NEW ON STEAM
Hell Let Loose: Vietnam
At a glance
Hell Let Loose: Vietnam game facts
Steam store information checked 2026-08-20。- Studio
- Expression Games Published by Team17
- Release
- Aug 13, 2026 Released
- Official genres
- Action · Massively Multiplayer · Simulation · Strategy
- Play mode
- Multiplayer
- Desktop platforms
- Windows
- Steam Deck
- Unknown No additional compatibility detail
- Controller
- Partial support
- Steam features
- Achievements · Family Sharing
- Languages
- 12 listed languages English, French, German, Spanish - Spain
What that means for your setupHell Let Loose: Vietnam is developed by Expression Games and published by Team17, releasing on Steam on August 13, 2026, and is listed as a Windows-only multiplayer title in the Action, Massively Multiplayer, Simulation and Strategy genres. The Steam page lists Steam Deck compatibility as Unknown with no extra compatibility detail, so handheld players should not assume a verified experience, and controller support is listed as Partial, meaning keyboard and mouse remains the intended input for serious play. Features include Achievements and Family Sharing, and the supported language list covers English, French, German, Spanish, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Portuguese, Simplified and Traditional Chinese, Vietnamese and Russian with full audio.
If you ever fell in love with the slow, squad-driven rhythm of Hell Let Loose and wished it would trade frozen French fields for humid jungle gorges, this is the exact pitch: same 50v50 chain of command, new setting, new toys, new headaches. Players coming back from the original are describing moments that feel ripped straight out of a Vietnam film, with helicopters screaming over tree lines and tunnel networks reshaping the frontline beneath their boots. At the same time, plenty of fresh recruits are walking in expecting Battlefield or Call of Duty and bouncing hard off the team-first design, so the experience you get depends a lot on which squad you queue into.
What the game actually feels like
Massive 50v50 battles across six large-scale maps inspired by real Vietnamese locations, with Warfare as a tug-of-war over five sectors and Offensive flipping teams between attacker and defender roles.
Seventeen specialised roles split across Commander, Infantry, Recon, Armour, US-only Helicopter units and a Mortar Squad, so every player is asked to pick a job inside a six-person squad rather than lone-wolf it.
Asymmetric faction tools that change the feel of each match: US helicopters for fire support and supply drops versus NVA tunnel networks that let infantry pop up behind the line for ambushes, plus shared patrol boats on the river systems for both sides.
New movement quality-of-life like swimming, climbing, fast crawling and dragging wounded teammates out of fire, which several returning players specifically called out as a meaningful upgrade over the first game.
What early players are seeing
What is landing
- Multiple veterans of the original Hell Let Loose describe Vietnam as the same tactical backbone they loved, just with new maps, weapons and features, and several say performance is a clear improvement over earlier playtests, with one RTX 5080 laptop player reporting a jump from about 80 fps in beta to 250+ fps at release.
- Several reviewers highlight standout moments that sell the setting: mortar squads trading fire with forward observers, helicopters laying down suppressive bursts, jungle firefights at close range and the chaotic voice chatter that comes with it, with one player summing it up as feeling like the film We Were Soldiers brought to life.
- Returning players consistently praise the new movement and onboarding systems, especially swimming, the revamped tutorial and the reworked role loadout customisation, which they see as genuine quality-of-life steps forward for the series.
- A long-time fan with 1,786 minutes already in the game calls the mortar squad replacing traditional artillery his favourite experience, describing coordinated barrages with a two-person crew as some of the best multiplayer fun he has had in a long time.
What still needs watching
- Several AMD GPU owners report frequent crashes and unstable play, with the common workaround being the launch option -dx12, sometimes combined with -USEALLAVAILABLECORES and -malloc=system, and one reviewer still crashing even after applying it, which is a clear concern if your rig runs AMD.
- Multiple players flag server and matchmaking friction, including being unable to enter servers with open VIP slots, frequent 'lost connection to host' errors while queuing and very long intermission timers after a few matches, which can sour the loop even when the combat itself is fun.
