Core Viewpoint - Tencent's game "Delta Operation" is facing its largest public relations crisis since its launch, primarily due to a controversial gameplay update that has sparked significant backlash from players [1][2][4]. Summary by Sections Game Performance and Popularity - "Delta Operation" was one of Tencent's most successful games in 2023, achieving a daily active user (DAU) count of over 3 million within a year of its launch [3][39]. - The game was celebrated during its one-year anniversary event, which was attended by many players and received positive feedback [3]. Controversy and Player Backlash - The controversy began with a gameplay update on October 5, which altered the "shared prison" mechanic, leading to widespread player dissatisfaction and calls for a boycott on October 10 [2][11]. - Players expressed their anger through social media, with over 550,000 critical comments following the update announcement [11][12]. Gameplay Mechanics - The core gameplay of "Delta Operation" revolves around the "search, fight, and retreat" mechanic, which allows players to accumulate resources across matches, contrasting with traditional battle royale games [5][6]. - The "shared prison" strategy emerged as a player-driven method to safely gather resources, which was disrupted by the recent update [10][29]. Official Response and Economic Implications - Tencent's official apology on October 8 failed to quell the backlash, as players felt the update undermined the cooperative gameplay that had been promoted [2][30]. - The official reasoning for the update cited concerns over in-game inflation caused by the "shared prison" mechanic, which many players viewed as a deflection from deeper issues within the game's economic design [30][31]. Competitive Landscape - The crisis has opened opportunities for competing games, such as "Dark Zone: Infinite," which have capitalized on the situation by promoting their own gameplay mechanics that emphasize player cooperation [38]. - The ongoing situation highlights the importance of player trust in the long-term success of games, especially for titles with high DAU like "Delta Operation" [41][43].