MMORPGs

Battlestate Games, developer of Escape from Tarkov, the realism-focused hardcore FPS/MMO hybrid, have released screenshots and concept artwork for the new location – The Shoreline. The Shoreline closely neighbors the Tarkov evacuation point, and is characterized by a noticeably larger map footprint than any other Tarkov locations. The Shoreline houses a partially abandoned village, modern private housing, fields, a marina, gas station, weather station, cellular base station and more.

Its chief point of interest is the large “Azure Coast” health resort, consisting of several buildings with a central hydroelectric power plant. The main exit from of this new area will be located next to the Russian Armed Forces checkpoint at the Port entrance.

View the new screenshots here (Hosted by Worthplaying).

More info on Escape From Tarkov can be found at the game’s official website.

Update 1.69 adds Italy as new major nation and introduces new vehicles, locations and features including support for PlayStation®4 Pro

Gaijin Entertainment today announced the release of Update 1.69 ‘Regia Aeronautica’ for its vehicular combat MMOG War Thunder. “Regia Aeronautica” unlocks Italy as War Thunder’s sixth nation, initially offering a formidable line-up of 35 of the most historically accurate representations of their famous Air Force in any computer game ever. Other features include new aircraft and tanks for four other nations, the long-awaited ability to launch smoke shells and smokescreens from tanks, new realistic recreations of battlefields, and support for PlayStation®4 Pro.

The Regia Aeronautica
The new Italian aircraft tree stretches from Italy’s famous biplanes of the 1930’s to its powerful jet fighters of the 1960s. Among the latter is the Fiat G.91, a light, fast and agile fighter-bomber that is highly versatile in combat, thanks to its rapid-firing, heavy Browning machine guns, bombs and 38 rockets. Italian bombers include highlights such as the heavy four-engined Piaggio P.108B, which can carry a staggering 3.5 tons of bombs or three torpedoes. Its sister model, the ship hunter P.108A, comes equipped with a massive 102mm anti-ship cannon with 50 rounds of ammunition, which is now the largest aviation weapon in the game by far. All players will get gradual access to the new nation’s aircraft, with new models being unlocked for research every few days. More information will follow in the Developer’s Blog.

New ground vehicles
The United States gets access to a new top-rank vehicle, the M60A2 “Starship”, which can fire both conventional shells and guided-missiles from its 152mm cannon. For the Soviet Union, the T-55A is introduced as a worthy successor to the T-54, sporting excellent close combat and flanking capabilities. The German tree sees its first armored car, the Sd.Kfz. 234/2 “Puma” with a rapid-firing 50mm cannon.

Smoke shells and smokescreen launchers
Two completely new features in War Thunder are smoke shells and smokescreen launchers. The former, will allow tankers to deploy protective smoke over large distances, while the latter is an effective method to hide from enemy fire while repairing on the battlefield or defending a capture point.

Three new locations
The ground battles location ‘Kuban’ has been greatly revamped, which will make tank combat on the new location much more tactical and varied. For pilots, the hot sands of ‘Tunisia’ await, while naval captains can now assault the Black Sea on the new ‘Black Sea Port’ map.

PlayStation®4 Pro support
Now, thanks to the improved performance of the PlayStation®4 Pro console, owners can play War Thunder in native 4K resolution.

For more update info, screenshots and to watch the War Thunder: Update 1.69 “Regia Aeronautica” release video, click here.

Major Update 1.69 “Regia Aeronautica” Adds Italy As Sixth Playable Faction

Gaijin Entertainment announces the impending release of a new playable nation for the vehicular combat MMOG War Thunder. War Thunder Update 1.69, called ‘Regia Aeronautica’, will introduce Italy as the sixth playable nation, represented with its own vehicle tree, alongside USA, Germany, Great Britain, Japan and USSR. This is the first new nation to be added to the game since the launch of War Thunder.

“With the addition of Japanese Ground Forces at the end of last year, all of the game’s nations are now represented with more than 800 aircraft and ground vehicles in total, early testing of Naval Forces is full steam ahead and very soon War Thunder will feature a new nation. We will add more than 20 new Italian vehicles and update the existing models, so Italy will be represented with several dozens of aircraft on its launch,” says Kirill Yudintsev, Creative Director of Gaijin Entertainment.

