MMORPGs

Attack Boats, Destroyers and Heavy Cruisers on the Horizon as Japan Prepares for War at Sea

Gaijin Entertainment today announced that War Thunder will soon unleash the might of the Japanese Navy as the game’s fifth Naval Forces vehicle tree. Beta-testing of the initial lineup of the Japanese ships will start at the end of May, with the release of War Thunder’s next major Content Update 1.89.

The initial batch of Japanese ships will encompass more than 20 ships, ranging from torpedo and gunboats to destroyers and cruisers. Many of those were active participants in some of the biggest battles of World War II. This includes the light cruiser Agana, which evacuated Japanese forces from Guadalcanal, and the destroyer Yugumo, which escorted Admiral Nagumo’s strike force against Midway and was sunk during the battles around the Solomon Islands. While the majority of the ships belong to the Imperial Japanese Navy, the game will also see the addition of modern ships of the post-war Japanese Self-Defense Marine Forces, including the PT-15, which was the last torpedo boat to serve in the Japanese Navy.

The oxygen-propelled Type 93 torpedoes, which were used by Japanese destroyers and cruisers of World War II, were the most advanced torpedoes of their time and featured excellent hitting power, range and speed. After the war, they were referred to by most historians as the Japanese “Long Lance”. All players of War Thunder will be able to get their history lesson on that subject very soon, as – true to War Thunder’s realistic approach – both the design and capabilities of the Japanese Navy were recreated as authentically as possible. The Yugumo, for example, is equipped with eight torpedo tubes in two traversable quad-turrets mounted at the center of the ship, allowing the player to launch these devastating weapons to both sides.

After the release of Update 1.89, all players can get access to the beta testing of Japanese ships by completing tasks in War Thunder. Alternatively, access is granted via the purchase of one of the pre-order bundles containing a premium Japanese ship, a sum of premium currency, several days of premium time as well as a unique player title and vehicle decal. One pre-order pack will include the modern patrol boat PG-02 (Rank II), while the other will include the World War II destroyer Kiyoshimo (Rank III).

The launch of the Japanese Navy will also see another first in the game: The introduction of heavy cruisers. More information about this as well as the other new features of the coming Update will be made available on the War Thunder website over the coming weeks.

While the Japanese Navy is getting ready for battle, the fans might try another fun activity – the YouTube Cup. Popular War Thunder YouTube and Twitch content creators like MrSteveGamer or Abinavski will clash in this online tournament on May 6th – May 8th. The live stream from the tournament will be available at the official War Thunder channels on Twitch, YouTube and Facebook with the commentary from PhlyDaily – a famous War Thunder expert with more than 750,000 subscribers.

New update introduces First Soviet Navy battleships in early access, new collaboration with Azur Lane and camouflage from popular mecha designer Makoto Kobayashi

Today developer and producer Wargaming has released their latest major update 0.8.3 for its popular naval combat game World of Warships, introducing the new Victory competition and the opportunity for players to get early access to the upcoming Soviet Battleship line. The update also brings lots of new content for anime fans, with the return of the collaboration with mobile game Azur Lane and the addition of a permanent camouflage for the Japanese Tier X Battleship Yamato, by legendary mecha and spaceship designer Makoto Kobayashi.

A new trailer for Soviet battleships is available HERE.

With the launch of update 0.8.3., players will be able to participate in the Victory competition by daily picking one of two teams – Glory or Honor, to fight for. For achieving good results in battle players will earn Allowance tokens that can be traded in the Armory for exclusive rewards, such as Tier VII Soviet premium cruiser Lazo, Victory camouflage or containers with a chance to unlock one of the four new Soviet battleships. The next day, the winning team will have to complete more difficult tasks, but will earn more valuable rewards as well.

The new Tier V Pyotr Velikiy, Tier VI Izmail, T VII Sinop and T VIII Vladivostok are made for daring players. Contrary to their other nations’ counterparts, these heavily armored ships are equipped with powerful caliber guns and are best used at close to medium ranges. This aggressive design will allow players to punch through the enemy lines, leading the way for their fleet and dealing massive damage to their opponents in the process.

