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Hell Let Loose: Vietnam does not level up a single soldier rank the way most shooters do. Every time you spawn as a particular role, the XP you earn during that life contributes to that class’s individual level, not your overall soldier rank, which means a player can reach level 10 as Squad Leader while still being level 3 as Assault. That single rule is why two players with the same number of hours can be wearing completely different gear. Class levels are the currency here, and each role — Rifleman, Assault, Support, Squad Leader, Commander, and so on — tracks its own separate bar.
The game organizes its roles across six unit types: Command, Infantry, Recon, Armour, a US-only Helicopter unit and a Mortar Squad. Coverage of the exact role count is inconsistent right at launch — some sources list 17 roles while the current official overview lists 19, including the expanded helicopter crew — but the six unit types and the per-class leveling rule are consistent across everything published so far. For a broader breakdown of what each unit type actually does in a match, the roles and modes explainer covers the full role list and how the two factions differ.
TL;DR
- XP earned in a life goes to the class you played that life, never to a shared soldier rank
- Playing six different roles for one match each leaves you with six low-level classes and no meaningful unlocks
- Class levels gate loadout access at set thresholds, and the curve gets noticeably steeper after level 3
- Commander is reportedly the farthest goal in the game, unlocking at level 30 and requiring tutorials first
- Exact XP totals per level are not officially published yet — treat any specific number you see as a community estimate
| Unit Type | What It Does | Example Roles |
|---|---|---|
| Command | Leads a squad or the entire 50-player team | Squad Leader, Commander |
| Infantry | Frontline combat, holding and taking ground | Rifleman, Assault, Support |
| Recon | Scouting and marking targets | Spotter, Sniper |
| Armour | Crews and commands vehicles | Tank Commander, Crewman |
| Mortar Squad | Indirect fire support behind the line | Mortar operator |
| Helicopter (US-only) | Air transport and support | Pilot, aircrew |
Where Your XP Actually Goes
The core mistake almost everyone makes in the first few sessions is treating Vietnam like a normal shooter with a shared rank bar. It isn’t. What you do in a given life decides which class ledger gets credited, and that ledger is what unlocks gear — not your total playtime, not your overall kill count, and not some hidden soldier level. Class levels gate access to loadouts, and each loadout tier unlocks at specific level thresholds. Squad Leader duties are their own economy too: Squad Leaders earn XP from every outpost placement, every order followed, and every objective their squad captures, and a dedicated Squad Leader can level that role two to three times faster than a passive player who only engages in direct combat. That’s a structural incentive to lead, not just shoot.
Warning
Trying every role for one life each to “see what you like” is the single most common way to waste an early session. You’ll end up with several classes stuck at low levels and none of them unlocked far enough to matter in a firefight.
| What You Do | Class That Gets the XP | What It Moves You Toward |
|---|---|---|
| Play a life as Rifleman, Assault or Support | That specific infantry role's level | That role's own loadout and weapon tiers |
| Lead a squad: place outposts, issue orders, hit objectives | Squad Leader / Officer level | Command tools and, eventually, the road to Commander |
| Direct the team once unlocked: supply drops, artillery calls | Commander level | Additional Combat Effectiveness-driven abilities and passive XP for garrisons your team supplies |
| Complete role tutorials | No class XP by itself | Access to the Squad Leader and Commander roles at all |
Best Ways to Level Your Classes Fast
Because XP is siloed per class, the fastest path is picking actions that generate a lot of it for the role you’re actually committing to, not just racking up kills. The most effective approach combines high-density combat zones with objective play, since sitting in a quiet defensive position generates almost no class XP compared to fighting on the active front line. Community reports so far also point to the Offensive game mode as a stronger XP environment than Warfare, because it forces both teams into concentrated engagements around a single objective — treat that as an early, unofficial observation rather than a confirmed rate. Support-oriented play holds up too: a Support player who never fires a shot can still out-level an aggressive Assault player by simply keeping the squad supplied and the outposts placed.
Step-by-Step: Getting Your First Class Unlocks
| Method | Speed | Effort | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Squad Leader duties in Offensive matches | Fast, reportedly | Medium, needs communication | Players willing to lead |
| Objective-focused infantry play | Steady | Medium | Anyone building a main role |
| Support/logistics tasks (supply, garrisons) | Steady, low-risk | Low | Players who don't want to duel |
| Passive, defensive positioning | Slow | Low | Nobody, avoid this |
Follow this sequence to get it done fast.
-
1
Pick one Infantry role to commit to first
Rifleman or Assault are the easiest to find a squad slot for and generate XP from normal combat.
-
2
Join an active unit instead of playing solo
squads generate more objective XP together than a lone rifleman wandering the map.
-
3
Take the Squad Leader tutorial early
even if you don't lead immediately, it removes a gate you'll want cleared later.
