Delta Force's new operator Raptor could soon make your life hell

It takes a certain kind of person to play a recon character in an FPS game. Often trading out firepower or defense in exchange for abilities and gadgets that'll highlight, track, and pinpoint enemies, it's a role that can massively benefit your team and your own performance too. Delta Force already has two decent recon operators, but in a couple of weeks' time, it'll be introducing a third - and he could be the strongest option in that role yet.

For its upcoming season, titled War Ablaze, a brand new Delta Force operator called Landon 'Raptor' Harrison is joining the roster. Delta Force players that enjoy the recon life already have a choice between Luna (who can highlight targets with her detection arrows) and Hackclaw (who can move silently and scan for nearby enemies and gadgets). My early impression of Raptor, however, is that he'll be even more of a problem for your opponents.

The FPS game's next operator specializes in scout drones and disrupting enemy gadgets with EMP grenades. Raptor's Silver Wing gadget is essentially a controllable drone, modeled to look like a bird, that can mark all enemies seen in its 90-metre field of view. This makes it a valuable asset if you're about to storm an objective held by an enemy team or want to find the safest route into a gunfight involving several players. Reminiscent of the Dart or Hunter Killer Drone scorestreaks from Call of Duty, the Silver Wing can also be used as a maneuverable, aerial bomb. Holding the self-destruct button will see it explode, dealing damage to any nearby enemies. You can also strap an EMP grenade to it, and detonation will of course trigger the EMP effect as well, helping you remotely shut down enemy gadgets.

Raptor's Trace Tracker trait will also be of interest to any Bloodhound players in Apex Legends, or those that love to use the Tracker perk in COD. It essentially lets Raptor see recent enemy footprints and activity, letting him stalk opponents over long distances. His second trait, Trace Detection, also gives you an on-screen ping when a tracked enemy aims their weapon at you.

This combination of remote and real-time tracking is going to make Raptor incredibly strong and frustrating to play against, no matter what game mode you're in. With the option of blowing up his Silver Wing drone as well, he's even got some extra offensive capabilities. On paper, I'd say he's already looking like a better pick than Hackclaw and Luna, but we'll know for sure later this month.

New Delta Force operator Raptor joins the game with the launch of its War Ablaze season on Tuesday, September 23.

Remember that Delta Force is a free PC game, so if you're looking for a new competitive shooter (or want a Battlefield-flavored fix before BF6 arrives), it's definitely worth giving a go. Also be sure to check out our best gaming mouse guide to get those shots feeling more precise than ever.

Raptor's got me thinking - who do you think is the most overpowered hero, operator, or legend from FPS games past and present? Come over to the PCGamesN Discord server to let me know.