Steam currently names 17 roles across six battlefield units: one Command role, seven Infantry roles, two Recon roles, two Armour roles, two US-only Helicopter roles and three Mortar Squad roles. The official Hell Let Loose: Vietnam website separately advertises 19 specialised roles without naming the extra two. Until the roster is reconciled, 17 is the complete verifiable named list—not proof that the launch build contains only 17.
Every role named in the official Steam listing
The current Steam page provides the only official pre-launch list that both states a total and names every member of that total. The arithmetic is consistent: 1 + 7 + 2 + 2 + 2 + 3 equals 17.
| Battlefield unit | Named roles | Count |
|---|---|---|
| Command | Commander | 1 |
| Infantry | Squad Leader, Rifleman, Grenadier, Engineer, Medic, Specialist, Machine Gunner | 7 |
| Recon | Spotter, Sniper | 2 |
| Armour | Tank Commander, Crewman | 2 |
| Helicopter — US only | Logistics Officer, Pilot | 2 |
| Mortar Squad | Observer, Support, Gunner | 3 |
Why does another official page say 19 roles?
The current Hell Let Loose: Vietnam game page says players can choose from 19 specialised roles. It does not provide a 19-item roster. Steam, meanwhile, says 17 in both its description and key-features section and supplies the 17 names above.
The practical answer is to use the 17 named roles when planning what can be verified today, while leaving room for the launch deployment menu to confirm a 19-role structure. Community screenshots and beta terminology can identify questions, but they cannot resolve conflicting publisher copy.
What the six battlefield units tell us
Command
Commander is the single role explicitly assigned to the Command unit. The game's official description emphasizes a chain of command, so this is the team-level leadership position rather than another ordinary infantry slot.
Infantry
Infantry has the broadest roster: Squad Leader, Rifleman, Grenadier, Engineer, Medic, Specialist and Machine Gunner. The names cover squad leadership, general combat, explosive capability, construction or engineering, medical support, specialist equipment and suppressive fire. Exact launch loadouts should be checked in the shipping build rather than inferred from role names.
Recon and Armour
Recon is the familiar two-role pairing of Spotter and Sniper. Armour lists Tank Commander and Crewman. The grouping clearly identifies coordinated specialist units, but the official list does not state squad limits or unlock requirements.
Helicopter and Mortar Squad
The Steam list explicitly marks Helicopter as US only and names Logistics Officer and Pilot. The game description confirms US helicopters are used for fire support and supply drops, but the named list does not break those vehicles into additional gunner variants.
Mortar Squad is a three-role unit: Observer, Support and Gunner. Its separation from ordinary Infantry confirms that mortars have their own organised unit rather than appearing only as an infantry loadout in the official roster.
Which role should a beginner choose?
For a first match, a non-command Infantry role is the lowest-risk place to learn movement, map flow and voice channels without taking responsibility for an entire unit. Rifleman and Medic are easy names to understand, but that is onboarding advice—not a claim that their launch loadouts are strongest or mechanically simplest.
Commander, Squad Leader, Spotter, Tank Commander, Logistics Officer and Observer all signal coordination responsibilities through their unit placement or title. Pilot and Armour roles also involve dedicated vehicle operation. New players can still choose them, but learning the command chain and controls first reduces the risk of occupying a limited specialist slot without knowing its purpose.
Are the US and NVA classes identical?
No complete official source says they are identical. Expression Games describes the factions as asymmetrical. The clearest roster example is the US-only Helicopter unit, while the NVA's headline feature is a player-built tunnel network. Shared role names therefore do not prove identical weapons, equipment, vehicles or tactical responsibilities.
The official Gameplay Roles Showcase featured examples including US and NVA leadership, infantry, snipers, tanks, grenadiers and NVA anti-aircraft gameplay. That showcase is useful evidence of role themes, but it was published around a beta and is not presented as a complete launch roster.
What we will verify at launch
- Whether the deployment screen counts 17 or 19 distinct roles.
- Which roles are faction-exclusive and how same-name roles differ between the US and NVA.
- Unit size limits, role caps and any progression or unlock requirements.
- Whether beta-era labels were retained, merged or renamed.
- Any roster additions delivered in launch or post-launch updates.