Anime fans will also be pleased to see the return of the Azure Lane collaboration, with the addition of 2 new ships and 15 unique commanders inspired from the license’s most popular characters. Legendary mecha designer Makoto Kobayashi also makes his return in World of Warships by designing a brand new permanent camouflage for the Japanese Tier X battleship Yamato.

Yamato – one of the most iconic warships, also got a facelift. After conducting additional research, World of Warships’ engineers managed to update the ship model with even more details, meaning that Yamato now looks exactly the same as she did when she set off to her final battle.

Lastly, update 0.8.3. comes with a host of new improvements, including a new Treasury building for Clans to store resources, improved signals and camouflages installation, and much more. Further details on the update 0.8.3. are available in the latest patch notes.

For the latest game information, and to sign up for World of Warships for free, visit the games official website!

Battlefield Engineer event with 6 exclusive rare vehicles to acquire starts today in War Thunder

Gaijin Entertainment announced its Battlefield Engineer activity in the military vehicle online game War Thunder. The event gives War Thunder players the opportunity to repair and trade rare military vehicles. Players will get a battle damaged I-180S fighter and will be able to repair it back to operational duty. Restore as many of those fighters as you can to trade them for other rare vehicles including: VFW SPG, Pr.122bis submarine chaser, the Ju 388 J interceptor, the Merkava Mk.1 MBT or the light cruiser HMS Tiger. Top performing players will also get the chance to win exclusive camouflage for those vehicles.

In the event players will receive a damaged I-180S after the first battle.The first step in repairing the aircraft is diagnosing the vehicle in a diagnostic test flight to find out which components are defective. The damage to the components is unique for each aircraft and in most cases they can be indicated by a visual inspection. Armament, flaps, brakes – these and other components can all be tested in a diagnostic flight. Participation in the battle will give the user new components and Aircraft Maintenance Technician Toolkits that will allow them to disassemble and reassemble the plane. Players gain access to more repair components for the I-180S simply by playing the game, alternatively they can also speed up the process by buying the necessary items they need via the Gaijin Market.

Additional I-180S fighters will be received as Vouchers that can be traded for the unique rare vehicles: i.e. the Merkava Mk.1 is the first MBT developed and built by the Israeli armed forces, the light cruiser HMS Tiger is the last traditional WW2-era British gun cruiser design and the Junkers Ju 388J is a German late-war high altitude bomber hunter, designed in response to threats posed by the new American B-29 Superfortress bomber. These models are only available to players participating in the Battlefield Engineer event.

First place ranking players in the team at the end of each battle will receive extra Aircraft Maintenance Technician Toolkits and in some cases a coupon for the unique camouflage. All spare coupons, components and toolkits can be sold to other players in the Market.

More details on the Battlefield Engineer event are available at the official website.

Gaijin Entertainment announces the release of Content Update 1.87 ‘Locked on!’ for the military vehicle online game War Thunder. It adds radar systems as a new game mechanic for aircraft, helicopters and tanks as well as more than 30 new vehicles to the game. The extensive list of new machines includes the first French helicopters, new cruisers and destroyers, the first ground vehicles of the new Rank VII as well as the first surface-to-air missile (SAM) system, the Soviet 2S6 ‘Tunguska’.

Radar systems are a new game mechanic introduced to War Thunder and will be available on a large selection of different vehicles with the release of this update. Installed on anti-aircraft vehicles, they will allow for the detection and engagement of aircraft and helicopters in a large radius, increasing the protection of ground forces against aerial threats. AA gunners will be able to track and lead targets more effectively to counter the fast speed of supersonic aircraft, while the increased effective range will counterbalance the power of helicopters armed with guided missiles.

In turn, aircraft and helicopters that are equipped with radar systems can detect the presence of radar-assisted anti-aircraft systems – and some models can even detect the direction of the signal. Pilots will receive warnings, allowing them to evade an incoming attack by means of maneuvers or hiding behind obstacles. Affected anti-aircraft vehicles, however, can deactivate their radar at any time to reduce their visibility. This “electronic warfare” will make War Thunder’s combined arms battles even more tactically diverse.

