Delta Force's new season brings a gaming icon to its struggling war game, but is that enough to fix horrible Steam reviews?

I'm a big fan of PvP, and have given most of the titles on our list of the best multiplayer games a fair shake over the years. But Delta Force surprised me with its monumental rise and baffling staying power. What looks to be a fairly standard shooter is rivaling the likes of Apex Legends for concurrent player count. With 64-player modes alongside current soup du jour extraction offerings, it's got a bit of something for everyone. However, despite the huge number of players, it sits at just a 'mixed' Steam rating, with recent reviews trending downwards, 63% of which are negative. Developer Team Jade needs to do something drastic to get players back onside, and it's hoping its new season does just that.

That leaves Delta Force in a weird spot. When over 7,000 recent reviews are 'mostly negative' on Steam, you'd usually look to change something. But with an incredibly healthy playerbase still actively engaging with the game, do you cater to those diehards instead?

Delta Force is doing both. It's got new updates for the hardcore players, and a giant collaboration for those who may have lapsed. Could your gaming time be bought by something as simple as a Solid Snake cosmetic? Team Jade certainly hopes so.

Yes, Delta Force has announced a crossover with Metal Gear Solid: Snake Eater. There's no details as of yet, but if we take the game's recent crossover with the Saw franchise as an example, we can expect a new operator skin.

As for the gameplay itself, the most exciting addition in Delta Force Season Ansarah is a new large-scale Warfare map, Monument. Again, other than "exotic locales" and "dynamic flanking routes," Team Jade isn't giving anything away here.

That trend continues with new operator Gizmo, who has a "unique loadout" that allows them "inventive new strategies." What that is and what they are remains unclear. The trailer suggests they use smoke mines and mechanical spider sentry bots, the latter of which can scan enemies and throw debilitating nets over them.

There are a few more details about the updates to Operations, although that's a low bar to clear. The Zero Dam Operations map has been updated to include a flooded area (never a good sign for a dam), a reworked boss fight, and more loot. Team Jade believes this will create a "smoother" experience for its extraction mode, but only time will tell.

Delta Force Season Ansarah releases on November 18. You can download the game for free on Steam here. It looks like we'll be waiting until then to see exactly what the new additions look like in action.