Italy’s initial aviation lineup consists of several dozen aircraft, ranging from the famous light and maneuverable Italian biplanes of the 1930s to post-war Jet aircraft. Among those machines is the Fiat CR.32, one of the most mass produced aircraft employed by the Regia Aeronautica at the beginning of World War II. This robust all-metal biplane can withstand serious damage and even carry bombs into combat – a feature that allows it to temporarily act as a light attack aircraft instead of a fighter, either to destroy light ground units or suppress the enemy’s anti-aircraft resistance.

Another symbol of Italy’s aviation besides the CR.32 are its famous heavy three-engine bombers, which will also be featured in War Thunder right from the start. Next to the well-known SM.79 Sparviero (the ‘Sparrowhawk’), other indigenous three-engine designs will be included, such as the CANT Z.1007bis Alcione, or ‘Kingfisher’. Although the latter was mostly overshadowed by the mass produced ‘Sparrowhawk’, it exceeded its counterpart in both speed and maneuverability and could also be equipped with a heavy 840 kg torpedo. This will make it especially useful as an attack aircraft in the coming full-scale Naval battles.

Read more about the incoming Italian machines in War Thunder’s developer diaries here.

The first Italian fighter aircraft are available for pre-order in Gaijin.net store:

Fiat CR.32 bis

Fiat G.55S

To download War Thunder, please visit the official War Thunder website.

The game gets an improved matchmaker, new SPG mechanics, and Tier X light tanks

Wargaming today released Update 9.18 for World of Tanks, bringing fundamental changes to the game. The dev team started on their quest to evolve the game’s core by tackling some of the most heated issues the project has today. With this update, they introduced the new, template-based matchmaking system, made comprehensive changes to artillery, and revised light tank lines, stretching them to Tier X.

The improved matchmaker assembles teams choosing from a set of server-based algorithms—templates—so that both camps always have the same number of vehicles at the top/middle/bottom of the list. It also limits the number of SPGs per side to 3 at the most and significantly reduces the instances of map duplications. Together, these new rules and restrictions are designed to foster an engaging gaming experience where it’s almost impossible to predict the battle outcome and every player gets to contribute to it.

“9.18 is one of the most significant updates ever introduced, both in terms of the importance of the issues it tackles and sheer scope of fundamental changes it simultaneously brings into the game,” said Thaine Lyman, World of Tanks Product Director. “It’s been a massive quest for the team. We are thankful to players who pitched in to help us improve the core gameplay aspects. We’ll continue refining these newly introduced features, while also working on further improvements that fundamentally push the quality of the game forward.”

The newly implemented stun mechanic transforms SPGs into long-range support fire vehicles that can now debilitate enemy tanks, affecting factors such as their reload speed. Instead of inflicting critical damage, SPGs now play in close cooperation with the team. They set the attack direction and support their fellow tankers from afar.

Finally, light tank branches were stretched to Tier X, which marked the introduction of the regular ±2 tier spread for them. Five nations (USA, Germany, France, U.S.S.R., and China) were reinforced with new Tier X vehicles and went through a series of balance tweaks to make them suitable for ±2 battles. Boasting excellent speed and decent firepower, topped with superior scouting abilities, light tanks are now more capable than ever in augmenting their teammates and making a decisive impact on the battle. For more information on Update 9.18, visit the official World of Tanks website.

Prey on carriers and show pesky destroyers who’s boss

Vive la France! A full fleet of ten stylish-looking cruisers sails proudly into World of Warships today, introducing a new nation with rich naval history to the game.

“French cruisers offer numerous tactical options and have tremendous potential to set the tone in combat thanks to outstanding fighting qualities and exclusive consumables,” said Artur Plociennik, World of Warships Executive Producer. “You can swiftly change your position, shine in short-range torpedo exchanges, and turn the table on destroyers. With French cruisers, you’re the hunter.”

