Overview
Getting Started
What is Holdfast: Nations At War?
Holdfast is a multiplayer historical combat game built around large battles, teamwork, proximity voice chat, roleplay, naval crews, artillery teams, line infantry, and community events. It includes multiple eras and fronts, from Napoleonic warfare to Frontlines WW1, Age of Sail naval combat, and American Revolution content.
What should I play first?
Start with simple team roles. Rank and File is the easiest infantry entry point, while Crewmen is a good naval entry point if you join a ship with an active Captain. Avoid command, artillery, and cavalry roles until you understand the flow of a round.
Why do people keep telling me to stay with the line?
Holdfast rewards formations, officers, musicians, flags, and crew coordination. Fighting alone usually means you lose buffs, miss orders, block allied pushes, or get picked off before helping the objective.
Game Content
Is Age of Sail still upcoming?
No. Age of Sail is live. It added the Privateers and Kingdom of Spain, Naval Conquest, new naval maps, Captain and Midshipman orders, ship repair resources, ship capture contests, ramming damage, new ships, sea shanties, karaoke support, ship UI tags, and updated naval physics.
Is American Revolution content live?
Yes. American Revolution added British and American Revolutionary War factions, new uniforms, flags, music, maps, Invasion and Offensive modes, chuck-able tea crates, and a large class redesign.
What happened to Adept Sailor?
The class name is now Midshipman. If you see Adept Sailor in old community material, it is referring to the same naval support role.
Are Cannoneer and Rocketeer still separate?
No. The 5.x class redesign merged Cannoneer and Rocketeer into the broader Artilleryman role while preserving score, uniforms, and traits from both classes.
Progression & Customization
How do I unlock cosmetics?
Modern Holdfast progression uses shillings, feats, Field Orders, events, DLC rewards, and class or faction unlocks. The Field Orders update added over 100 field orders, daily missions, shilling rewards, feats of strength, and a redesigned Barracks UI.
Where do I customize my soldier?
Use the Barracks from the main menu. It covers soldier appearance, uniforms, weapons, cosmetics, feats, medals, and unlocks. See User Interface for a broader menu overview.
Are Steam achievements working?
Steam achievements were fixed with the Field Orders update. If an achievement does not trigger, verify game files first and check Known Issues & Solutions before reporting it.
Why are some uniforms or rewards locked?
Some items are tied to shillings, feats, DLC, events, Discord linking, platform rewards, or faction-specific content. Recent patches also fixed some American Revolution uniforms that were not correctly marked as shilling unlocks.
Platforms & Crossplay
What platforms does Holdfast support?
Holdfast supports PC and modern consoles, including Steam Deck, Xbox Series X/S, PS5, Xbox app/Xbox Play Anywhere support, and handheld optimization notes.
Is there crossplay?
Yes. Holdfast supports cross-platform play across supported platforms. The console release also added platform icons to the server browser, scoreboard, and round players menu so players can identify platforms more easily.
Does Xbox Play Anywhere work?
Yes. Xbox players can play Holdfast on PC through the Xbox app with cross-progression support.
Is Steam Deck supported?
Yes. Holdfast is fully playable on Steam Deck, with later server browser, UI, and handheld-related fixes. Holdfast is also handheld optimized for the ASUS ROG Ally console family.
Are controller controls supported?
Yes. Full controller support, on-screen keyboard support, controller sail control, UI scale, controller aim assist options, and console navigation fixes have all been added across recent releases.
Technical Help
Where should I go for crashes, black screens, VoIP problems, or missing servers?
Use Known Issues & Solutions. It has step-by-step fixes for black screens, VoIP, server browser issues, crashes, Steam file validation, Linux/Steam Deck problems, performance, and server-side issues.
What should I try before asking for support?
Verify game files in Steam, update GPU drivers, restart the game and platform client, check microphone permissions, test without overlays, and save your Player.log immediately after a crash because relaunching overwrites it.
Why is the server browser empty?
Recent releases include server browser fixes, but local networking, platform services, DNS, firewall, rest mode, or query-port issues can still cause missing servers. Use the server browser section in Known Issues & Solutions.
Community, Servers & Mods
How do I join organized events?
Start with Linebattle, Organized Events, and Crews & Regiments. Regiments and crews run scheduled battles, training sessions, naval events, and roleplay-focused events.
Can I host my own server?
Yes. Use Server Hosting for dedicated server setup, then Server Configuration and Server Config Templates for rotations, settings, class limits, map voting, admin tools, and examples.
Can Holdfast be modded?
Yes. See Mods and Consoles, Script Modding Guide, Map Editing, and Workshop Discord. The official Discord is the central place for modding support and creator discussion.
Where is the official community?
The official Discord is linked on Workshop Discord and Known Issues & Solutions. It is the best place for tech support, community events, modding channels, and current announcements.
Release Status
What are the biggest recent updates?
| Version | Major FAQ-Relevant Changes |
|---|---|
| 2.12 | Fresh UI, Barracks, Player Cards, Random Map Vote, leaderboards, and in-game store. |
| 2.21-2.25 | Controller support, UI scale, Steam Deck support, server queues, Field Orders, shillings, feats, and redesigned Barracks. |
| 3.00 | Console release support, Discord linking by code challenge, platform icons, controller improvements, and pause-menu cursor. |
| 4.00-4.01 | Age of Sail, Privateers, Spain, Naval Conquest, ship repairs, ship capture, new naval UI, sea shanties, and Midshipman terminology. |
| 5.00 | American Revolution, Xbox Play Anywhere support, handheld optimization, new factions, maps, modes, music, and class redesign. |
| 5.10-5.20 | Age of Sail performance improvements, spawn menu fixes, American Revolution fixes, new maps, Offensive mode, banners, and order/config updates. |