16 tanks, aircraft and helicopters in total have been equipped with radar systems so far, including the first vehicle SAM system in War Thunder – the Soviet 2S6 ‘Tunguska’. It is armed with eight 9M311 surface-to-air missiles that will hunt enemy aircraft with speeds of up to 900 m/s, which can alternatively be used to combat armored ground vehicles. More radar equipped vehicles to come – including for Naval forces.

The new vehicles added with Update 1.87 include the first tanks of Rank VII, such as the M1A1 for the US and Challenger 2 for Great Britain, among others. Among the aircraft added with this Update is the fastest jet fighter in the game, the Japanese Mitsubishi T-2, which can reach an impressive 1.6 mach speed. Several aircraft present on Rank V were also equipped with air-to-air guided missiles.

Update 1.87 also includes a new combined-arms combat location, ‘Alaska’, where battles will take place both along wide city streets and in the dense, surrounding forests. Seeing a helicopter emerge behind one of the city’s skyscrapers is sure to turn any battle into a real blockbuster experience!

Watch the War Thunder Content Update 1.87 “Locked On” Teaser Trailer HERE.

More information about the War Thunder Update 1.87 ‘Locked on!’ is available on the game’s official website.

Following up on recent relaunch of the aircraft carrier line of naval ships in World of Warships, Wargaming is pleased to announce that British aircraft carriers will be added to the game, expanding upon the currently available US and Japanese Carrier lines!

Starting February 27 with the launch of Update 0.8.1, three Royal navy aircraft carriers enter the fray through early access. Mighty tier IV Hermes, tier VI Furious, and tier VIII Implacable will be made available upon completing new missions and Directives of the “Fly! Strike! Win!” in-game event. A full release of the Royal Navy aircraft carrier branch will follow in the next month’s patch update.

British planes come with generous HP, which allows more daring attacks against ships with strong AA defenses. And while these aircraft are somewhat slower than the American and Japanese naval planes, they pack more of a wallop, thanks to extra rockets and high-level bombs, that makes them unique in this class.

Additionally, from February 28 to March 14, players who log in each day will receive free Air Supply containers in World of Warships. These containers include — Naval Aviation collection, camos, signal flags, resources, and combat missions that can help players earn additional ships.

Lastly, upcoming patch 0.8.1 will introduce three key new changes to the gameplay of World of Warships. These include changes to the way Search Radar works, along with interface updates, and a change to how ships suffer flooding damage. For more information, please see the developer diary video HERE.

For the latest game information, visit the official World of Warships website.

Gaijin Entertainment today announces the imminent release of the major content Update 1.87 for its military vehicle combat game War Thunder. Its release will push the boundaries of ground vehicle technology represented in the game even further, allowing players to go into battle with vehicles of the late 20th century, some of which entered service well after the end of the Cold War. Besides a new rank of modern ground vehicles, the new additions include many new aircraft and ships.

The new Ground Forces Rank VII will contain tanks and combat vehicles created between the late 1980s and 1990s, many of which participated in armed conflicts of their time. Some of the new vehicles, their features and unique combat capabilities will be detailed in the forthcoming War Thunder Developer Diaries, the first of which was recently released.

In it, players can read all about an icon of modern-day tank combat, the British main battle tank Challenger 2. In its current iteration, it is the most modern MBT to have ever served in the British Army. With Update 1.87, players of War Thunder will be able to command the Challenger 2, one of the world’s best tanks, in virtual battles all over the globe. Developed in the mid-1980s to replace the Challenger 1, it is has been on active service since the late 1990s and participated both in peacekeeping missions, as well as in military conflicts in Iraq.

Like its predecessor, the Challenger 2 in War Thunder boasts a great combination of mobility and firepower. Now featuring Chobham armour, it is one of the best protected vehicles in the game, and especially dangerous in frontal engagements. It will be a formidable enemy, even to the strongest vehicles the other War Thunder nations have to offer.

Learn more about Rank VII for Ground Forces, the Challenger 2 main battle tank and other upcoming vehicles and additions of Update 1.87 in the War Thunder Developer Diaries.

