A 5v5 bomb mode and 3,900 free tickets: what to pick up in Delta Force's 2nd anniversary update

Free-to-play military FPS Delta Force opened a new competitive mode with its 2nd anniversary update. Detonation (Beta) is a 5v5 mode built around planting and defusing a bomb, and it went live at 01:00 UTC on September 27[1]. The same update runs a giveaway of up to 3,900 Limited-Time Delta Tickets through October 25[1]. Everything below was checked against the official Steam announcement as of September 27, 2026.

A bomb mode where you buy your weapons

In Detonation you buy weapons and tune your loadout each match. Attackers push in to plant the bomb, and defenders hold the site and defuse it[1]. Buying in and fighting 5v5 over a bomb site is the same skeleton as the standard competitive mode in Counter-Strike 2. The developers describe it as a test of tactical awareness and team coordination rather than aim alone[1].

It still carries the Beta label. Until November 9, completing designated missions in the mode earns Milestone Points, which unlock the M4A1 appearance Dispersed, a season commemoration badge and tactical supplies[1].

What you get without paying

The biggest reward is Limited-Time Delta Tickets. From September 26 to October 25, login and match missions add up to 3,900 tickets. The announcement says that logging in on September 26 and finishing one match opens the Day 1 Gift Box with a guaranteed 1,000 tickets, and that Detonation daily missions add more from September 27[1]. They are time-limited tickets, but the announcement does not say when they expire.

There is also a Mid-Autumn event. Logging in through October 15 unlocks ten operator-themed mooncakes one by one, and solving the puzzle attached to each one earns the full Jade Rabbit appearance set for the M82, AR57, SCAR-H and SR-25[1]. Until November 9, a story event lets you read a four-chapter comic about the operator Vlinder and solve puzzles along the way, with a themed item set for finishing it[1].

Both main modes get anniversary events too. In extraction and in warfare you collect Anniversary Tokens through October 15 and trade them for Legendary weapon appearances and supplies, and the warfare exchange also includes a GTQ-35 light tank appearance[1]. Warfare adds Flagship Frenzy for the same period, an 8v8 capture the flag mode at sea where you can dive underwater to take the flag or chase opponents in boats[1].

Paid draws and their odds

From September 26 the store carries a draw for Shepherd's first Ultimate appearance, Lament. It runs until September 25, 2027, and accepts Delta Tickets, Limited-Time Delta Tickets or Delta Coins. Pulling Shepherd - Lament grants the remaining rewards in the pool at once[1]. Until October 25 there is also a draw in which you pick one of three weapon appearance bundles[1]. The announcement lists no odds for either draw.

What to do before October 25

Free tickets only build up by completing missions before October 25, so pairing the login missions with the Detonation daily missions gets the most out of it. Whether to spend those tickets on the draws is a decision you make without knowing the odds. In Valve's September 26 chart Delta Force ranked 25th by concurrent players, with a peak of 131,902[2].

Sources

[1] Delta Force Team. 2nd Anniversary | New 5v5 Detonation Mode LIVE, 3,900 Limited-Time Delta Tickets. Steam announcement, September 24, 2026.

[2] Valve. Steam most played games chart data. Rolled up September 26, 2026, accessed September 27, 2026.