- The game launches with a noticeable list of quality-of-life gaps compared to the first Hell Let Loose, including no way to mute hot mics in pre-lobby, pinging enemies while downed, some bushes acting like body armour when crouched, no commendation system, hidden server info and hit registration oddities through gaps and under cars, all of which a veteran reviewer says he could easily extend past twenty items.
Is Hell Let Loose: Vietnam worth buying now?
Current decision
Wait for more reviewsThe current Steam review score sits at 60 from roughly 5,909 user reviews, which is exactly the kind of mixed launch signal where waiting a few weeks usually pays off. The most enthusiastic voices are series veterans who already understand the team-based gameplay loop, while the bulk of negative feedback comes from newer players bouncing off the strict chain-of-command design, plus a recurring AMD crash issue and several quality-of-life gaps that the developer has acknowledged and is actively patching. Several positive reviewers themselves recommend waiting 'a little while' or 'a few weeks to months' for AMD fixes and polish, so patient buyers get a better-supported build without missing the long-term population, and you can still jump in early if you already love the original formula.
Who this is for
A good fit if you…
- Squad-based tactical shooter fans who want 50v50 battles with a strict chain of command and role specialisation rather than run-and-gun arcade combat
- Returning Hell Let Loose players who want the same teamplay loop in a fresh Vietnam setting with helicopters, patrol boats and tunnel warfare
- Groups of friends with microphones who enjoy coordinating roles, calling targets and pushing objectives together in long, comms-heavy matches
- History-minded shooter fans who want a jungle setting inspired by real Vietnamese locations and authentic Cold War-era weapons and vehicles
- Patient players willing to live with launch bugs and AMD crashes for a few patches in exchange for an evolving live-service-style game
Wait if you…
- You primarily play on Steam Deck, since Deck compatibility is listed as Unknown and no extra compatibility detail is provided
- You rely on a controller as your main input, because controller support is only Partial and the intended experience is keyboard and mouse
- You run an AMD GPU and cannot tolerate crashes, given repeated reports of instability that the -dx12 workaround does not fully solve for everyone
- You prefer short, drop-in matches, since full 50v50 lobbies, queue times and intermission timers can stretch sessions well beyond a quick play session
If Hell Let Loose: Vietnam is not quite your game
SIMILAR OPTION
HELLDIVERS™ 2
Choose it ifPick HELLDIVERS 2 if you want short, frantic co-op sessions you can jump into with friends, and pick Hell Let Loose: Vietnam if you want long, methodical squad-based battles where comms and roles matter more than reflexes
How it comparesLarge-scale online co-op shooter with friendly-fire chaos and squad coordination HELLDIVERS 2 is a third-person arcade shooter built around quick mission drops and galactic satire, while Hell Let Loose: Vietnam is a slower, first-person, realism-leaning tactical shooter with a strict chain of command, larger 50v50 maps and much longer matches
SIMILAR OPTION
Palworld
Choose it ifPick Palworld if you want a casual sandbox to explore and build with friends, and pick Hell Let Loose: Vietnam if you want competitive, team-versus-team military combat
How it comparesOnline multiplayer game that can be played in groups with friends Palworld is an open-world creature-collection, crafting and survival game focused on base building and PvE, while Hell Let Loose: Vietnam is a purely PvP, large-scale tactical military shooter with no crafting or creature mechanics
SIMILAR OPTION
PEAK
Choose it ifPick PEAK if you want short, funny co-op sessions you can finish in an evening, and pick Hell Let Loose: Vietnam if you want long, immersive tactical matches with a dedicated squad
How it comparesOnline co-op multiplayer experience best enjoyed with friends PEAK is a short-session, lighthearted climbing co-op game built around quick fail-and-retry runs, while Hell Let Loose: Vietnam is a long-form, serious military shooter focused on communication, roles and territory control
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