New Aircraft Carrier Gameplay Ready to Set Sail – Lunar New Year Celebrations Bring New Visual Updates and Challenges

Wargaming, creators of the hugely popular naval combat game – World of Warships, today launched a new update (0.8.0) that brings with it a massive change to a core element of the game — Aircraft Carriers. Update 0.8.0 features an overhaul to Aircraft Carriers in World of Warships, making control and management of this class more accessible to players. The previous RTS style is now being replaced with action-oriented cinematic gameplay.

Taking into account several rounds of beta testing and significant player feedback, Wargaming has reworked Aircraft Carriers so that they now offer players direct control of their aircraft squadrons, sending them to attack targets, while Carrier commanders now feature additional skills specific to aircraft tactics. Also, when closing in on an enemy target, players can now take direct control of an attack group, giving the player a much more interactive air-attack experience. To celebrate the changes to the Carrier class, a new event, “Fly! Strike! Win!” will run from now until late April 2019, offering Carrier fans an opportunity to try out the new features and earn in-game prizes.

In celebration of the Lunar New Year, player’s home base, the Dragon Port, has received a cosmetic makeover. Dragons, fireworks, streamers, and more now adorn the Port, making it a festive place to dock your fleet! Along with the Port’s visual update, players will be able to earn new ship camouflage patterns for select ships (the Anshan, Loyang, Huanghe, and Irian), bonus containers, and flags.

Ranked Battles return in Update 0.8.0, allowing commanders to test their skills against one another to see who really is the best. This season sees a fresh new set of rules, designed to create more diverse gameplay for players.

For Clan players, a new “Naval Battle” series of Clan-focused missions arrives in this update. Every week, the Naval Battle continues from Friday through Sunday, giving players a chance to earn oil and glory for their Clan.

Click here to watch the “Dasha Presents Update 0.8.0″ video and find out more about the new 0.8.0 Update!

Gaijin Entertainment has today announced the release of Update 1.85 “Supersonic” for the vehicular combat MMO War Thunder. As the game’s most extensive expansion this year, it has added nearly 50 new vehicles including the first supersonic jet aircraft with guided air-to-air missiles, a new Italian ground vehicles tech tree, new modern tanks such as the U.S. M3 Bradley and Soviet T-72A, as well as new destroyers and light cruisers for Naval Forces.

With Update 1.85, Aviation in War Thunder has seen the dawn of a new era of air combat. The game’s previous five ranks of aircraft have been extended by the new top Rank VI, which will house several new near- and supersonic aircraft armed with guided air-to-air missiles. The first modern jet fighters to join War Thunder will be the American F-100D Super Sabre, the British Gloster Javelin Mk 9 and the Soviet MiG-19PT. Combat at supersonic speed will be subject to War Thunder’s realistic physics model, allowing players to observe the cone-shaped vapor cloud and those on the ground to hear the characteristic “sonic boom”.

Aircraft on Rank VI, as well as helicopters, can now be equipped with infrared guided air-to-air missiles as a new type of armament. These early guided missiles, while lethal when striking an unsuspecting enemy, are not very maneuverable and can be avoided by quick evasive maneuvers. A new warning system, which will alert affected players of an incoming attack, will help to do it in time. On helicopters, which are more limited in their evasion abilities, players can deploy infrared countermeasures for their own protection.

The Ground Forces of War Thunder have also seen a major addition this update, with almost 30 Italian vehicles from the 1930s to the end of the Cold War now available in-game. This includes vehicles such as the Breda 501 and B1 Centauro, which are excellent examples for Italy’s impressive lineup of fast and powerful wheeled combat vehicles. The anti-aircraft tank OTOMATIC is also sure to please Italian tankers on higher ranks, as its fast and powerful 76mm cannon with both sabot and proximity-fuse shells can punish enemy tanks and aircraft equally efficiently. For the other nations, the new vehicles include the long-awaited T-72A main battle tank for the Soviet Union, the ATGM-equipped infantry fighting vehicles M3 Bradley and Type 89 for United States and Japan respectively, as well as the Israeli Sho’t Kal Dalet, a modified Centurion tank available for Great Britain.

