Glory to the Heroes Early Access: Launch, Maps, and Gameplay

Glory to the Heroes early access launched globally on October 9, 2026, on PC via Steam. Developed and published by Kyiv-based studio Deaf Tone Games, this tactical mil-sim sets combined-arms infantry combat directly within reconstructed battlefields of the Russian-Ukrainian War. The game blends squad-level tactical battles with extraction-inspired survival systems, persistent stashes, and weapon customization.

Below is an overview of what the Early Access launch includes, covering pricing, gameplay modes, technical specifications, and current development plans.

Launch Details, Pricing, and Platforms

Glory to the Heroes is currently available exclusively on Windows PC via Steam. The standard Early Access base price is $29.99 (or €27.99), featuring a 10% introductory launch discount that drops the price to $26.99 during its release window. Flexible regional pricing applies across supported territories.

While the developer's official launch schedule confirmed the worldwide release for October 9, 2026 at 16:00 UTC (19:00 Kyiv), Steam store listings temporarily showed the broader 2026 release year. The developer clarified that this occurred because Steam limits public-facing date adjustments after a release window has been rescheduled multiple times, which did not alter the October 9 deployment.

Controller support is limited at launch; traditional gamepads and RC drone transmitters are only configured for piloting in-game FPV drones. Deaf Tone Games recommends a mouse and keyboard setup for soldier infantry combat. Supported text languages include English, Ukrainian, French, Italian, German, Spanish, Simplified Chinese, Polish, and Brazilian Portuguese, with full native voice audio in Ukrainian.

Game Modes and Launch Battlefields

The Early Access version focuses heavily on infantry firefights, hazard avoidance, and squad movement across three photogrammetry-scanned battlefields:

• Fights for Krynky: A 2.0 by 1.4 km map situated along the Dnipro bridgehead, characterized by ruined village structures, wide-open fields, exposed marshes, and dense reeds.
• Chasiv Yar - Canal: A battle-damaged urban sector featuring high-rise apartment blocks, basements, rubble-strewn roads, and long sightlines along the canal district.
• Izium Machine-building Plant: The largest launch map, centered on sprawling factory halls, industrial garages, and adjoining residential outskirts.

Players can deploy across several distinct game modes:

• Contact: A lethal matchmade mode supporting 24 to 48 players that drives fighting along an advancing or retreating sequence of tactical capture objectives.
• Operations: Persistent sandbox servers supporting up to 48 players in PvPvE or up to 24 players in dedicated PvE co-op. Capture points are open from the start, allowing teams to coordinate attacks and access personal stashes at secured friendly positions.
• Offline PvE Training: A local offline training mode against AI bots. This mode allows players to test mechanics, weapons, and tactical pacing, though progression, tasks, and inventory stashes do not transfer to online profiles.
• Story Campaign: The single-player narrative campaign is reserved for later Early Access phases or the version 1.0 release and is not included in the initial launch build.

Combat Mechanics, Stashes, and Survival Rules

Glory to the Heroes drops players into combat as an ordinary enlisted soldier rather than an elite contractor. Survivability relies on team coordination, spatial awareness, and realistic body mechanics.

Factions and Player Identification

In PvP and PvPvE modes, matches feature both Ukrainian forces and Russian forces to represent opposing sides of the conflict. Dedicated PvE co-op matches are played as Ukrainian troops.

Because friendly fire is active and there are no floating team markers, identifying targets (PID) depends entirely on visual cues and map checks:

• Ukrainian Forces: Identified by blue, yellow, or green armbands, olive-yellow undertone uniforms, and centered helmet night-vision mounts.
• Russian Forces: Identified by white or red armbands, darker green or brown camouflage, and left-sided helmet mounts.

Players should note that a visual bug in early builds sometimes causes cold-weather jacket models to clip over equipped armbands. Communicating via proximity VoIP (default key X) or squad radio is critical to prevent friendly fire incidents, as killing two teammates results in an automated server kick.

Kits, Gear Risk, and Extraction

Before deploying, players can equip custom gear from their persistent stash or choose free developer-issued kits:

• Free Faction Kits: Allow you to join operations with standard equipment without risking personal gear. Captured loot found during the match can be extracted to your persistent stash, but the issued gear itself does not carry over.
• Personal Custom Loadouts: Offer customized weapons, armor rigs, and attachments purchased from vendors or saved in your stash. If you die in combat, any carried personal gear can be looted or lost, regardless of whether your overall team wins the match.
• Extraction Rules: Surviving winners secure their gear when the match objective concludes. In Contact mode, losing teams receive a retreat window, while match timer expirations trigger an extraction finale. In Operations, players can safely extract with their gear at secured friendly positions.

Physical Movement and Medical System

Combat handles with physical inertia and weight constraints:

• Aiming continuously drains arm stamina, introducing weapon sway. Scrolling down on the mouse wheel lowers the weapon to rest your soldier's arms.
• Double-tapping Shift activates an emergency sprint, quickly depleting stamina.
• Weapon handling includes variable firing modes (semi-automatic, full-auto, and burst on certain rifles) and canted iron-sight toggles when secondary optics are attached.
• Basic health regeneration does not exist. Surviving bullet impacts and artillery shrapnel requires specialized field medicine. Tourniquets stop arterial bleeding, bandages patch wounds, and painkillers address severe shock. Leaving medical gear improperly applied can hinder mobility.

PC System Requirements

The game runs on DirectX 12 and demands capable hardware to handle large-scale geometry and environmental destruction.

Player testing highlights that Picture-in-Picture (PiP) scope rendering can drop frame rates significantly when aiming down magnified optics. Disabling ray tracing and fine-tuning auto-graphics presets helps stabilize performance across mid-tier GPUs.

Early Access Development Roadmap

Deaf Tone Games aims to deliver major content updates every two to three months. Development wipes will accompany major balance and progression overhauls. Planned post-launch content includes:

• Night Operations: Introduces night variants of Krynky, Chasiv Yar, and Izium Plant, night-vision combat mechanics, and new trade vendors.
• New Battlefields: Expands PvPvE and PvE modes to Serebryansky Forest and the Battle of Antonov Airport (featuring the destroyed An-225 Mriya hangar), alongside new drone equipment and weapons.
• Combined-Arms Operations: A massive, persistent 425+ km² Battle of Izium map introducing player-crewed tanks, infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs), and field artillery. At launch, ground vehicles remain restricted to Humvee and Ural-63095 transport trucks.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I play Glory to the Heroes solo or offline?

Yes, an offline PvE Training mode is included with configurable AI bot numbers. However, offline training is isolated; experience, quest progression, and gear gathered offline do not carry over to your persistent online profile. The narrative solo campaign is planned for a later phase of development.

What are the official server regions available at launch?

Current official server locations include EU Central, Ukraine Central, US East, and Asia (Hong Kong). Custom and community server hosting is not supported in the initial Early Access build.

How do FPV drones operate in the game?

Deploying an FPV drone requires carrying a drone, video goggles, and an operational controller. Flight time is limited by battery life and transmitter signal distance. Your soldier remains completely motionless and vulnerable while wearing the goggles, requiring teammates to provide close security.

How does weapon loss work if my team wins?

If you die during a match, your equipped personal weapons and carried items remain on your body and can be lost or looted by others. Winning the overall match does not automatically return lost equipment to your stash; only surviving soldiers or players who successfully extract can bring their inventory home.