Enlisted (video game)

Lore & Background

Enlisted is a freemium squad-based multiplayer tactical first-person shooter developed by Darkflow Software and published by Gaijin Entertainment. The game is set during World War II and revolves around major battles fought across all fronts of the war. It was an Xbox Series X/S launch title in November 2020, with a timed exclusivity period that later ended. On March 2, 2021, the closed beta went live on PlayStation 5. On April 8, 2021, the open beta launched on PC, which remained in beta until the official 1.0 release on November 30, 2021.

Reader's Guide

Enlisted is significant as a freemium squad-based tactical shooter that emphasizes controlling a squad of 3–9 soldiers or a vehicle crew, with AI teammates that can be given orders. The game features multiple game modes including Conquest, Invasion, Assault, Destruction, Confrontation, and Armored Train Escort (custom matches only). It includes 16 classes such as Anti Tank, Assaulter, Engineer, and Medic. Matchmaking uses a Battle Rating system (BR I to V) where players are matched within one BR of their own. The game includes factions representing the United States, Soviet Union, Germany, and Japan, with smaller nations subsumed under them. Its legacy lies in offering a free-to-play WWII experience with detailed squad management and large-scale battles across multiple theaters.

Did You Know?

• Enlisted was an Xbox Series X/S launch title in November 2020, but its timed console exclusivity period later ended.
• The game includes a Battle Rating system from BR I to BR V, with matchmaking within one BR.
• Lone Fighters mode is a permanent game mode available in regular matchmaking, not just custom matches.
• Armored Train Escort was a limited-time event mode that later became available in regular matchmaking for certain campaigns.
• Vehicles are optional—players can field infantry-only squads without any vehicle in their loadout.

Squad-Based Tactical Combat at Its Core

Enlisted sets itself apart in the tactical shooter space by making every engagement revolve around a player-managed infantry squad rather than a single character. Each squad consists of three to nine soldiers drawn from a real-world military division—such as the 1st Infantry Division or the 2nd New Zealand Division—and every member is assigned a class with access to specific weapon categories including rifles, submachine guns, machine guns, sniper rifles, mortars, anti-tank weapons, or flamethrowers. The player directly controls one soldier while issuing orders to or switching between the remaining AI-controlled companions. As an alternative, a player can pilot the crew of a tank or aircraft, with at least one vehicle always required in the loadout menu. Squad composition, soldier purchases, weapon upgrades, and faction selection are all handled through a management interface in the main menu, layering strategic depth on top of moment-to-moment shooting.

A Global War Spanning Every Front

The game's map roster stretches across virtually every major theater of World War II. Players clash on the Eastern Front in battles like Moscow, Rzhev, and the Soviet Invasion of Manchuria; on the Western Front at Normandy and the Battle of the Bulge; in North Africa at Tunisia; and across the Pacific in Guadalcanal, New Georgia, the Solomon Islands, and the Burma campaign, with the Battle of Berlin serving as a capstone. Two opposing teams—Allies versus Axis—face off, with four primary nations available: the United States, the Soviet Union, Germany, and Japan. Beneath each national tree sit smaller allied factions: the UK, Free France, Australia, New Zealand, and China under the US; Italy and Romania under Germany; and Chinese communists under the Soviet Union. Even individual vehicles carry national distinctions, such as a Thai Ha-Go light tank, a Canadian Sherman nicknamed Bomb, and a Hungarian Tiger 1. Each faction progresses through five Battle Ratings, forming a structured ladder of escalating difficulty.

Diverse Modes and Matchmaking Structures

Enlisted offers a range of structured game modes that shift the tactical focus of each encounter. In Conquest, both teams contest three or five control points while a depleting team bar tracks overall progress. Invasion pits an attacking force against sequential defenders across five points, with attackers capped at 1,000 respawn tickets that can be replenished by capturing points or downing barrage balloons. Assault requires defenders to hold paired control points across three sectors, while Destruction swaps capture objectives for planted explosives that attackers must defend once set. Beyond standard play, the Lone Fighters mode strips away squad spawning and forces players to select individual soldiers, with killed members remaining unavailable for the rest of the match. Custom matches let the community build bespoke maps and modes, sometimes incorporating event weapons or player-modded gear. Tutorial levels, a full-weapon shooting range, and a dedicated Practice mode with trench, tank, and aircraft ranges round out the learning tools.

Launch Strategy and Phased Platform Rollout

Enlisted arrived as a freemium title developed by Darkflow Software and published by Gaijin Entertainment, featuring a deliberate staggered platform strategy. The game debuted as an Xbox Series X/S launch title and held a timed console exclusive window on that platform. On March 2, 2021, a closed beta opened on PlayStation 5, granting PS5 players early access ahead of the broader PC release. The PC version launched as an open beta test on April 8, 2021, widening the player pool across all three platforms. The freemium model means the core game is accessible without purchase, while in-game progression—buying soldiers, upgrading squads, acquiring weapons—provides the monetization layer. This multi-platform, phased rollout allowed Gaijin to build its player base incrementally, starting with the newest-generation Xbox audience, then expanding to PlayStation and finally the PC community, each stage feeding into the next to create a larger, more stable matchmaking pool for the squad-based combat the game demands.

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