Intro

Delta Force has announced a new operator that’s coming with the next season. Alexey “Sineva” Petrov is an operator of a currently unknown class but his loadout hints that he is an Assault.

While enriching the game is a welcome change, there are the questions about oversaturation and concerns about how this one might impact the game, especially when it comes to choke points.

Sineva’s abilities

Sineva sports a riot shield and a grappling hook, meaning he prefers close combat battles.

Timi Studios didn’t officially reveal his abilities yet but a leaked video shows Sineva blocking projectiles with the shield, hinting he can push through kill zones with ease. More importantly, he can use his shield to reflect non-bullet projectiles, such as Vyron’s magnetic bomb.

As for the grappling hook, he will use it to yank opponents towards him which is the opposite of what one might expect of such a gadget. That said, it is not excluded that he can use it to propel himself to certain map points, akin to an improvised zipline.

Riot shield concerns

While Sineva won’t be that useful in the open areas like the beginning of Ascent, he will be crucial in close quarters and choke points. If attackers are trying to push through a hallway by tossing explosives to weaken the defenders, a Sineva could root those efforts in place by tossing the explosives back.

Technically, you could already destroy the explosives with Engineers’ ADS but those guys don’t have a riot shield that would allow them to stand in the open and survive incoming bullets.

This could potentially lead to static and rather boring matches but let’s hope this is just a cynical prediction that won’t come to fruition.

Starfall season is scheduled to begin on January 20, 2025.