As of late January 2026, Delta Force
The biggest up-and-coming esports game right now (as of late January 2026) (also known as Delta Force: Hawk Ops), the free-to-play tactical shooter/extraction hybrid from TiMi Studio Group/Tencent.
Delta Force remains one of the strongest up-and-coming esports titles with sustained momentum from its 2025 breakout.
It built serious foundations last year through regional championships, major investments, sponsorships (like AMD), and consistent viewership/revenue growth.
Heading into 2026, it's continuing to expand globally with ongoing events, high player engagement, and positioning as a fresh alternative in the FPS/extraction space—especially appealing to fans shifting from battle royales like PUBG or Warzone.
Recent highlights and why it's leading the "up-and-coming" pack:
- Strong 2025-to-2026 carryover: Events like the Hanoi Invitational ($200K prize) and various APAC/national championships drew solid peaks (30K–100K+ viewers) and hours watched.
- Revenue edge: Lifetime figures hit hundreds of millions with massive daily averages, outpacing some established mobile shooters in key periods.
- Esports roadmap: Focused push into globals, more LANs, org involvement, and hybrid modes (extraction + large-scale warfare) that differentiate it.
- Growth trajectory: Frequently cited in late-2025/early-2026 analyses as evolving into a "global esports staple" with room to climb higher in viewership rankings.
Other notable risers right now include:
- Marvel Rivals (shifting toward competitive modes): Appears in some 2026 event calendars Trackmania in Esports World Cup 2026 mid-season Ignite events, riding Marvel hype, but more established than purely "up-and-coming."
- Deadlock (Valve's MOBA-shooter): Still in beta/early phases but generating huge hype with frequent updates (new heroes, balance patches) and Valve's track record—peaks in the tens of thousands, strong community buzz for full competitive launch potential in 2026.
- 2XKO (Riot's 2v2 tag-team fighter with League IP): Full competitive scene kicking off early 2026, with tournaments and calendars rolling out—poised for quick growth thanks to Riot's ecosystem and fighting game revival trends.
Established giants dominate current peaks (e.g., Mobile Legends Bang Bang's M7 World Championship ongoing in Jakarta with massive viewership, LoL, CS2, Apex), but among true newcomers/rapid risers, Delta Force edges out due to its proven 2025 esports infrastructure and broader global push compared to newer entries still building scenes.
For the freshest viewership data, check Esports Charts' live rankings.
Sources:
- https://escharts.com/top-games?order=peak
- https://esportsinsider.com/5-esports-games-for-2026
- https://www.gamesindustry.biz/how-2025-laid-the-foundation-for-delta-force-as-an-esports-staple
- https://escharts.com/matches?game=deltaforce
https://esportsworldcup.com/en/news/ewc-welcomes-trackmania-in-the-2026-games-line-up
(context on expanding titles)