The War Thunder Naval Forces will also see several new additions, with two new destroyers as well as the four new cruisers, the U.S. USS Raleigh (CL-7), German KMS Köln, British HMS Dido and Soviet Krasny Krym. With Update 1.85, ther recently introduced Royal Navy also completed its closed beta testing, making more than two dozen British warships available to all players.

New locations for War Thunder include Vietnam, a new battlefield for tankers with the characteristic thick vegetation, narrow paths and coastal villages popularized by Vietnam War movies. Pilots can now dogfight over the skies of ‘Afghanistan’, depicting a modern-day version of the mountainous state featuring big cities among vast mountain ranges, while captains will be able to go to battle around the ‘Tierra del Fuego’ archipelago at the border of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.

More information about War Thunder Update 1.85 “Supersonic” is available on the game’s official website.

Gaijin Entertainment has announced details about this year’s Festive Quest for War Thunder, a traditional in-game event marathon that allows players to obtain several exclusive Premium vehicles and additional bonuses entirely for free and simply by playing the game.

The Festive Quest will run from December 21 to January 14, and rewards include the two aircraft MB.152C1 (France) and Fw 190 C (Germany) as well as the two ground vehicles SU-85A (USSR) and T30 Heavy Tank (USA). The vehicles were specifically created for this year’s Festive Quest and can only be obtained by participating in the event. Other bonuses unlocked along the way in are several decals, camouflages and decorative items. All vehicles are awarded as coupons, which means players can either use them for their own account, or sell them after the event for premium currency to other players on the Gaijin Marketplace.

About the ‘Festive Quest’: The War Thunder Festive Quest is an in-game event marathon offering varying challenges for players on tanks and aircraft. Players can progressively advance within the event by completing in-game tasks such as destroying enemy vehicles or capturing objectives. With every challenge unlocked, players receive a different in-game bonus, including the aforementioned vehicles at certain milestones.

Detailed information about the War Thunder Festive Quest is available on the official game website.

Gaijin Entertainment has announced that the upcoming Update 1.85, nicknamed ‘Supersonic’, will introduce a new top rank of aircraft to the free-to-play vehicular combat MMO War Thunder. The new Rank VI will feature supersonic jets armed with air-to-air guided missiles – a completely new type of armament in the game.

Supersonic Rank VI aircraft: The in-game nations USA, Great Britain and USSR will be the first nations to feature new Rank VI aircraft. Among those is the first mass-produced supersonic jet, the F-100 Super Sabre, which will be available for the U.S. Air Force in the F-100D modification. Royal Air Force pilots will get their hands on the two-engine Gloster Javelin F.A.W. Mk.9, while the USSR will receive the MiG-19PT, the fastest of the three.

The new aircraft can reach a maximum speed of 1200 to 1450 km/h (745 to 900 mph), enabling them to quickly gain altitude to easily catch up with adversaries and take an advantageous position for an attack above the battlefield. At the same time, the high speeds will require pilots to react quickly and anticipate the actions of their enemies, as maneuvering at the speed of sound is by far not an easy task.

Air-to-air guided missiles: The main feature difference of aircraft of Rank VI is the availability of air-to-air guided missiles as a choice of armament. These missiles are guided by infrared, which means they follow enemies by tracking the hot exhausts of jet and gas turbine engines.

This new type of armament will be available for helicopters as well; which will also receive new types of defense to counter air-to-air missiles: heat flares, exhaust infrared suppression system and counter-optical-electronic systems. Deployed infrared countermeasures disrupt the missile guidance, thus ensuring that cannon-based armament remains important.

If a missile is fired at a player, an on-screen warning will let the target know about the incoming attack. In such a case the best course of action is to change the direction of flight direction immediately to evade the attack.

Additional Rank V aircraft: With the embrace of a new supersonic era of combat aviation in War Thunder, several new Premium aircraft will be made available on Rank V for the respective nations. Among the aircraft that will help to quickly unlock the latest supersonic aircraft will be the Soviet MiG-15bis ISh, the American F-86F-35 Saber and the British Meteor F Mk.8 Reaper. All aircraft will feature a large selection of rocket and bomb armaments, which will also provide new opportunities to combat high-ranking enemy tanks in combined arms battles.

More information is available on the official War Thunder website.