Squad

Squad was developed by the independent Canadian studio Offworld Industries, a team of veterans of the Project Reality mod (a free mod for Battlefield 2 that has existed since 2005). Early access launched on December 15, 2015, and version 1.0 came out on September 23, 2020. The game now runs on version 10.x and includes 16+ factions and 20+ maps. 6 million copies have been sold (according to Wikipedia and Shacknews, 2026).

The game is multiplayer only: there is no single-player campaign and no offline mode (except the Firing Range, a training ground). Every match is 50v50 on one server. The basic unit is a squad of 9 players led by a Squad Leader. The Commander leads all squads: they have air support, artillery support and a direct line to every leader.

The core of the gameplay is the FOB (forward operating base) system: the squad leader sets up a radio, and the team builds cover, machine gun nests and respawn points. A logistics truck carries supplies to the front line. Destroying the enemy base means depriving their squad of a respawn point. A match lasts 1-3 hours, and maps range from 4x4 to 8x8 km².

The classes are Rifleman, Medic, Machine Gunner, Grenadier, Anti-Tank, Sniper, Mechanic, Pilot and Sapper, and each is indispensable alongside the others. Voice chat is required: text commands do not replace voice. The pace of combat is realistic and the skill threshold is high, so the first 10-20 hours go to learning the game. It is important to understand before buying: this is not Call of Duty and not Battlefield.

The game has 16+ factions in three categories. BLUFOR (6): the US Army and Marine Corps, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and the Armed Forces of Ukraine (added in 2024). REDFOR (5): the Russian Ground Forces and VDV, the PLA, Iran, Turkey. INDFOR (5): militia, insurgents, PMCs and others. The Russian factions have combat voice lines in Russian, an element of authenticity rather than standard localization.

On December 3, 2025 (update 10.1) the Fireteam mode was released: cooperative tactical missions (PvE). For years the studio promised a no paid DLC policy, but in the end it released paid content: 4 missions are included in the base game for free, the Supporter Pack for $7.99 adds 9 more, and the Founder Pack for $14.99 includes the same missions plus weapon skins (available until the end of June 2026). The community reacted with mixed feelings: Fireteam DLC has 55% positive reviews on Steam.

The audience is stable: the average number of concurrent players is 11,000-12,300 (January-May 2026), and the all-time peak is 38,573 (September 29, 2024). The Russian-speaking audience is the second largest: 37,672 reviews against 82,625 in English. The interface is officially translated into Russian; there is no full voice-over in Russian, only English.

Squad is a tactical 50v50 shooter (100 players) from Offworld Industries, the spiritual successor to the Project Reality mod for Battlefield 2. Without teamwork you will not last. Russian interface. Steam Very Positive 81% from 237,000+ reviews. Steam key.