MMORPGs

Regular testing featuring cross-platform battles on PC and PS4 in a variety of game modes, environmental settings and lineups to start this weekend.

Gaijin Entertainment today announced the start of regular weekly testing sessions for the second phase of its Naval Forces Pre-Beta test, available cross-platform on both PC and PS4. Every weekend over the coming weeks, aspiring captains will now be able to try a variety of naval craft and game modes as the developers introduce new features and finalize core game mechanics and naval physics for the upcoming Closed Beta for ships.

From the 24th to 27th, the first event to run will allow Pre-Beta participants to see the debut of a brand-new lineup of top rank torpedo and gunboats, which all come with awesome firepower and mobility, together with countless other changes implemented on the basis of recent tester feedback.

The forthcoming Closed Beta for ships will provide a huge array of seafaring craft for players to research and upgrade, with details to be profiled on War Thunder’s devblog in the coming weeks. For those keen to get involved in Pre-Beta and subsequent Closed Beta testing for ships, more information is available here.

Participants of the Pre-Beta were already able to try different naval vessels ranging from fast torpedo and gunboats to multi-purpose escort ships and submarine chasers. The battles took place on various locations including the ‘Ice Fields’ of Scandinavia, the ‘English Coast’ and the tropical waters of Africa, while new game modes presented players with challenges customized to the Naval Forces gameplay. In ‘Convoy’, both teams have to destroy a group of large, armed merchant ships belonging to the enemy while protecting their own fleet against attacks from sea and the air. In the future, participants of the Pre-Beta will continue to see more Naval game modes, locations and, of course, ships.

You can find out more about War Thunder and  download the game for free at the official War Thunder website.

As Japanese Tanks Closed Beta ends – War Thunder prepares to profile the might of Interesting and Unique Imperial Japanese armor in daily profiles.

Gaijin Entertainment today announced that following on from its December 1.65 update and recent end of closed beta for Japanese tanks ‘Way of the Samurai’, additional Japanese tanks will be rolling out in its next major update for all players. Ahead of this rollout, Gaijin Entertainment will be providing daily profiles of some of the key vehicles on its War Thunder devblog beginning with the Japanese Type 87 SPAAG self- propelled anti-aircraft gun. The current roster of Japanese armor has added 30 armored ground forces vehicles modeled on interwar vehicles and modern developments of the Cold War era, featuring a full range of tanks, self-propelled guns and anti-aircraft vehicles, including exotic models, such as the largest amphibious tank of World War II, the Type 2 Ka-Mi, and a modification of the Chi-Ha tank equipped with a 120mm naval cannon, the Chi-Ha Short Gun.

In War Thunder, the Type 87 SPAAG will be the new top anti aircraft vehicle at rank V of the Japanese Ground Forces tree. Highly effective against any airborne threat, the Type 87 is also capable of engaging ground targets using a variety of armour piercing shells. The vehicles light armor and speed allow it to quickly exploit holes in the enemy’s flanks or relocate behind cover.

Besides the Type 87, the forthcoming update will add many other Japanese ground vehicles to the game, including a multi-turreted tank and an ATGM vehicle. Additionally, new ground vehicles and aircraft will be also be released for the other in-game Nations USA, UK, USSR and Germany. In the following weeks, the most interesting innovations will be presented in the developer diaries on War Thunder’s official website here.

Details on the SPAAG, the first of many daily profiles on Japanese armor can be seen here.

Battlestate Games, developers of Escape from Tarkov, the hardcore FPS/MMO hybrid, have recently announced some new changes to the game – the core change being to the “Customs” map, which now offers several new tactical opportunities to players.

The Customs location now features a new way to cross the river along with an expanded (and ever-deadly) factory. Add to that additional hidden and visible passageways, loot spawn points and player spawn points – and the Customs location Raid becomes even more challenging than before!

Escape from Tarkov is a hardcore story-driven MMO featuring elements of FPS and RPG. The events take place in the Russian city of Tarkov, which has been sealed off by roadblocks and sunk into the chaos of local 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 make players feel the reality of what is happening in the game.

The closed beta-testing of Escape from Tarkov is planned for 2017. To learn more about Escape from Tarkov and to sign up for closed beta, visit the games official website.

Players can get guaranteed access to Escape from Tarkov testing stages by placing a pre-order on the games official pre-order page.

