INTRODUCTION

Whether you are a new player who picked up Arma 3 during one of our recent sales, or a long-time veteran of the Arma series looking for a new place to call home - finding an Arma unit to join and play with can be something that greatly enhances your experience. You may have joined a number of public servers playing official game modes, but that only scratches the surface of the potential of Arma 3's cooperative and team vs. team multiplayer scene - something that community-organized units and events can provide in full. Even after 11 years of operations, the Arma 3 multiplayer community is still incredibly active, with tens of thousands of people playing daily. Below, we lay out some of the resources that are worth using to see if you can find a community that fits your requirements.

First though, there are three things to keep in mind while you search for a unit:

1.  Play Style: This could range from casual all the way to hardcore realism / mil-sim, and anything in between. You will need to consider the level of seriousness a unit expects of their members to find the right place for you.

2. Content: Is the community PvE, PvP, or both? Does it simulate a specific nation or type of unit? A specific time period? Does it focus primarily on small scale special operation style missions or large scale combined arms ones? You should have an idea of the type of content and experience you are looking for - or if you want to experience a variety, which some places do provide.

3. Scheduling: Some communities require you to attend training and are more serious about their operation attendance, some less so. This is something to bear in mind and you should consider when and how much you want to play with an Arma 3 unit, and join something that fits. This also includes considering the unit's regional location / timezone of operation.

With these in mind, lets get to searching for an Arma 3 unit!

ARMA 3 UNITS

The top result you will find as you start your unit search by typing "Arma 3 Units" into a web search engine is our Arma 3 Units page. This service allows different communities to create their own Unit Pages with written information, member lists (via BI accounts), and to share mod, server, and contact information through an "Apply" button for potential recruits. You can use the search function on the site to see what is out there - and with over 140,000 registered units - there will be a lot to see. Bear in mind that a number of those registered units may no longer be active, and that there are a limited number of filtering options when searching for units with this service. That is why it would be wise to also consult the other "unit finding" assets we detail below.

BI FORUMS

There is a section of the Arma 3 portion of the Bohemia Interactive Forums dedicated to Squads and Fanpages. Here, communities advertise in a Squad/Clan List thread, and can also create their own threads in the section to update Arma players on their operations. There is also a dedicated thread for players to post that they are looking for a unit - here they can describe themselves, their play-style, availability, and what they are looking to get out of a unit. If you do so, be prepared to be courted by a number of groups in your private messages. Some are more personal in their approach, while others use a per-prepared copy/paste text to inform you about their community.

ARMA DISCORD

The Official Arma Discord has a #communities_arma channel that units can advertise in, and share succinctly via a required format the relevant information and links to learn more and possibly join. Players can also advertise that they are looking for a community to join in the #looking_for_unit channel, and then wait to be contacted via direct message.

STEAM DISCUSSIONS

Like the BI Forums or the Arma Discord, the Arma 3 Steam Discussions has a dedicated section for communities to advertise to the Arma 3 player base. There is also another section for multiplayer events and one for players to post that they are looking for a unit. Again, be prepared for a number of suitors looking to pick you up as a new recruit if you post here!

R/FINDAUNIT

The FindAUnit Subreddit is dedicated to giving Arma 3 communities a place to showcase themselves to prospective members, and for those looking, a fairly curated experience. Communities must follow a specific template for post title tags, and for the post content itself. They must list their primary region, operation days/times, play-style, and other relevant information a recruit would need before joining. This is one of the most popular places for finding a place to play.

You may also wish to visit the ARMA Subreddit - as a lot of unit media content is posted on there as well.

STREAMING AND VIDEO PLATFORMS

Streaming and video platforms like Twitch and YouTube are filled with Arma 3 content - be they tutorials, machinimas, operations live streams, or edited unit videos. A number of groups cut together what are essentially sizzle reels or teaser trailers of their communities - so YouTube might be a great place to search for a place to play and be able to get a feel for how their play sessions generally unfold. Twitch can also give you some insight, where a lot of units and their members will stream live gameplay in full (sometimes hours at a time!) for you to watch. You may even find videos by community members giving advice, much like this article, on where to look and how to find the right unit for you:

SOCIAL MEDIA

A number of communities maintain social media accounts on platforms like X, Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok. They may share information about their group and its members, a past or upcoming event, or media showcasing their operations. Like YouTube, you can use the output on these public-facing accounts to gauge what a particular community has to offer you as a potential member. We often re-share unit posts on our own @ArmaPlatform accounts across all socials, or feature units and events in Community Spotlight posts or our regularly published Community Radars (COMRADs).

PUBLIC SERVERS

Some units are known to run public servers - either for scheduled events that they announce via socials, or for continuous 24/7 operations. It is always worth looking through the server list in Arma 3 and seeing if there are any active public servers that catch your eye. Be aware though, that many may require modsets from the Steam Workshop to connect. Once in, you will likely be able to find someone from the community who is a recruiter (or more likely, they will seek you out themselves) and speak to them about what they offer and how you might join.

CONCLUSION

Above are some of the most notable ways to begin a search for an Arma 3 community to join. One thing you might be asking after reading through this article though, is how do you know what type of community is right for you. What exactly you are looking for - be it something more casual or hardcore, PvE or TvT, a focus on a specific nation or faction, a specific region or timezone of membership or events, or any other personal requirement - is only something you can figure out on your own. We recommend using the tools above to see what is out there and come to that conclusion on your own after some research. You might also want to speak to different Arma players on these platforms to see if they can offer any advice based on their experiences in the Arma multiplayer scene. This is a process that might be one of trial and error and you might find yourself joining a community that isn't ultimately for you and start the search again - but it is something that is worthwhile to do. Arma, as a singleplayer platform, is engaging and can provide endless amounts of content. The multiplayer scene increases the experience tenfold, and we whole-heartedly believe that it's worth exploring and finding a niche that suits your preferences.

Good luck in your search!