Team17 and developer Expression Games have delayed the release of Hell Let Loose: Vietnam at close to the last minute, pushing it back from mid-June to a new launch date on 13th August.
The announcement comes after the open beta weekend which, in addition to internal testing, highlighted some areas that still needed improvement. So they’ve pushed it back, but it is still a strange situation when they only announced the previous release date a couple weeks ago.
The full statement from the teams reads:
To those of you who played the Open Beta over the weekend, we hope you enjoyed your time going hands-on with Hell Let Loose: Vietnam ahead of launch.
We have been so excited watching you share your experiences, seeing the great videos from our War Correspondents and being able to receive and implement your important feedback throughout both our Closed and Open Betas.
In addition to your feedback, we have also been carrying out intensive internal playtests for both the PC and Console versions of Hell Let Loose: Vietnam and we have identified several areas where additional development time will allow us to deliver a stronger launch experience.
Therefore, after careful consideration, we have decided to delay launch to August 13th. This will ensure that Hell Let Loose: Vietnam launches at the quality level we expect and you deserve.
We understand that many of you have been waiting patiently for this next instalment in the Hell Let Loose franchise and we are deeply appreciative of your patience. We will continue to keep you updated on our progress.
As always, you’re welcome to send your feedback via social channels, the official Hell Let Loose Discord and through our support page.
Thank you all for playing and we’ll see you for deployment soon.
Team 17 and Expression Games
When it releases in August now, Hell Let Loose: Vietnam will feature six large-scale maps to encapsulate the 50 v 50 player battles that, as with the WW2 original, demand you play with strategy and squad cooperation to overcome the enemy. Fresh gameplay additions include aerial units like helicopters that can be used to transport troops, deliver supplies, and provide air support through reconnaissance and firepower. Patrol boats will also be a key new addition as these are heavily armed, allowing players to navigate the waterways into enemy territory and strike. The use of tunnels were a key strategic tactic for the North Vietnamese, and they can be constructed to allow for underground movement for surprise attacks against enemy forces.
Looking back at our early preview of the game from Gamescom in August. I said, “Hell Let Loose: Vietnam is the bigger dose of wish fulfilment for war gaming fans. Arguably it is the more difficult conflict to adapt as well, but the team’s plans for how to balance the massively different battle tactics, technology and destructive options might seem to have a great grasp of how to manage this.”
Source: press release
