It’s been somewhat of a rocky launch for Hell Let Loose: Vietnam, the 50 vs 50 tactical first-person shooter from Expression Games that landed on August 13th, 2026. Players join one of two sides in matches: the US Armed Forces or the North Vietnamese Army (NVA) across 17 specialised player roles.
Hell Let Loose: Vietnam currently holds a Metacritic Score of 71, but Steam reviews are mixed, player numbers on Steam are churning, and there’s a lot of negative sentiment surrounding the game from Hell Let Loose players and FPS/tactical fans in general.
So what’s gone wrong? The general consensus is that Hell Let Loose: Vietnam simply needed better testing and more time in development.
The last game, 2021’s Hell Let Loose, spent more than two years in Early Access on Steam before its 1.0 launch. Prolonged Early Access periods such as this are a great way of fine-tuning a game before its 1.0 release, but Hell Let Loose: Vietnam passed on Early Access and opted for couple of public open betas and playtests instead.
Many of the most common complaints from players are about bugs and performance issues, something Expression Games has been trying to address since the game launched with subsequent patches and hotfixes.
But with so much competition in the tactical shooter space right now – not to mention the recent launch of the highly anticipated WARDOGS (also published by Team17, the publisher behind this game) – can Hell Let Loose: Vietnam address these issues to win back players?
We headed to the game’s official Discord server and analysed over 20,000 player messages dating back to the game’s launch to find out what players want to see fixed and what Expression Games should do next.
Hell Let Loose: Vietnam - Launch Performance Overview (13th - 20th August)
We analysed over 20,000 player messages posted in the official Discord server during the game’s first seven days. This launch period was met with a mixed reception from players, with many of them describing the game as feeling more like a ‘playtest’ than a full 1.0 release.
The most common complaints centred around game-breaking crashes, hardware incompatibility, broken communication systems (a significant issue for a tactical game), and frustrating UI bugs that severely impact the playability of the game.
Some of the most commonly reported problems included:
Server Crashes and Progress Loss
Over 250 player messages mentioned frequent, sudden server crashes that disconnect all players mid-match. This is highly disruptive as matches can last over an hour, and a crash results in the complete loss of all earned experience points (XP) and match progression.
AMD GPU Compatibility and Desktop Crashes
Over 100 unique players running AMD graphics cards reported severe stability issues, including frequent crashes to desktop (CTD) within minutes of launching a match. Many reported the game is virtually unplayable on AMD systems, even after the hotfixes deployed in the first week.
Voice Chat (VOIP) Failures and Robotic Audio
As an intense tactical shooter, communication between players is key for victory, but over 200 player messages highlighted voice communication was heavily disrupted by bugs that cause players’ voices to sound highly distorted or “robotic.” Additionally, many players reported that VOIP fails to connect entirely, preventing them from hearing or speaking to their squadmates.
Settings and Keybinds Resetting
Mentioned in over 140 player messages, the game consistently failed to save user configurations at launch. Players reported that graphics settings, audio levels, and custom helicopter keybinds reset to default every time the client is restarted, forcing them to re-configure their settings and re-accept the EULA upon every launch.
UI Softlocks and Stuck HUD Elements
Over 100 unique players experienced game-breaking interface bugs where HUD elements, map screens, or tactical markers (such as enemy pings or medic icons) became permanently stuck on the screen. This often results in a softlock, forcing them to leave the match.
Tutorial Progression Blockers
Mentioned in over 60 player messages, the tutorial system was plagued by bugs that prevent players from completing training. Some players get stuck on loading screens when attempting tutorials, while others are forced to repeatedly replay completed tutorials to unlock roles like Squad Leader. An issue such as this so early on in the game could have been a major contributor to players churning.
Most Common Requests from Players
Accord’s ‘Request’ filter is able to identify and categorise player messages making specific requests for the game. Tactical shooters such as Hell Let Loose often have very vocal and highly engaged communities who will openly share feedback in the hope that changes are made to the game.
This data is often a great indicator of the most requested features or gameplay tweaks that players want to see in future content updates or patches. We identified over 3500 player messages in Discord that were filtered as requests in the three-week window after the game launched.
The most prominent discussions focused on expanding the weapon arsenal, introducing iconic vehicles, balancing the asymmetrical tunnel system, requesting urban maps, and improving server moderation tools like the vote-to-kick system.
Here are some of the most common requests:
Weapon Variety and Balance Requests: A major point of discussion is the demand for the M14 and SKS rifles, which players feel should have been available at launch. Additionally, players frequently request proper US submachine guns (SMGs) like the Grease Gun, Thompson, or Swedish K to counter the NVA’s close-quarters superiority. There are also persistent requests (over 50) to increase the M16’s magazine capacity to 30 rounds or adjust the weight system to allow carrying more ammunition.
Helicopter and Vehicle Additions: The most requested additions are attack helicopters, specifically the AH-1 Cobra and Huey Gunships equipped with rocket pods and miniguns, which players argue are necessary to counter the NVA’s strong ground presence. Other highly requested vehicles include the M113 APC (specifically the ACAV variant with side-mounted M60s), utility jeeps (like the Willys or Mutt), and specialised naval craft such as Swift boats or PBRs to enhance riverine combat.