The new line possesses powerful artillery and features several specific traits for commanders who appreciate maneuverability and tactical versatility. Their high speed is complemented by the special Engine Boost consumable, unavailable to other nations’ warships of the same class. French cruisers have very high anti-torpedo bulkheads, giving them significant advantage against destroyers, and their own torpedo launchers provide the nation with an edge in close combat. They can accomplish a variety of battle objectives, switching flanks rapidly and preying on destroyers, light cruisers, and aircraft carriers, while those belonging to Tiers VI to X can even give some trouble to battleships.

The new branch opens with the speedy and accurate Bougainville that belongs to aviso, a sub-type of cruisers previously not represented in World of Warships. Bougainville-class ships performed well in World War II and remained on active duty until the late 1950s, having participated in wars in Korea and Indochina. Among other significant models are the Émile Bertin—one of the fastest cruisers in the game—along with its descendant, the well-armored and torpedo-proof La Galissonnière.

Grand battles await. En avant, les capitaines!

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

An all-new battle arena hits the game’s test server bringing bigger maps, larger teams, and intense action

Wargaming has revealed its partnership with Austrian developer Bongfish, who brought over a decade of experience working with well-known publishers to bear on a new game mode for World of Tanks, dubbed Frontline. From today, players can put the new mode through its paces in the World of Tanks test server, Sandbox.

What can players expect from Frontline? Epic 30v30 tank clashes across vast 9 km2 battlefields, with one team pushing the assault while the other defends their territory. Over several rounds, the action spreads deeper behind defensive lines until a winner is declared.

“Players have been asking us for larger teams, bigger maps, and new combat setups for some time,” said Milos Jerabek, World of Tanks Development Director. “Wargaming’s distributed development approach made this a reality and we partnered with Bongfish to create the new mode—all while the in-house team for World of Tanks works on the game’s key mechanics. Bongfish has a ton of expertise to make it happen under our guidance. There’s true chemistry between the both of us, and we look forward to revealing what this collaboration brings to players.”

“We’ve been working on Frontline for a while now, and are excited to finally show it to the world,” said Michael Putz, Bongfish Founder and CEO. “We’re passionate about authentic gameplay and vast open spaces, and so are World of Tanks developers. By working with them, we can channel this passion to create something one of a kind for tankers to enjoy.”

Sandbox has been an integral component in improving the game as well as fostering a conversation between the players. Frontline marks the third time the game tests the waters in Sandbox to ensure World of Tanks continues going from strength to strength.

For more information on World of Tanks, visit the games official website.

Popular MMO expands its arsenal with present-day tanks, jets and attack helicopters

Gaijin Entertainment has announced that its military MMO masterpiece War Thunder will begin to feature modern ground and air vehicles, expanding the game’s technology tree from five ranks to nine. Tankers of War Thunder can look forward to modern main battle tanks such as the renown M1A2 Abrams and T-14 Armata, while the game’s pilots will see supersonic jet aircraft like the F-22 Raptor and T-50 PAK FA, as well as a multitude of attack helicopters.

Players can already read about some of the upcoming vehicles in the Developer’s Blog, where the main battle tanks Leopard 2A5 and T-90A as well as the attack helicopters GA-64 and Mi-35 will be presented in great detail, including several images. Further information on how to access the vehicles in War Thunder will also be made available on the official website.

“Our players often reach out to us with requests and wishes for the introduction of modern vehicles to War Thunder,” says Kirill Yudintsev, Creative Director of Gaijin Entertainment. “In fact, even way before the release, we have already begun to run large-scale internal testing and preparations, as we see this as great opportunity to expand the historical framework of our game. This weekend, we are finally able to present the first results of our efforts.”

Updated research trees with a broad array of new vehicles for the army, air and naval forces of all nations will be published soon on the game’s official website. Modern vehicles will bring along a massive amount of new vehicular features to the game, including reactive armour, smokescreen launchers and modern high-precision weapons. More information and details will be released on the game’s Developer Blog in the coming days.

Battlestate Games has released some new screenshots for Escape from Tarkov. The main feature of the nearest update is the Scav game mode.

Scavs are Tarkov locals who decided to walk the path of bandits. Essentially, a Scav is a side character which can deliver you an entirely different gameplay experience. Equipment, weapons, place and time of Scav spawning on location are set randomly.

