VietDoom Is Becoming Retrofront: Vietnam, a Standalone Commercial FPS

VietDoom Is Becoming a Standalone Game Called Retrofront: Vietnam

While FPS fans wait to begin their tour of duty in Southeast Asia in Hell Let Loose: Vietnam, arriving on June 18, they might also be interested to learn that VietDoom is being turned into a standalone commercial game called Retrofront: Vietnam.

A recent announcement confirmed that the game will run on GZDoom while keeping Zandronum compatibility, enabling both co-op and PvP multiplayer. It will feature two campaigns, one in which players take the role of an American soldier and another where they play from the North Vietnamese side of the conflict.

VietDoom was a Vietnam War total-conversion mod for Doom II created by Sgt_Mark_IV, the same developer behind Brutal Doom. It first appeared publicly around 2019 and quickly gained attention because it pushed the ageing Doom engine far beyond what many players thought possible.

Retrofront: Vietnam builds on VietDoom’s jungle combat setting and Doom-engine roots.

Notable features in the original project included survival mechanics such as hunger and thirst, environmental destruction, airstrikes, large interactive maps, and a much broader combat structure than most players would normally associate with Doom II.

From Doom II Mod to Commercial Release

Retrofront: Vietnam is now being positioned as its own standalone release rather than a Doom II add-on. The project is expected to include upgraded engine technology, a larger campaign structure, and a more complete commercial presentation built from the foundation of VietDoom.

The dual-perspective format is one of the more notable parts of the project. Vietnam War games almost always focus on the American side of the conflict, so including a North Vietnamese campaign gives Retrofront: Vietnam a different angle from many military shooters set during the period.

Fog, vegetation, and open village spaces help give Retrofront: Vietnam a heavier battlefield atmosphere.

That could help the game stand out, especially because modern video game interpretations of the Vietnam War remain relatively rare. The conflict is politically sensitive, historically difficult, and commercially risky if handled poorly, which may explain why many studios avoid it compared to more familiar military settings.

Retrofront: Vietnam appears to be leaning into that discomfort rather than moving away from it. The project is described as an old-school war action game inspired by the over-the-top action of Black, the gruesome violence of Soldier of Fortune, and the morally uncomfortable storytelling of Spec Ops: The Line.

Retrofront: Vietnam is planned as a standalone military action shooter with campaigns from both sides of the conflict.

A Different Kind of Vietnam War Shooter

If handled well, Retrofront: Vietnam could become more than another retro FPS. Its focus on war trauma, political framing, and realistic combat gives it a more uncomfortable edge than many military shooters, especially if both campaigns are used to explore the conflict from more than one side.

It is also another reminder that the Doom modding ecosystem continues to produce serious projects with commercial potential. What once might have stayed as a fan-made total conversion is now being rebuilt as a standalone game with its own identity.

More details on Retrofront: Vietnam are expected after Brutal Doom v22 is released. For now, players can follow the project through Sgt_Mark_IV’s official Patreon announcement.

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