Brothers in Arms: Earned in Blood

2005 Gearbox Software Action

Windows 11Runs

MacNot sold

LinuxPlatinum

Gamicality score

Metacritic 844

OpenCritic Not rated

Steam players 821

How it’s combined

Playability today

4.5

Runs today4.5/5

Design today4.5/5

Steam user reviews

Very Positive

87%

1,029 reviews1

Get it on Steam Watch the trailer

Facts checked November 1, 2026

Does Brothers in Arms: Earned in Blood run on Windows 11, Apple Silicon Macs, Linux and Steam Deck?

Windows 11Runs

Sold for Windows today, no problem on record.1

Mac (Apple Silicon)Not sold

No Mac version is sold.

LinuxPlatinum

Through Proton. ProtonDB: Platinum, runs perfectly out of the box.3

Played Brothers in Arms: Earned in Blood lately?

One click, no account, so the next player knows. How we check where it runs

Synopsis

A World War II tactical first-person shooter that follows Corporal Joe Hartsock and his squad of American paratroopers through Normandy after D-Day. You lead a fire team and an assault team, pinning German positions down with suppressing fire and then flanking them. Beyond the story campaign there is a Skirmish mode with objective-based maps that can be played solo or in co-op.

Developer: Gearbox Software
Released: 2005
Genre: Action
Where to get it: Steam

Reception

Critics at release praised the authentic setting, the simple squad commands and the smarter German AI that flanks and relocates, while some felt it played like an expansion of Road to Hill 30. Reviewers also flagged long loading times and shooting that often misses targets in plain sight. Players today still recommend it for its story, atmosphere and squad tactics, and many call it the hardest game in the series. Common complaints are sparse checkpoints, random-feeling aim and squadmates who die too easily.

Trailer from Steam

Playability today

The average of two parts, each from 1 to 5. Tap a check to see why. How it works

Runs today

4.5/5

Sold or given away today by an official source
Runs on Windows 11 without fan patches
?Not confirmed yetSingle-player works without an internet connection
No source covers the current version yet, so this check counts as open, not passed. Played it lately? Tell us
Some content no longer works (servers, DLC, unlocks)
The campaign and Skirmish mode are intact, but players report that Ubisoft turned off the official online servers, so online versus and co-op now need LAN tunneling tools (Steam Community).
Supports modern resolutions and widescreen
Widescreen is supported natively; ultrawide and multi-monitor need a field of view edit (PCGamingWiki).
?Not confirmed yetFull controller support or remappable controls
No source covers the current version yet, so this check counts as open, not passed. Played it lately? Tell us
?Not confirmed yetSteam Deck Verified or Playable
No source covers the current version yet, so this check counts as open, not passed. Played it lately? Tell us
No intrusive DRM or required third-party launcher account
No pay-to-win or pushy microtransactions
No known game-breaking bugs in the current version
PCGamingWiki lists no unresolved issues that crash or block progress (PCGamingWiki).

Design today

4.5/5

Controls feel natural on a modern controller or mouse and keyboard
Mouse and keyboard controls are fully remappable with adjustable sensitivity and an acceleration toggle, and squad orders are given with a single point-and-click command cursor. Source: pcgamingwiki.com, gamerevolution.com.
Menus, text and interface are clear on today's screens
Widescreen resolutions are supported natively with an Alt+Enter windowed toggle; the Authentic difficulty strips the HUD along with checkpoints. Source: pcgamingwiki.com, steamcommunity.com.
Saving is harsh: few saves or checkpoints, progress gets lost
Progress is kept only at checkpoints, which players find too far apart and which forces long sections to be replayed after each death; the Authentic difficulty removes checkpoints entirely. Source: steamcommunity.com, steamcommunity.com.
It teaches itself: no guide needed to make progress
A simple point-and-click command cursor and a single find, fix and flank routine get newcomers leading squads quickly, even without having played Road to Hill 30, though the smarter enemy AI keeps fights hard. Source: gamerevolution.com.
Pacing holds up: little grind, filler or forced backtracking
Missions escalate from tenacious conscripts in the opening to better trained and equipped elite units later, and enemies relocate and flank instead of holding one bunker, so firefights do not settle into a single pattern. Source: theglobeandmail.com, gamerevolution.com.
Camera and movement never fight the player
PCGamingWiki lists no frame rate cap and a field of view edit through user.ini, but several players report the game stuck at 24 to 30 fps even on low settings; one reports that forcing the high-performance GPU in Windows graphics settings fixed it. Source: pcgamingwiki.com, steamcommunity.com, steamcommunity.com.