-
4
Play Offensive-mode matches when available
reported to concentrate fighting and objective XP more than spread-out Warfare matches.
-
5
Track two classes only, and swap roles inside a match
this keeps XP flowing into the same two ledgers instead of a dozen.
How Many Classes Should You Level at Once?
Given that XP never crosses over between classes, the practical question isn’t “which class is best” — it’s how many ledgers you’re willing to split your time across. One class levels fastest in isolation but leaves you dead in the water if that role isn’t available in a squad. Five or six classes technically “cover every situation” but keep every one of them below the point where loadouts actually improve. Two classes is the sweet spot for most players: one Infantry role for when a squad needs a rifle, and one support-flavored role like Support or Squad Leader that keeps earning XP even in matches where kills are scarce.
Tip
Decide on your two classes before your third or fourth match, not after. The first three levels come fast in almost any role, so it’s easy to feel like you’re progressing everywhere right up until the requirements jump and you notice none of your six classes are actually unlocked for anything useful.
| Approach | What Happens | Result |
|---|---|---|
| One class only | Fastest possible leveling for that role | Great gear in one slot, useless if that role is taken |
| Two classes | XP split but both stay usable across most squads | Solid gear in two roles within the first sessions |
| Five or six classes | XP spread thin across every ledger | Multiple classes stuck below early loadout tiers |
Commander at Level 30: The Furthest Unlock in the Game
Since the Commander role unlocks at Level 30, grinding Combat Effectiveness-focused tasks in the early game will shave hours off the grind compared to passive play. That level requirement alone makes Commander the longest-term goal attached to any single class, and it isn’t automatic even once you hit it: the Commander role is not automatically unlocked, and to access it (along with Squad Leader) you must first complete a few tutorials, beginning with the introductory one that covers the game’s main mechanics and controls. Commander directs the full 50-player team and should not be your first role, since one decision can affect every squad and the job depends on map knowledge and clear voice communication. If leading an entire army doesn’t interest you, there’s no penalty for ignoring it — Squad Leader alone already grants access to outposts and garrisons that matter far more on a day-to-day basis.
What Class Levels Unlock
The reward structure ties directly back to the class levels themselves — you’re not unlocking anything by playing generically, only by pushing the specific role’s bar up.
The Flamethrower Question
Community write-ups circulating right after launch claim the assault role’s progression feeds directly into a flamethrower loadout, with players who level Assault far enough unlocking it as a dual-purpose investment. Treat the exact level number as unconfirmed community reporting rather than an official figure until Expression Games or Team17 publish a real loadout table.
Legacy Precedent From the Original Hell Let Loose
The base Hell Let Loose already runs on the same per-class philosophy, and its numbers give a sense of scale even though they won’t map exactly onto Vietnam: for each role, 28,000 total experience is required to reach level 5 and 153,000 total for level 10, with higher levels unlocking new loadouts and uniforms. Whether Vietnam uses similar totals is not something any official source has confirmed yet.
| Reward | How You Get It | Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|
| New weapon and equipment tiers | Hit that class's level thresholds | Direct combat upgrade for the role you actually play |
| Command tools (outposts, garrisons) | Play Squad Leader | Enables faster squad respawns and team-wide flexibility |
| Commander access | Reach level 30 and complete tutorials | Unlocks team-wide artillery, supply drops and map-level calls |
| Cosmetic and uniform variants | Historically tied to level milestones in the franchise | Visible marker of experience in a role |
Common Misconceptions About Vietnam's Class XP System
“Playing Rifleman levels every class a little”
It doesn’t. The XP earned during a life contributes to that specific class’s level, not a shared soldier rank, so kills as Rifleman do nothing for your Assault or Support progress.
“A high overall level means a high role level”
The original Hell Let Loose already demonstrated this trap clearly, with players noting you can see that someone is a high overall level but you cannot tell if they are a low-level Squad Leader because they got all their XP as a tanker. Vietnam’s confirmed per-class system runs on the identical logic — total playtime tells you almost nothing about any single class’s gear.
“Commander unlocks automatically once you hit the level”
Hitting level 30 isn’t the whole gate. The Commander role is not automatically unlocked, and accessing it requires completing tutorials first, starting with the introductory one.
Our Take: Is This Progression System Worth Grinding?
Our Take
The per-class ledger rewards commitment over curiosity, and that’s a deliberate design choice worth respecting rather than fighting.
Splitting attention across six roles in the name of variety is the accounting mistake described earlier, not a tactical one — you can play flawlessly and still end a week with nothing unlocked because the XP never pooled anywhere. Picking two classes and sticking with them, at least until the early levels stop being free, gets you into usable gear faster than any amount of role-hopping. The honest caveat is that Team17 and Expression Games haven’t published exact XP thresholds or per-action rates as of launch, so every specific number floating around forums right now, including the ones cited here as community reports, should be treated as a placeholder until the studios confirm it or a balance patch changes it outright.