Enlist your very own in-game action hero

2016 showed that World of Warships stayed true to its course, and you can bet that the team has no intention of slowing down in the New Year. In the latest episode of Developer Diaries, players can discover the awesome plans on the horizon for 2017. Find out whose fleet will join the game, the future of Commanders, changes to sounds and visuals, what’s in store for Clans, and much more.

Check out this new video to see what’s on the way.

About World of Warships

World of Warships is a free, historical, online combat game from Wargaming. Command a massive naval fleet featuring some of history’s most iconic war vessels, level up important tech modules and prepare to dominate the oceans in World of Warships. With four classes of ships, myriad upgrades, and strategically designed environments, the action never ends and every match is a unique experience. World of Warships brings players endless hours of strategy, tactical gameplay and pulse pounding combat!

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

Update ‘Way of the Samurai’ reveals the Japanese tanks, adds cockpit interiors for all aircraft, new vehicles, maps and additional improvements

Gaijin Entertainment today announced that update 1.65 ‘Way of the Samurai’ marks the release of the originally proposed War Thunder game and ends Open Beta with all current in-game nations featuring their own aircraft and tank trees. The introduction of ships also means that War Thunder now takes the fight to land, air and sea to complement the game. Gaijin Entertainment will continue its commitment to improving the game through regular updates, as they progress toward the research trees of War Thunder Ships, which currently reside in pre-beta testing.

“After reaching this important development milestone, which marks the end of Open Beta, the goals set out for War Thunder in 2012 are now complete. We will focus on adding new features and improvements, to let virtual pilots, tankers and navy captains enjoy one of the most realistic, extensive and accessible war simulations of all time”, says Kirill Yudintsev, Creative Director of Gaijin Entertainment.

War Thunder’s ‘Way of the Samurai’ update will focus on completing the Armor of the Imperial Japanese Army, which adds 30 armored ground forces vehicles, featuring a full range of light and medium tanks as well as self-propelled guns and anti-aircraft vehicles modeled on interwar vehicles to proven mid-war workhorses and modern developments of the Cold War era.

Update 1.65 includes the integration of cockpit interiors for all aircraft with working gauges and indicators. The update contains two new maps for ground and combined arms combat, “Abandoned Factory” and “38th Parallel”. While the first challenges tankers and air support to identify targets in a maze of industrial workshops and loading bays, the latter propels players into the Korean peninsula and is the first ground combat location based on a post-World War II setting. It also contains a dozen additional ground and air vehicles for other nations bringing the total number of available vehicles to more than 800.

In 2017, Gaijin plans to focus on two major game modes for War Thunder, the previously announced World War mode that allows players to experience massive operations across different theatres of World War II, as well as the full release of War Thunder Naval Forces for all nations.

Work will continue on additional features such as adding new nations, new game modes and further improvements to eSport and other forms of competitive play.

Gaijin Entertainment also used the opportunity of War Thunder’s release to congratulate players with the start of a series of holiday timed events and specials. Everyone logging in to the game until New Year’s will receive a progression booster as a present. In addition, the holiday season will bring a variety of events where players can unlock several Premium vehicles and other content for free.

To find out more, head over to the War Thunder devblog page here.

More information about the Japanese tank packs can be found here.

Further information on the release of War Thunder is provided here.

The release trailer can be found here.

Battlestate Games, developers of the much-anticipated military-themed FPS/MMO Escape from Tarkov have released several screenshots of a new in-game location – the Forest. This vast Forest covers a major section of the city of Tarkov’s immediate outskirts and it hides many secrets. Attentive explorers will discover many locations, most of them dangerous, including an abandoned railroad station, sawmill, the remains of a crashed plane and much more. To succeed in the forest battlefield, players will have to adopt special combat tactics and learn to navigate in dense vegetation and open spaces.

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.

Escape from Tarkov is currently in the Alpha testing stage and is being prepared for transition to closed beta. At the moment, most key game mechanics are already in place including trade, handling of weapons/inventory, raid objectives and character leveling/skill upgrades system.

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

Enlist your very own in-game action hero

While Steven Seagal may have had a complicated relationship with warships in the past, he’s learned a thing or two about them. Now, he is braving the seas of World of Warships, letting players earn him as an in-game Commander for their vessel in a unique event.