Tunnel Mechanics and Asymmetrical Balance: Messages from over 100 unique players focused on the current tunnel system (which allows instant teleportation across the map), saying it’s overpowered and lacks a proper counter. Many of these players suggested that tunnels should cost supplies to build (similar to garrisons) or have significantly longer travel and cooldown times. There is also a strong desire for physical, traversable tunnels that players can enter and fight in, rather than simple fast-travel points.
Vote-to-Kick and Moderation Systems: The primary issue is that the vote-to-kick notification is hidden by default and only lasts for 10 to 15 seconds, making it nearly impossible to successfully kick trolls, team killers, or griefers. Players are demanding that the notification be enabled by default, have its visibility increased, and have the voting requirements adjusted so that active players can keep servers clean.
Patches and Hotfixes Fail to Address the Biggest Issues Encountered by Players
Expression Games has launched several patches and hotfixes to try and address the most common issues players are encountering in the game. The most recent 1.4 patch was released on 3rd September to resolve two of the “most major issues” Expression Games says it has been tracking: “the first being distorted, robotic voices in Proximity Chat, and the second is persistent Recon Plane and Flare markers.”
We used this most recent Patch to create a Study in Accord, which filters messages according to specific keywords mentioned in the patch notes.
Our study identified over 1000 player messages relating to the 1.4 patch. Here’s how players responded:
The Advertised VoIP Fix was Ineffective; “Robot Voice” Persists
Over 100 player messages reported that the advertised solution for distorted VOIP was ineffective, with many still experiencing “robot voice” issues that some feel have even worsened. The failure of this highly-touted fix is a major source of frustration that undermines the patch’s credibility and severely impacts team coordination, a core element of the game
There’s a New AA Gun Dismount Bug
The 1.4 patch is now preventing players from exiting player-built AA guns after they mount them. The interaction menu to exit completes successfully, but the player character remains glued to the emplacement, turning a crucial defensive asset into a death trap. Affected users are forced to manually redeploy or wait to be killed to escape. This was mentioned in over 60 player messages.
Disappearing Deployables
Over 40 unique players reported a severe bug where deployed objects like supplies and mortar blueprints completely vanish from the game world shortly after placement. Compounding the issue, commanders and officers report that essential asset icons are frequently failing to render on the tactical map, completely undermining strategic planning and logistics.
Helicopter Collision Exploits
A widely abused physics exploit allows US helicopters to deliberately ram NVA garrisons, tunnels, and nodes, instantly destroying the spawn points without the helicopter taking crash damage. Pilots are frequently abandoning their intended troop-transport duties to exclusively hunt NVA spawns, which the community feels is completely ruining the balance of the game for the opposing faction.
General Player Summary of the 1.4 Patch
Seven days after its release, patch 1.4 remains widely regarded as a failure by the community, with intensely negative sentiment persisting as heavily advertised fixes have failed to resolve core issues.
Widespread frustration over the continuation of the robotic VOIP bug is now compounded by critical new regressions, including inescapable AA guns, disappearing deployables, and unchecked helicopter collision exploits. This spiralling series of unpolished updates has entrenched a strong “unpaid beta tester” mentality, severely alienating console and AMD players who feel completely sidelined by the developers’ prioritisation of niche, PC-exclusive graphical additions.
Can Hell Let Loose: Vietnam Win Back the Favour of its Players?
With major issues such as the VOIP problems still lingering, we analysed over 5000 player messages posted in the last seven days (1st September - 7th September) to see how these issues are impacting players.
Based on the analysed messages, the game is experiencing significant player churn and abandonment. Multiple players report a severe drop in active player counts, empty servers, and a general sentiment that the game is “dead” only a month after its release. Many players have already refunded the game or are refusing to play until critical issues are resolved.
Here are the biggest changes Expression Games should make according to our analysis:
Fix VOIP and Audio: Deliver a comprehensive fix for the proximity and squad voice channels to eliminate the robot voice and metallic echo.
Resolve AMD Hardware Issues: Optimise performance and eliminate main menu crashes specifically for AMD GPU and CPU users.
Balance Factions and Weapons: Buff the US arsenal by introducing the promised M14, SKS, and XM177 to match the NVA’s firepower, and balance the NVA’s spawn tunnels.
Fix Core Gameplay Bugs: Resolve the Garrison placement bug and ensure map markers function correctly.
Deliver Promised Content: Release the “Battalion” update, introduce more vehicle variety (Huey gunships, APCs), and add new maps to keep the experience fresh.
It’s certainly not game over yet. The well-established player base of the previous Hell Let Loose game means most players will just continue playing that, and may return to Vietnam once these issues have been addressed.
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I honestly experienced more server drops on WW2 than I have on Viet Nam.
For whatever blemishes it has — the gameplay is fun — and I can forgive a lot when I’m having a good time.