Glory to the Heroes multiplayer delivers hardcore, squad-based combined arms combat set in the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian War. Developed by Ukrainian studio Deaf Tone Games, the game merges large-scale tactical shooter mechanics with survival and persistent extraction-style gear risk across meticulously scanned real-world battlegrounds. Players can fight in objective-driven matchmaking matches, drop into continuous persistent warzones, or team up against adaptive AI threats.
Multiplayer Game Modes: Contact vs. Operations
The multiplayer structure in Glory to the Heroes is split into two primary architectures: matchmade competitive engagements and persistent war servers. Both feature team-wide military objectives alongside individual player survival.
Contact Mode
Contact serves as the focused, matchmaking-based multiplayer mode designed for high-intensity, round-based confrontations:
- Player Count: Matches support 24 to 48 players.
- Dynamic Frontline: Battles advance along a sequential chain of tactical objectives. The frontline dynamically shifts forward or backward as teams gain or lose ground.
- High Stakes: Equipment brought into Contact is placed at risk. If your squad faces defeat through attrition or lost objectives, a retreat window opens. When the match timer expires, both teams face an extraction finale. Surviving winners secure recoverable gear, while defeated players must successfully reach an evacuation point to keep their loadouts.
Operations Mode
Operations functions on persistent, long-running dedicated servers that players can join, leave, and rejoin freely without waiting in standard matchmaking queues:
- Player Count: Supports up to 48 players in PvPvE or up to 24 players in dedicated PvE co-op.
- Open Strategic Warfare: Rather than forcing linear objectives, all capture zones across the map are contested from the start. Squads decide independently where to attack, dig in, or conduct ambushes.
- Field Stash Access: Securing specific tactical objectives grants squads access to their persistent personal stashes directly in the field.
- Flexible Exfiltration: Players can extract safely at any secured friendly position to deposit gear and log off while the broader war continues.
Night Operations & Dedicated Co-Op
Outside standard daylight combat, Deaf Tone Games introduced specialized multiplayer formats:
- Night Operations: A raid-style mode emphasizing special operations doctrine. Squads spawn in forward infiltration positions, rely on night vision devices (such as PVS-14 units) and weapon-mounted infrared lasers or tactical lights, complete specific contracted tasks, and exfiltrate under low-light conditions.
- Dedicated PvE Co-Op: Players exclusively field Ukrainian armed forces to clear combat zones, secure sectors, and battle AI combatant groups without facing opposing human players.
- Offline PvE Training: A local, standalone mode against configurable AI bots. This mode allows players to test weapon handling, ballistics, and map layouts with all kits unlocked, but progress and loot do not transfer to online characters.
Multiplayer Mode Comparison
| Feature | Contact | Operations | Dedicated PvE Co-Op |
|---|---|---|---|
| Server Format | Matchmaking lobby | Persistent server | Persistent or hosted lobby |
| Player Capacity | 24–48 players | Up to 48 players | Up to 24 players |
| Opponents | PvP & PvPvE (Human + AI) | PvPvE (Human + AI) | AI combatants only |
| Objective Flow | Sequential, shifting frontline | Open sandbox capture points | Cooperative clearing & defense |
| Extraction Mechanic | End-of-round retreat / extraction window | Safe extraction at friendly controlled points | Extraction upon task completion |
| Stash Access | Between matches only | Accessible on secured points in-field | Between deployments |
| Online Progression | Yes (shared faction character) | Yes (shared faction character) | Yes (shared faction character) |
Factions, Player Counts, and Server Regions
Multiplayer encounters simulate modern combined-arms engagements with defined faction rules:
- Playable Factions: PvP matches pit the Armed Forces of Ukraine against the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. The developer—an all-Ukrainian team directly impacted by the conflict—clarified in playtest statements that fielding Russian forces serves to document actual doctrine, equipment, and battlefield realities rather than endorse aggression. In dedicated PvE modes, players fight exclusively as Ukrainian defenders.
- Server Regions: Official multiplayer servers are hosted across Ukraine Central, EU Central, US East, and Asia (Hong Kong). Custom and community server hosting is not enabled during initial release phases.
PvPvE Mechanics and Battlefield Threats
Glory to the Heroes does not limit multiplayer to basic gunfights between human opponents. Instead, dynamic threats populate the operational space:
- Integrated AI Combatants: In PvPvE, AI soldiers act as unpredictable battlefield participants. They range from poorly trained conscripts to seasoned specialists. AI units patrol territory, investigate weapon reports, utilize cover, and deploy as roaming Sabotage and Reconnaissance Groups (SRG), sniper pairs, or entrenched defenders.