However, Steven Seagal won’t command just any old ship. In the event, which begins November 1 and lasts until December 14, you need to prove that you are a worthy action hero. When you are at Account Level 10, your final trial awaits in the form of a special mission: amass 70,000 XP in Random, Ranked, Team, or Co-op battles. Once you’ve smashed through that milestone, Steven Seagal will be enlisted into your crew.

Just think of what you could accomplish with his husky voice; his decades of battle experience; his quiet, confident aura that would echo through the decks of your ship? With Steven at your side, you could become more powerful than you ever thought possible. You could be the next great action hero.

Steven’s not finished with World of Warships yet. You can expect more fantastic content on its way in the near future. Keep your eyes glued to the porthole.

Watch the Steven Seagal Takes Command Trailer here.

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

An Ancient Evil Haunts the Transylvania!

“Looks like you’ve wandered far off course, mortal. Here in these dark waters lie sinister forces mankind cannot imagine . Are you prepared to face a barrage of fire and brimstone? Can you weather the assault of the abyssal vessels? We’ll find out soon enough, won’t we?”

In Saving Transylvania, you control one of three otherworldly warships placed in your port for the duration of the event: the destroyer Blade, the battleship Jackal, and the cruiser Igor. Together, they must escort the Transylvania to the arcane portal that brings them all to safety. Unfortunately, they’ll have to fend off Zikasa battleships and hellfire-slinging catapults led by the mysterious Rasputin, determined to destroy the Transylvania and her escorts!

The goal is simple: Get Transylvania to the portal before she’s destroyed!

Click here to watch the “Halloween Mode – Saving Transylvania” trailer and to find out more about this special event!

Night Witches Racing Events, Store Discounts and Enchanted Tanks for Halloween & Fourth Anniversary Events

For Halloween, Gaijin Entertainment is celebrating the fourth anniversary of War Thunder’s launch with prizes, events, discounts and competitions.

Halloween specials are running from October 28th through November 2nd. Pilots and tankers can take part in special racing events; pilots can take the helm of the infamous soviet night bomber, the Polikarpov Po-2 of the ‘Night Witches’ squadron, as they race for first place, evading opponent turret fire. Similarly, fans of ground forces can race to the Sepulchre in an enchanted M18 Hellcat tank, operating without a commander or crew. Successful racers are rewarded with a Witches’ Cauldron, yielding unique decorative items such as pumpkins and witches hats that you can adorn your vehicle with, as well as boosters that improve earnings.

Festivities will include discounts of up to 50% on vehicles, premium accounts, modifications and other in-game items. Players can look forward to new events, promotions and discounts every day culminating in a great two-day celebration of War Thunder’s fourth anniversary on November 1st and 2nd. No fan of War Thunder should miss this!

For more details on the War Thunder Halloween events and approaching 4th anniversary celebrations be sure to visit the news page here.

Discover the renowned British cruiser in mixed reality VR, then put her to the test in-game

World of Warships fans and historical enthusiasts alike can jump into the HMS Belfast VR Experience, then set sail with the historic British cruiser in-game.

HMS Belfast, the largest preserved warship in Europe, played an important role in the Battle of the North Cape in 1943, assisting in the destruction of one of the last big-gun German warships: Scharnhorst. At the time, HMS Belfast was the most advanced light cruiser in the world, and she will soon arrive in World of Warships as a Tier VII Premium ship, as part of the Royal Navy line.

With the help of World of Warships historians Richard “The Challenger” Cutland and Nicholas “The Chieftain” Moran, you can discover just what HMS Belfast is made of in the new 360-degree video, which teleports you to the real ship on the River Thames in London, mixing in battle visualizations using the highly detailed 3D ship models from World of Warships.

“HMS Belfast is a famed vessel that inspired us to create an unprecedented VR experience that deepens the historical connection to the World of Warships in-game experience,” said Alex Bobko, Head of Marketing Special Projects at Wargaming. “We just couldn’t pass up such deep access to this noteworthy ship. Visiting her in London allowed us develop groundbreaking content for our viewers, inviting them to jump into a mixed reality VR experience on the real ship, and then get hands-on experience with her in-game.”

Wargaming would like to thank the Imperial War Museum for the opportunity to create the VR experience inside HMS Belfast, and discover what life was like at sea for the crew from 1938 to 1963.

The HMS Belfast VR Experience is viewable for free on any Virtual Reality headset, as well as any mobile or desktop device.

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