Where to Play GFL2: The Publisher Dilemma

If you wanted to download Girls' Frontline 2 but got confused by all the talk about publishers, different versions, and multiple global servers, you're not alone.

GFL2 is a genuinely enjoyable game tripped up by some genuinely baffling publishing issues. I hope to explain the situation clearly, so that more people can give the game a try.

⚠️ If you want a short version, feel free to skip to the tl;dr.

What's this all about?

The global version of GFL2 is split between two different publishers (Sunborn and HaoPlay). Both of them have their own standalone PC client, a Steam version, an Android version, and an iOS version.

And, according to the current info, crossplay between the two servers will not be possible. So if you want to play with your friends, you need to make sure you're on the same server. However, that's not always that easy.

Sunborn / Darkwinter

• In short, Sunborn (and its subsidiary Darkwinter) is a company formed around Mica, the developer of the game. The good thing about that is that if this server ever goes down, the game is dead at that point anyway.
• The Sunborn global server released on December 3, 2024.
• It's available in NA, Australia, Africa, the parts of Asia that don't have their own server, small parts of South America, and small parts of Europe.

HaoPlay

• HaoPlay is a Hong Kong-based publisher. They also run the Japanese and Korean servers.
• The HaoPlay global server released on December 5, 2024. Yes, two days later than Sunborn. It's unknown whether the delay will persist in the future.
• It's available in most of Europe, most of South America, and one or two unfortunate Asian countries.

Apart from having a two-day delay for everything, the server population is expected to be much smaller on HaoPlay Global. While the Japanese and Korean versions share the same client, there's no crossplay at all, not even between the HaoPlay regions.

Other than that, the clients are pretty much identical. It's the same game, just on a different server.

How do I check the publisher for my country?

The easiest way is to open its Steam page. If you can see anything besides an error, you've found your publisher.

• Sunborn / Darkwinter - Sunborn Steam page
• HaoPlay - HaoPlay Steam page

If both are blocked, then your country is not supported at all. Continue this guide as if you're switching servers.

So where do I play the game?

First, what region are you in?

My region is Sunborn / Darkwinter

If you're in the Darkwinter part of the world (i.e., the Sunborn Steam page does NOT show an error for you), just download the game directly.

I can't imagine a reason why you'd want to switch servers, but maybe if you're from NA but all your friends are Europeans playing on HaoPlay, the rest of this guide should technically work in reverse too.

Otherwise, just get the game normally:

• Standalone PC client from the official website
• Steam client from Sunborn Steam page (when it's actually out)
• Android client from the Play Store
• iOS client from the Apple Store

My region is HaoPlay

If your region is HaoPlay (i.e., the HaoPlay Steam page does NOT show an error for you), well...

There's been a lot of "I'm switching to Darkwinter!" proclamations recently. And since it's something a non-negligible part of the community considers, we'll explore the potential options.

While most people from HaoPlay regions will play on HaoPlay, some might want to switch to Darkwinter because of their friends or other reasons. Let's look at the facts that might affect your decision:

• Staying on HaoPlay is definitely the hassle-free option. You can download the game from official sources, and there's no fear of region locks.
• Especially if you want to play on Steam or iOS, switching servers will be more complicated.
• It's also easier to get official support if you ever encounter any problems with the game or your payment options.
• On the other hand, the Darkwinter global server will certainly be the more populated one. If your friends play there, good luck trying to persuade them to switch.
• Currently, there is a two-day delay on the HaoPlay server. It's not huge, but it is annoying, and kind of makes the server feel like an afterthought.
• The Darkwinter server is operated by the devs themselves, which can feel reassuring. Especially since HaoPlay hasn't sparked much trust within the global community so far.

If you want to play on the HaoPlay global server, just download the game normally:

• Standalone PC client from the official website
• Steam client from HaoPlay Steam page (when it's actually out)
• Android client from the Play Store
• iOS client from the Apple Store (when it's actually out)

I want to switch servers!

If you're in a HaoPlay region country but decided to switch to Darkwinter, or if your country is not officially supported at all, there are a few things to consider:

• There is no region lock in the game. There might be some restrictions when downloading the client, but you can play on both servers from anywhere.
• So, if you want to play on the standalone PC client or Android, there's really nothing that can stop you from just downloading the other client directly.
• You can spend money on a different server, even though there might be some issues on Android (since Google generally doesn't like this). If you run into any problems, it's always possible to pay on the PC client.

So, how would you go about installing the game in this case? It depends on the platform.

Standalone PC client

Go to the official Sunborn website and download the game from there.

While there's no region lock in the game, the website might try to prevent you from downloading the installer. In that case, VPN to anywhere in the Darkwinter world (USA, Canada, Australia, etc.).

Alternatively, if you trust me enough to click on this, here's the direct link to the Darkwinter .exe installer.

I'll also leave the link to the HaoPlay .exe installer here, just in case.

Android

Arguably the easiest option. Just go to QooApp, APKPure, or whatever APK downloader you normally use, and download the game from there. However, Google payments can have a region lock—in that case, you'd have to pay through a PC client.

Steam

The game is not out on Steam yet, and I'll update this with more info when it is. Technically it's possible to add a free-to-play game that's not from your region, but we'll see.

iOS

Arguably the most annoying option. You'd have to switch your region to a Darkwinter country, for example the USA. I really don't know much about this as I don't own an iPhone, so feel free to Google the potential pitfalls of doing that.

tl;dr

• There are two publishers for GFL2 Global - Sunborn (Darkwinter) and HaoPlay.
• You can't play with people from other servers. There's no crossplay whatsoever, not even within the HaoPlay regions. If you want to play with your friends, you must be on the same server.
• Content in the HaoPlay version is delayed by about 2 days compared to Darkwinter.
• The two clients are otherwise pretty much identical.
• Look up the game on Steam to see who publishes the game in your country.
• There is no region lock in the actual game. If you manage to download the client, you can play the other version, if you want to.
• Downloading the "other" version is trivial with the standalone PC client (just find the right installer) and Android (look up the app on QooApp or something). It's a bit more difficult on iOS (you need to change your region) and Steam.
• Google payments on Android can potentially be region-locked. If that's the case for you, you'd have to make any real money payments through the PC client.