Enlisted is a free-to-play World War II shooter for players who want large battles and like the idea of leading a small squad of AI soldiers rather than playing a single hero. If you are asking whether Enlisted is worth playing in 2026, the evidence points to yes for WWII fans who can live with a long unlock path, and to caution for anyone sensitive to paid shortcuts.
This review is based on research, not on a playthrough: the official Enlisted news feed, the Steam store page, Steam user reviews and press coverage.
It is probably a yes if you:
- Want a free WWII shooter with infantry, tanks and aircraft in the same match.
- Like the squad twist: you control one soldier and give orders to the rest.
- Are fine with a live-service game that updates every few weeks.
- Play on PC, PlayStation or Xbox and want an active 2026 roadmap.
It is probably a no if you:
- Dislike research trees and grinding for weapons and soldiers.
- Get annoyed by premium squads and seasonal passes sold next to free content.
- Want a tightly balanced competitive shooter where every player starts equal.
What the game is
Enlisted is developed by Darkflow Software and published by Gaijin Entertainment, the company behind War Thunder. According to Wikipedia, the PC open beta began on April 8, 2021, after an Xbox Series X|S debut in November 2020 and a PS5 beta in March 2021. The Steam version, listed by Gaijin Network Ltd, went live as a free game on July 16, 2024.
The central idea is squad control. You pick a squad of AI soldiers, play as one of them, and switch between them or give them orders during a match. The Steam page describes four playable nations (USA, USSR, Germany and Japan), eighteen soldier classes and around 400 weapons and vehicles, plus mission and map editing tools. Modes listed on Wikipedia include Conquest, Invasion, Assault, Destruction and Confrontation.
A key change came at the end of 2023. In a page dated November 2, 2023, Gaijin explained that the separate campaigns were being merged into four nations, with linear progression replaced by branching research trees and a single in-game currency called Silver. Matchmaking still aims to pit historical opponents against each other, while also factoring in how strong their equipment is.
Strengths
It is actively supported in 2026
The official news feed is busy. In September 2026 alone, Gaijin posted about improved hit effects and physics (September 10), better melee animations (September 4) and two public test sessions of the upcoming "Off-road Patrol" update (September 11 and September 18). That update adds squads built around light off-road vehicles and motorbikes. The notes for the second test mention more shots before vehicle machine guns overheat, a 50% experience bonus for the new squads, and reduced recoil control on rifles such as the FG 42 and Gewehr 43.
As of September 28, 2026, no release date for Off-road Patrol had been announced.
A notable graphics push on PC
On September 24, 2026, Gaijin detailed ray tracing and frame generation changes for the next major update. On PC, the list includes path-traced global illumination for high-end GPUs (it requires DLSS Ray Reconstruction), a new Ray Tracing preset, AMD FSR frame generation under DirectX 12 and expanded DLSS frame generation options. For a free game, that is an unusual level of graphics work, although these features were not live yet at the time of writing.
A distinctive format
Few shooters combine large WWII battles with AI squads you command directly. Critics have noted this: Wikipedia lists a positive take from Penny Arcade, which called it the best WWII shooter, and a favorable review from GLN that praised its visuals and design.
Steam reception has improved
On Steam, as of September 28, 2026, the all-time rating reads "Mostly Positive" (78% of 20,514 reviews), while the recent rating reads "Very Positive" (83% of 1,130 reviews over the last 30 days). The recent score being higher than the all-time average suggests that current players are fairly satisfied with the state of the game.
Weaknesses
The Steam launch damaged trust
Enlisted's path to Steam was rough. PC Gamer reported on April 1, 2024 that the first Steam release, "Enlisted: Reinforced," launched on March 28, 2024 as paid early access and had its sales halted the same day. Players could not link existing Gaijin accounts, some found premium content priced differently than in Gaijin's own launcher, and many did not expect a paywall. Gaijin apologized, and the game returned as a free listing in July 2024. The episode still explains some of the skepticism you will see around its monetization.
Grind and pay-to-win concerns
Wikipedia notes that the game's economy has drawn criticism, with some reviewers calling it pay-to-win, and XboxEra gave it a mixed verdict, largely over progression, while praising the gunplay. GLN, despite a favorable review, criticized matchmaking. Players frequently point to the research tree and soldier upgrades as the slowest parts of the game.
Performance and stability hiccups
Gaijin itself acknowledged in its August 28, 2026 SITREP that performance regressed after an update, especially on PC, because shaders need to be re-cached after each patch. It says a better DirectX 12 warm-up should help from the next major patch. Separately, the studio reported that some battles between September 19 and 21, 2026 did not count and gave no rewards.
Monetization
Enlisted is free to download and play. According to the Steam page and the official site, the paid elements are:
- Paid packs and DLC, including starter packs and squad bundles. Ten items were listed on Steam as of September 28, 2026, priced from $4.99 to $34.99.
- Premium squads, which Gaijin says come fully equipped and earn 100% more experience in combat.
- An Elite Battle Pass. For the ninth season of 2026, starting September 30, the free track includes one unique weapon and one unique soldier, while the Elite track adds four weapons, two soldiers, a tank camouflage and an aircraft with a unique look. The price was not stated in the announcement.
- Pre-order squads for upcoming updates, such as the "Trail-Ready" driver squads announced on September 11, 2026.
Whether this counts as pay-to-win depends on the source. Paid squads mainly speed up progress and hand you fully equipped soldiers, while the research tree remains open to free players. Still, the experience boost and ready-made gear are real advantages early on, which is why the label keeps coming up in reviews.
PC requirements
The following specs come from the official Enlisted Steam page, as listed on September 28, 2026 (Windows version).
| Component | Minimum | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| OS | Windows 10/11 (64-bit) | Windows 10/11 (64-bit) |
| Processor | Intel Core i3 or better | Intel Core i5-10400 or Ryzen 5 3600 or better |
| Memory | 8 GB RAM | 8 GB RAM |
| Graphics | NVIDIA GTX 660 or AMD Radeon 78XX series | NVIDIA GTX 1080 or AMD RX 5700 XT |
| DirectX | Version 11 | Version 11 |
| Storage | 49 GB | 49 GB |
The minimum spec is friendly to older PCs, but the recommended GPU tier is a step up. The Steam page also lists a SteamOS and Linux version with the same requirements. The ray tracing features announced for the next update will need much stronger hardware than this table suggests.
Who should play it
Enlisted suits players who love WWII settings and want something between an arcade shooter and a slower tactical game, with the squad system as its main hook. The 2026 update pace, the recent Steam rating and the planned graphics upgrades all point to a game that is still being actively developed.
If you are wary of grinding, try the free version and the free Battle Pass track first, and decide on paid squads only after you know whether the core loop holds your interest. The research points to a distinctive, well-supported shooter whose economy is its most debated part.
