Hell Let Loose’s First Update 21 Test Will Add Conquest and Rework Armor

The August 8 Server Slam will test new Springfield rifles, weapon fire selectors, loadout revisions, and fresh vehicle balance rules on Steam.

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Two Springfield rifles displayed with ammunition in Hell Let Loose

Hell Let Loose‘s first Update 21 Experimental Branch test will run through the weekend on Steam, giving players an early look at Conquest, two Springfield rifles, weapon fire selectors, loadout revisions, and a wide armor balance pass. The team detailed the plans in Dev Brief #219 on Steam.

Update 21 itself is planned for later in 2026, but a final release date has not been announced. The experimental build will also test changes to prone collision and vehicle spawning before the update moves closer to launch.

Conquest will join Update 21

Conquest has already gone through two tests earlier in 2026. It will now officially join Hell Let Loose with Update 21, and it will also be one of the four modes available in Hell Let Loose: Vietnam.

The first Update 21 test will use Juno Beach – Day and Carentan – Day. The team has continued adjusting the mode after feedback from the previous tests, with more changes expected as players put the revised version through its paces.

A companion developer diary covers the basic rules and structure of Conquest:

Springfield rifles and fire selectors

The US Forces will receive the bolt-action M1903A3 Springfield, while the M1903A4 Springfield will replace the current Springfield Sniper rifle. More weapons are planned for later Experimental Branch tests.

The build also adds a long-requested fire selector to weapons that historically supported more than one firing mode. The playable maps in this test feature US, Canadian, and German forces, so weapons from other factions can only be tested in the Practice Range.

MG34
FG42
STG 44
BAR, with fast and slow automatic fire
Thompson M1
Thompson M1928a1
Bren Gun
Sten Gun MK2
Sten Gun MK2 (Canadian)
Sten Gun Mk5
PPSH 41

The audio and animations for the switches are still being developed. On keyboard, players can currently toggle fire modes with Caps Lock.

Loadout and weapon handling revisions

The US Rifleman will receive a planned level 6 Marksman loadout with an M1903A3 Springfield and an explosive ammo box. The level requirement will be disabled during the experimental test so players can try the role immediately.

Other loadout changes include the following:

The US Tank Commander’s default weapon will change from the Thompson to the M3 Grease Gun.
Every default Crewman loadout will include a blowtorch.
Technicians will be able to build nodes with the Technician wrench.
The default US Anti-tank role will use the M1903A3 Springfield instead of the M1 Garand as its primary weapon.

Several rifles will also have more visible weapon sway while the player looks around. The change does not affect accuracy while aiming and currently applies to the M1 Garand, M1903A3 Springfield, Kar 98k, SMLE No 1 MK III, and all non-sniper Mosin Nagant variants.

The STG 44 will receive a small recoil increase. The Bren Gun will have much less visual screen shake and slightly more recoil, bringing its on-screen behavior closer to its actual weapon handling.

Vehicle spawning and armor changes

Commander abilities will be able to spawn up to eight vehicles, up from five. The change follows Update 20’s lower costs for jeeps and halftracks and gives commanders more room to call in vehicles without using up the previous limit as quickly.

The Luchs is receiving a new anti-armor role for the test. It will be able to damage the engines of every tank, while attacks from behind can damage and destroy any Light tank. Recon tanks are still a work in progress, but they are planned to follow the same behavior.

Tank ammunition and shell behavior are also being reorganized around each class. Heavy tanks will carry more Armor Piercing ammunition and less High Explosive ammunition, while Medium tanks will carry more High Explosive rounds and fewer Armor Piercing rounds. The Sherman Jumbo 75 remains focused on anti-infantry combat despite being classed as a heavy tank.

Medium tanks will also have a larger High Explosive blast radius than most heavy tanks. Other vehicle adjustments include faster turret rotation for several German and British tanks, higher Firefly damage against armor, revised fuel costs for the Panzer IV and Sherman Medium, and better low-speed handling for the Sherman Medium.

The Panzer IV is receiving experimental collision and physics changes aimed at reducing cases where tanks flip or launch unexpectedly. All Self Propelled Artillery vehicles will also gain another gunner zoom level for long-range target acquisition.

Hull resistance values are changing in several areas:

Heavy tank front hull resistance will rise from 32% to 36%.
Heavy tank side hull resistance will rise from 16% to 28%.
Panther upper side hull resistance will rise from 16% to 23%.
Medium tank front hull resistance will rise from 16% to 30%.

Salvaged fuel returns for all vehicles will also increase to between 1.5x and 2x their previous amounts.

Prone collision is getting an early test

The experimental build includes an early version of a new prone collision system. It is intended to reduce player models clipping into walls, terrain, and other objects. Players may feel their characters gently move when rotating close to an obstacle, which is meant to prevent that clipping.

The system is still being worked on, and the team is asking testers to report problems through the feedback form.

Server Slam event arrives August 8

The Experimental Branch will run throughout the weekend, with members of the War Correspondent program hosting a Server Slam Community Event on Saturday, August 8, at 10am PDT, 1pm EDT, 6pm BST, or 7pm CEST.

The brief also shared recent videos from McBluffin, SoulSniper, IronHeart, RubberDuck, and DasAltberg.

These changes are still experimental, so the final Update 21 version may differ. If you take part in the test, share your thoughts in the comments and follow us on X, Bluesky, YouTube, and Instagram.

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