- Loitering Munitions and FPV Drones: Battlefield hazards include kamikaze FPV drones armed with High-Explosive (HE) and Thermobaric (TBG) warheads. Operating an FPV drone requires a physical remote controller, video goggles, and battery management. Drone pilots remain completely stationary and exposed to small-arms fire while in flight.
- Indirect Fire & Heavy Ordnance: Players must navigate incoming artillery strikes and guided aerial bombs. While drivable infantry transports like the Humvee and Ural-63095 are available, heavy crewed armor like T-72 tanks and self-propelled howitzers (such as the Msta-S) appear as battlefield threats or static objects, with fully crewable player armor slated for future updates like the Battle of Izium.
Squad Coordination, Identification, and Friendly Fire
Multiplayer emphasizes strict tactical simulation over arcade shooting. There are no floating friendly nameplates, 3D spotting triangles, or mini-map enemy pings.
Armband Identification
Because modern standard-issue camouflage patterns frequently look alike across distances, visual identification depends entirely on colored armbands:
- Ukrainian Forces: Identified by blue, yellow, or green armbands.
- Russian Forces: Identified by white or red armbands.
During community playtests, players noted that jacket models could occasionally obscure armbands or that stripped players spawned without them, making clear verbal identification essential before firing. Playtest servers enforce automatic kick penalties for repeated teamkills.
In-Game Communication and Stance Controls
- Voice Systems: Proximity voice chat and physical field radios operate via push-to-talk (default key:
X). Field radios emit audible sound in the local environment, meaning nearby enemy combatants can overhear radio transmissions. - Tactical Interfaces: Squad leaders utilize dedicated tactical command tablets based on real-world military systems—"Kropyva" for Ukrainian commanders and "Sozvezdie-M" for Russian squads.
- Weapon Handling and Fatigue: Continuous aiming down sights drains arm stamina, resulting in severe weapon sway. Players use the mouse scroll wheel to adjust high, low, or rested weapon stances to recover stamina behind cover.
- Medical Triage: Multiplayer demands active buddy aid. Bandages only stop minor external bleeding. Heavy trauma requires tourniquets to halt arterial bleeds, surgical kits for severe tissue damage, and painkillers to counteract vision blur and movement penalties.
Persistent Inventory and Gear Economy
Characters in Glory to the Heroes are not throwaway loadouts; they maintain persistent growth tied to their faction:
- Grid-Based Equipment: Players equip gear across 12 modular slots, including tactical rigs, body armor plates, helmets, warbelts, and backpacks.
- Gunsmith Modularity: Weapons feature deep mechanical customization. The AK-74 platform alone includes over 80 interchangeable components, covering handguards, dust covers, muzzle brakes, and weapon optics.
- Free Issued Kits vs. Staked Gear: Players who lack currency or fear losing high-tier gear can deploy using free faction-issued basic kits (such as standard rifleman packages). Equipment brought from personal storage or looted from fallen soldiers must be secured via extraction or victory to be kept permanently.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I play Glory to the Heroes multiplayer solo without a pre-made team?
Yes. Players can queue into Contact matches or deploy into persistent Operations servers alone. However, joining an in-game squad is recommended, as squad membership links tactical map tracking and enables proximity voice coordination.
Is there a single-player story campaign available?
Not at launch. While an offline PvE Training mode with bot customization is included, the dedicated narrative story campaign is planned for later development milestones toward version 1.0.
What are the launch multiplayer maps?
The game features three launch environments recreated using terrain scans and photogrammetry:
- Fight for Krynky: A dense riverine battlefield featuring flooded wetlands, damaged farm compounds, and asymmetric river crossings.
- Chasiv Yar - Canal: A ruined urban sector centered around multistory apartment blocks, industrial trenches, and extended canal sightlines.
- Izium Machine-Building Plant: A sprawling, close-quarters industrial factory complex featuring interior halls, machine shops, and surrounding residential yards.
What happens to my gear if I get killed in multiplayer?
Any equipment carried on your soldier's body drops in the field and can be looted by enemies or teammates. If your team wins in Contact mode or you reach an evacuation route alive, your secured items return to your persistent stash. Dead soldiers do not automatically recover lost gear upon a team victory.
