Hell Let Loose: Vietnam launches August 13 with full PC-console crossplay

Team17 and Expression Games are launching Hell Let Loose: Vietnam on August 13, 2026 across PC (Steam, Epic, Microsoft Store), PS5, and Xbox Series X|S. The release is the first time in the franchise's history that PC and console players will fight on the same servers at launch.

What Hell Let Loose: Vietnam is

Vietnam is a standalone sequel to the 2019 WW2 mil-sim Hell Let Loose. You do not need the original game to play it, and it's a separate Steam app ID (3079210).

The game transplants the HLL formula — 50v50 squad-based warfare, hard-core ballistics, role-based squad play — to the Vietnam War. The setting is the early Vietnam conflict, with US forces vs. North Vietnamese Army (NVA) on dense jungle and mountain-gorge maps.

The launch was delayed from June 18

The game was originally scheduled for June 18, 2026 but was pushed to August 13 on June 2 following open beta feedback. The delay was attributed by the studio to:

Performance optimization (the betas exposed frame-pacing

issues on Xbox Series S in particular)

Stability fixes (server crashes on certain map + mode

combinations)

Gameplay polish based on beta survey responses

The delay was met with broadly positive community reception — the HLL subreddit and Discord both endorsed "more polish, less rushed launch" over the original June 18 date.

Pricing and editions

Standard Edition: £34.99 / $44.99 (10% pre-order

discount active through Aug 12)

Deluxe Edition: £54.99 / $59.99 (base game + a

content bundle whose exact contents the studio is being "cagey" about — leaked to be a 30-day battle pass, 4 cosmetic uniforms, and a player card frame)

Pre-order bonus (both editions): the **US Army Boat

Crew uniform**, exclusive to pre-orders and not available for separate purchase

The crossplay launch is the headline

The biggest deal is full crossplay at launch between PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S. This was confirmed in Team17's July 31, 2026 developer Q&A.

Default matchmaking pool: PC + PS5 + Xbox in one pool
Server-level platform controls: server owners can

configure their servers for full crossplay, PC-only, or console-only

Input-based matchmaking: confirmed for future patches

(kbm vs. controller), not at launch

The crossplay implementation was tested in the July 24-27 crossplay playtest with 80K+ concurrent players across all three platforms. Team17 reports the technical side worked as expected.

What's in the game at launch

6 maps: set across Vietnam (dense jungle, mountain

gorges, river deltas)

2 factions: US Armed Forces and North Vietnamese Army
14 roles: Officer, Medic, Engineer, Anti-Tank,

Machine Gunner, Rifleman, plus faction-specific roles

50v50 server cap: matches the original HLL
3 game modes: Warfare (the original capture-the-point

mode), Offensive (one side attacks, the other defends), and Skirmish (smaller 25v25 mode)

50+ vehicles and stationary weapons (helicopters, tanks,

APCs, anti-aircraft emplacements)

What's missing at launch

Battalions (the in-game clan system) is **not in the

day-one build** — ships in a post-launch update, expected September 2026

Mod support is not planned for Vietnam (mod support

never came to the original HLL on console either)

Cross-progression between HLL and HLL:V is not supported

— separate games, separate progression

No beta progress transfer: XP, cosmetics, and ranks

earned during the May-June 2026 open beta or the July 2026 crossplay playtest do not carry over to the full release

Physical editions

Boxed PS5 and Xbox copies: were originally slated for

August 4 (the pre-delay release date). Team17 has not re-confirmed the physical schedule since the June 2 delay. If you need the disc, check the official store closer to launch.

What reviewers are saying

Pre-release press preview coverage has been broadly positive, with the crossplay implementation and the Vietnam setting earning consistent praise. The early concerns from the betas (frame-pacing on Xbox Series S, some server crashes) appear to have been addressed based on the more recent July 24-27 playtest feedback.

Critic reviews will drop on or just after Aug 13. As of Aug 12, Metacritic has 0 critic reviews and 0 user reviews for Hell Let Loose: Vietnam — all will land in the launch window.

Why it matters

For HLL fans, Vietnam is the first major new content for the franchise since the 2019 original, and a chance for the studio to address the long-standing "console players are siloed" complaint that the original HLL never solved.

For Team17, the crossplay launch is a strategic play — the publisher has been expanding aggressively in 2026 (Worms, Overcooked, Hell Let Loose), and HLL:V is its biggest PC-console crossplay live-service title of the year.

For the mil-sim genre, the crossplay launch is a proof of concept — the genre has historically been siloed by platform. If HLL:V's crossplay works, expect Battlefield 6's PC-console crossplay to be next in line (rumored for 2027).

FAQ

When does Hell Let Loose: Vietnam launch?

August 13, 2026. Digital launch, all three platform families simultaneously.

Is there crossplay at launch?

Yes — full crossplay between PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S on day one. Server owners can configure platform locks.

Does it require the original Hell Let Loose?

No. Vietnam is a standalone game with its own Steam app ID (3079210). You don't need the original.

Does beta progress transfer to launch?

No. XP, ranks, and cosmetics earned during the open beta (late May through June 1) and the July 24-27 crossplay playtest do not carry over.

How much does it cost?

$44.99 standard / $59.99 deluxe. Pre-orders get the US Army Boat Crew uniform. The 10% pre-order discount is active through Aug 12.

Is the Battalions clan system in the game at launch?

No — ships in a post-launch update, expected September 2026.

Sources: TechTimes Hell Let Loose Vietnam, Low.ms Hell Let Loose Vietnam, Backyard Drunkard beta review.