Install Patch 1.3, then test whether Windows or your console can hear the microphone outside the game. Patch 1.3 fixed VOIP stuttering or cutting out while entering the Killed in Action screen and corrected Party Voice Chat mute input. Party Voice itself is currently designed to work only in the lobby; inside a match, use Proximity, Unit or Command voice. Distorted or robotic Proximity Chat is a separate issue with a candidate fix targeted for Patch 1.4, subject to testing.
Identify the symptom before changing anything
| You can hear players, but they cannot hear you | Check the input device, microphone permission, input level and push-to-talk binding first. |
| You cannot hear or speak in any channel | Check the selected voice channel, platform party settings, unused audio devices and network path. |
| Only one channel is unavailable | Confirm that your role can use that channel and that the correct channel is selected. |
| Party Voice works in the lobby but disappears in a match | This is the current official limitation, not a microphone fault. Use Proximity, Unit or Command voice after joining a match. |
| Party Voice mute input fails | Install Patch 1.3 and retest. Its final notes list a fix for Party Voice Chat settings not muting voice input correctly. |
| Voice cuts out on the Killed in Action screen | Install Patch 1.3. Its final notes list this as fixed. |
| Proximity voices sound robotic | The team says a candidate fix has been identified with Epic Games and is targeting Patch 1.4, subject to wider testing. There is no confirmed player-side cure. |
| All PS5 game audio disappears | Install Hotfix 1 first. Its official notes specifically fixed extended PS5 audio dropouts. |
Patch 1.2 and Patch 1.3: what changed
Patch 1.2 is live on all platforms. Its official notes contain two specific Party Voice Chat fixes:
- Players should no longer be unable to mute party members or change how Open Microphone behaves.
- Party Voice Chat should no longer fail to function correctly.
Patch 1.3 then added two more relevant fixes: VOIP no longer stutters or cuts out while transitioning to the Killed in Action screen, and Party Voice Chat settings now correctly mute voice input. If your symptom matches one of these notes, update before resetting devices or network settings. None of them claims to fix every headset or proximity-chat issue.
Why Party Voice Chat stops after the lobby
Community Update #2 explains that Hell Let Loose: Vietnam moved from VIVOX to Epic Online Services for VOIP. Because of current technical limitations and the goal of keeping the system consistent across PC and console, Party Voice Chat is available only while the group is in the lobby.
After the match loads, communicate through the channels that the game still provides: Proximity for nearby players, Unit for your squad and Command for eligible leadership roles. A working lobby Party channel that vanishes after joining is therefore not evidence that your microphone broke. The update says the request is being actively reviewed, but it does not announce a date for in-match Party Voice.
PC: microphone works elsewhere but not in the game
- Test the microphone in Windows. Open Sound settings and speak into the device. If the input meter does not move, fix the operating-system or hardware path before changing the game.
- Set the real microphone as the default communication device. Team17's official Hell Let Loose support article specifically recommends this when the game does not detect a microphone.
- Allow desktop applications to use the microphone. Check Windows Privacy & security settings and make sure microphone access is enabled.
- Disable competing inputs for the test. A controller, webcam, monitor, VR headset, Stereo Mix or virtual mixer can become the selected input. Leave only the headset or microphone you want to test.
- Check the voice binding and channel. Rebind the push-to-talk key if necessary, join a server and test proximity and unit voice separately.
- Restart the game after changing devices. Do not assume an already-running game has refreshed the Windows audio route.
PC: neither incoming nor outgoing voice works
After the microphone path is confirmed, leave the current server and test another one, then restart the router. Team17's support guidance also lists toggling IPv6 as a troubleshooting step. Treat that as a network diagnostic—not a universal fix—and record the original setting so you can restore it if nothing changes.
Do not install unknown DLL files, registry cleaners or replacement audio packages. They are not part of the official process and create extra security and stability risk.
PlayStation 5 checks
- Install the latest game update before testing. Hotfix 1 fixed the specific case where PS5 game audio could drop out for an extended period.
- Open the PS5 party Voice Chat Settings and confirm Mute Game Voice Chat is disabled.
- If a party has taken over voice routing, open Game Base, view the party voice chat and switch back to Game Voice Chat.
- If VOIP still fails, the official PlayStation support article suggests testing manual DNS values 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4. Save the original network configuration before changing it.
Hotfix 1's PS5 fix concerns an audio dropout. It should not be presented as proof that every headset, party-routing, directional-audio or VOIP issue has been solved.
Xbox Series X|S checks
- Disconnect unnecessary USB peripherals, then fully power-cycle the console.
- Update the controller, headset and headset-adapter firmware from Xbox Accessories.
- If the problem looks network-related, Team17's Xbox support article recommends clearing the alternate MAC address or testing manual DNS values 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4.
Change one item at a time and retest. That makes it possible to identify what helped and to undo a network change that made no difference.
Robotic proximity chat: candidate fix, not live yet
Community Update #2 says the team and its external VOIP partner at Epic Games believe they have identified a fix for distorted or robotic Proximity Chat. Initial testing was positive, but larger-scale testing is still in progress. The current target is Patch 1.4, and the update explicitly makes that timing subject to the test results.
That is progress, not a released fix. Reinstalling microphone drivers, copying configuration files or downloading third-party audio packages cannot be presented as a confirmed cure for this partner-side issue.
What to include in a useful support report
- Platform and current game version.
- Whether proximity, unit and command voice fail separately or together.
- Whether the microphone works in Windows, a console party or another game.
- Headset or microphone model and how it is connected.
- Whether the problem happens on every server.
- For robotic voice, specify that the symptom occurs in proximity chat.
Use the Team17 Help Centre contact option if the official checks do not resolve the problem. A precise report is more useful than saying only that “audio is broken.”