Hell Let Loose: Vietnam Drops Console Beta, PC Only

Back in April, Expression Games confirmed that the Hell Let Loose: Vietnam open beta would be available on console. That's no longer the case. The free open beta weekend running from May 29 to June 1 is now exclusively on Steam, with no PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X|S access mentioned in any of the recent announcements from publisher Team17.

No explanation has been given for the change. The game's June 18 launch date across PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S remains intact, but quietly pulling console players out of the final beta window is a strange move when the full release is barely two weeks later. If the beta is meant to stress-test servers and catch last-minute issues, cutting out two entire platforms right before launch doesn't exactly inspire confidence. I'd feel a lot better about this if Expression Games had said something, anything, about why the console beta was scrapped.

As spotted by True Achievements, the shift is particularly notable because the original blog post specifically mentioned console beta access. Players who were counting on trying the game before committing $39.99 on Xbox or PlayStation now have no way to do so unless they also have a PC capable of running it. You can still sign up for the Steam beta here.

Hell Let Loose: Vietnam brings the series' 50v50 tactical combat from its World War II setting into the jungles of Vietnam, with six large-scale maps, helicopters, patrol boats, tunnel networks for NVA forces, and 17 specialized roles. The standard edition is priced at $39.99 / £34.99, while the deluxe edition runs $59.99 / £54.99 and includes cosmetic uniform packs delivered throughout 2026. Physical disc copies arrive later on August 4. Pre-orders for either edition include a US Army Boat Crew Uniform.

The game skips early access entirely, launching straight into 1.0, which is a welcome shift from the original Hell Let Loose's two-year early access period that began back in 2019. Cross-play support is confirmed for launch day across all platforms.