Delta Force Black Hawk Down – Team Jade Talks Delays, DLC and More
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In case you didn’t know, Team Jade has released a single-player component for Delta Force titled “Black Hawk Down.” While originally planned to be a premium (read: paid) standalone experience, Team Jade changed course at the last second and released it for free.
Team Jade also talked to MP1st about the game’s single-player campaign as part of our Black Hawk Down preview. Why was it delayed, could we expect DLC and more. Answering the questions is Ricky Liao, Design Director at Team Jade.
Delta Force: Black Hawk Down Interview With MP1st
MP1st What was the main cause for the delay of the single-player?
Liao: Back then the campaign wasn’t meeting our release standards, and it needed some final polishing. With a 10-day bank holiday right around the corner, we didn’t want to release a major piece of content just before most of the team would be away, hence the decision to push back the release date so the team feels confident and comfortable releasing the campaign.
MP1st: I know it’s been asked before, but what’s the status of the console versions? Will the single-player for the console versions be released at the same time as the multiplayer?
Liao: We needed additional time to polish the game for consoles as we mentioned in the latest “Ask Shadow Anything,” video, the game is running great on console systems, but we need more time to fine-tune the controller input. As for console-specific updates, we’ll share details when the time is right.
MP1st: Like it or not, the campaign will be compared to Call of Duty, how does Black Hawk Down stack up against your traditional Call of Duty campaign?
Liao: Call of Duty is a fantastic franchise that we have a great deal of respect for. Our focus with Black Hawk Down is to create a more simulation-based experience while also heavily emphasizing class-based co-op gameplay to encourage teamwork and strategic play.
MP1st: What was the decision to have the single-player be a premium (read: paid) experience? As opposed to say, featuring it as part of a Battle Pass bonus broken down into chapters for each new seasonal Battle Pass? – Editor’s Note: The interview was conducted before the campaign was released.
Liao: Actually, we’ve just announced that the campaign will be free for all players! We’ve put a lot of effort into making it, and we want everyone to enjoy it without any barriers. If players want to show their support, there will be optional campaign-themed bundles available in the game’s multiplayer mode, but those are entirely up to the individual player.
MP1st: The campaign is said to be super hard, why is that? To encourage co-op play? Give souls-like fans a challenge?
Liao: The difficulty is a core aspect of our vision for the campaign. We want players to feel like they’ve been thrust behind enemy lines, experiencing one of the most iconic military operations in history. The higher difficulty adds weight to the narrative and gives co-op gameplay a sense of purpose. By doing so, players will feel the stakes, and their victories will be all the more rewarding.
MP1st: Is there a chance we’ll see DLC (such as Team Sabre was for the original 2003 release) related to the campaign or is this purely a one-time thing?
Liao: At the moment, we don’t have plans for additional DLC related to the campaign.
MP1st: Seeing that we were told the developers couldn’t clear playing Solo, what was the reasoning behind keeping the campaign so difficult? Not that we don’t welcome the challenge, but that seems sort of going against the grain when developing a game and difficulty.
Liao: This campaign is designed to be experienced primarily in co-op mode. The difficulty is there to deliver the challenge and make the teamwork element more meaningful. The goal is to give players a truly immersive and rewarding experience when playing with friends or other players.
MP1st: Any plans to revisit and/or remake campaigns of other past Delta Force games?
Liao: We don’t have any such plans at the moment.
MP1st: It’s not often you see a F2P shooter, if at all, ever release a campaign. Even more less in the scope of Black Hawk Down. What was the reasoning for doing so? Did the game originally start as a premium, multiplayer and campaign under a single package, or was it always going to be a f2p experience with a paid campaign?
Liao: Delta Force has been a childhood favorite for many of us here at Team Jade—especially the 2003 Delta Force game holds a special place in our hearts, as does the 2001 movie. Both have served as huge inspirations for this project. The chance to revisit such an iconic story and present it to today’s audience was an opportunity we couldn’t pass up. Initially, we were uncertain if we should make a full-fledged campaign before Gamescom 2023, where we revealed the game to the world. During that event, we met with many passionate players who shared their memories and love for the franchise. Their enthusiasm made us realize how important a campaign was to them. While we always intended to include one, their excitement gave us the final push to fully commit to making it happen.
Delta Force’s Black Hawk Down campaign is now available for PC as a free download (same as the multiplayer).
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