The most important thing about playing as Scav is that if you get killed in the raid, you will not lose anything from your main character’s possessions, and if you survive, you can add whatever you looted to the cache.

In other words, this is an alternative way to find and save items and to take part in combat, but without constant fear of losing everything that was found or brought into the Raid.

Escape from Tarkov is a hardcore story-driven MMO featuring elements of both FPS and RPGs. The events take place in the Russian city of Tarkov, which has been sealed off by roadblocks after having plunged into chaos of warfare between private military companies. Escape from Tarkov’s Hazardous Environment Combat Simulator employs a number of custom system modules to create incredibly immersive gameplay and lets players feel the reality of what is happening in the game.

More info on Escape From Tarkov can be found at the game’s official website.

Major New Update Adds Nearly Twenty New Vehicles and Three New Maps, New Co-Op ‘Assault’ Game Mode To Follow

Gaijin Entertainment today announced the release of their latest major update 1.67 ‘Assault!’ for its military MMOG War Thunder. The update introduces almost twenty new vehicles including Japanese tanks and three new battle locations bringing the total number of maps to more than 80 available in the game. A brand new cooperative game mode (Assault) will be added soon after the Update 1.67 launch.

New Co-Op game mode ‘Assault’: Coming soon, available in two iterations, the new game mode challenges players to defend a strategic location against waves of enemy ground vehicles or aircraft. For tankers, combat is fought tank to tank on the ground, with the ability to temporarily support teammates in attack aircraft or bombers. Pilots are tasked with maintaining air superiority over a zone by fending off enemy bombers approaching from all directions. As each successive wave is stronger than the previous one, players have to work together to hold out until the end, upon which they will receive well-deserved rewards.

19 New Vehicles Expand War Thunder’s Arsenal: Some interesting new machines arrive with War Thunder’s Update 1.67, including the new British self-propelled gun FV4005 with its deadly 183mm anti-tank cannon – now the largest cannon in the game by far – replacing the KV-2’s 152mm howitzer as the new heavy hitting champion. The recently introduced Japanese Ground Forces tree receives three new vehicles, including the ATGM carrier Type 60 APC and multi-turreted Type 95 Ro-Go. The other War Thunder nations also receive a stockpile of new tanks and aircraft. More information can be found in the Developer Diaries here.

Three New Map Locations – More Than 80 Maps in Total! The ‘Assault’ update includes three new battle locations including one map for air and two maps for combined arms battles. On ‘Guiana Highlands’ fighting begins at an altitude 6000 meters above sea level, with the whole area being divided into several ‘floors’ that each feature their own battle and victory conditions.

The two combined arms battles, ‘Ardennes’ and ‘Phang Nga’, are set during the early stages of the Battle of the Bulge and the Pacific War, respectively. The former puts players into the outskirts of the Belgian town of Bastogne as they fight for control over the town and the frost covered hilltops surrounding it. The latter, which will be made available in one of the upcoming Naval Pre-Beta weekends, sees players contest the coast of Thailand in a battle waged from air and sea.

To download War Thunder, please visit the official War Thunder website.

World of Tanks and Dolph Lundgren put manliness back on track in their latest ad

Once, long ago, the world knew what manliness was—lifting weights, chopping wood, tuning up your muscle car, not looking another man in the eye when you’re both answering the call of nature. But somehow along the way, the lines blurred. Ciabattas? Frappuccinos? Skinny jeans? Has manliness lost its cool?

Now it’s up to World of Tanks and Dolph Lundgren to get manliness back on track.

In the latest advert from Wargaming, we embark on a journey with Dolph to discover how to choose a real man’s hobby in the hectic world of today. It’s a tough mission, requiring a man who is not afraid to put his mind, body, and soul on the line to stay, what the Vikings (probably) call, skǫruligr (manly).

About World of Tanks

World of Tanks is a team-based massively multiplayer online action game dedicated to armored warfare of the mid-20th century. Throw yourself into the epic tank battles of World War II with other steel cowboys all over the world. Your arsenal includes over 450 armored vehicles from the United States, Germany, the Soviet Union, France, Great Britain, Japan, China, Czechoslovakia carefully detailed with historical accuracy.

For more information on World of Tanks, visit the games official website.