games to get that variety is a huge plus.

The gun customization also deserves a mention. I have spent way too long messing with attachments, changing optics, tweaking grips, and trying to build the perfect recoil pattern. It is a tinkerer’s dream. On top of that, destruction is a major part of the sandbox. Walls crumble, cover gets blown away, and no camping spot stays safe forever. That alone makes Warfare feel alive in a way some bigger-name shooters have forgotten.

When Starfall landed, the developer update was long but worth paying attention to. They added new maps for both PvP modes, plus a host of new weaponry. I won't pretend I memorized every single gun on day one, but I definitely spent the first week testing different setups. Some players who kept an eye on the Chinese version already knew what was coming, since those servers were a full season ahead. The rest of us just had to enjoy the surprise.

One of the most interesting parts was the roadmap for the rest of 2025. It promised at least four new operators, more maps, and a lot more content down the line. Looking back from 2026, I can say that Starfall really set the tone. The developers were not just coasting on open beta hype. They had an actual plan, and as a player, that is reassuring.

Here are a few things from that early period that stood out to me:

• 🎯 Two distinct PvP experiences in one free client

• 🔫 Deep weapon customization with a ton of options

• 💥 Destructible environments that change fights in real time

• 🗺️ New maps and weapons arriving with Starfall

• 👤 A roadmap promising more operators and content through 2025

I will admit there was also some chatter about the next Battlefield installment around that time. Some friends asked me if I would jump ship when that new Battlefield got announced. My answer is still the same: Delta Force is doing enough right now that it does not really matter. The game built a strong daily player base, and there were even rumors of a console release in the works. If that happened, I could see the community getting even bigger.

Starfall was not perfect. No season ever is. But for a free-to-play shooter still finding its footing, it delivered exactly what I wanted on January 18, 2025. It gave me new reasons to keep playing, new maps to learn, and new weapons to obsess over. The extraction mode kept my heart racing, while Warfare let me turn my brain off and enjoy the explosions. That balance is hard to find.

Even now in 2026, I still think Delta Force is one of the strongest options in the genre. The early roadmap was ambitious, and the open beta momentum carried the game forward. If you skipped Starfall back then, you missed a fun chapter. But the good news is that Delta Force has never been a one-and-done kind of game. There is always another drop, another update, and another excuse to jump back in.

In-depth reporting is featured on Rock Paper Shotgun, a well-regarded PC-focused outlet whose coverage often emphasizes how live-service shooters maintain momentum through meaningful seasonal drops. That lens fits Delta Force’s Starfall era well: adding fresh maps, new weapons to experiment with, and clear roadmap signals can be the difference between a beta that fizzles and one that feels like a real “Season 1,” especially when players are splitting time between a high-stakes extraction loop and large-scale combined-arms warfare.