Unlike Escape From Tarkov, wipes will be optional in Delta Force

Escape From Tarkov still remains the king of extraction shooters – but with Delta ForceWith Microsoft’s big global beta launch just around the corner, many are wondering whether it will stay that way. The new free-to-play tactical shooter, which features the Battlefield-style Warfare mode as well as the Operations Extraction experience, has generated a lot of hype, but goes in a different direction than Tarkov when it comes to one important aspect: wipes.

In most extraction FPS games, wipes are performed at regular intervals to keep things fresh. Instead of the best players hoarding unbeatable loot forever, progress and supplies are wiped and reset so everyone can start back on equal footing. Wipes are significant events in Escape From Tarkov and will also appear in Delta Force. However, they will not be mandatory, as the development team Jade has confirmed.

During a new livestream, game director Shadow Guo reveals that at the end of Delta Force’s three-month seasons, players will have the choice whether or not to delete their accounts. While there have been global wipes between the game’s various playtests this year, that will no longer be the case once it enters global beta next week. Those who are more casual or prefer to use the items they collect will be able to keep all of their progress and equipment for the next season. However, if you are looking for a challenge, you have the opportunity to restart and start the new season fresh.

For those who choose to delete, you’ll receive “some rewards upon respawning” – Guo doesn’t explicitly say what these are, but I imagine they’ll be very desirable. There is another bonus. After resetting, according to Guo, you can “choose to appear as a boss in the game and gain a special strategy as a boss and also experience new equipment.”

The only exception to those that are not deleted is that all players will be forced to reset their safeboxes to the basic two-slot version at the end of each season. This means that if you want to increase the capacity again, you will have to do the missions that give you these upgrades again.

This feels like a smart, best-of-both-worlds decision from Team Jade. Giving players the choice of whether or not to wipe means less pressure for those who have less time to invest in Delta Force to grind immediately after a wipe to stay on top, or on End of a season burning through the equipment and resources they have. However, the fact that hardcore players who want to quit the game are rewarded still provides an incentive to put themselves at an early disadvantage.

The Delta Force global open beta launches on Steam on Thursday, December 5th. I can’t wait to see how it performs and how its two free-to-play experiences are received. As a Battlefield fan, Warfare is definitely more my thing, but I’ll definitely give Operations a try too.

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