War Thunder

The new update will feature dozens of new tanks, jets and ships

Gaijin Entertainment announces that the next major update of the online military action game War Thunder – “Sons of Attila” – will be released in September. A line-up of Hungarian armored vehicles will be added to the game, representing all stages of the country’s military history – from the 39.M Csaba armored vehicles of World War II to the modern Lynx KF41 BMPs, which began entering service last October. Dozens of other types of ground, naval and air military vehicles will be added to War Thunder, as well as new maps, improved visuals and more.

Watch the War Thunder ‘Sons of Attila’ trailer HERE.

“Hungarian designers have created quite a few interesting vehicles that will expand the range of possible setups for players,” explains Vyacheslav Bulannikov, War Thunder game director. “At the same time, their characteristics will correspond to the available documents, so we hope that players will not see any Hungarian bias in the new vehicles“.

The first version of the armored car, the Csaba (named after the youngest son of Attila, leader of the Huns), was developed by Hungarian engineer Nicholas Straussler in 1932, and in 1939 the mass production for the Hungarian army began. The machines were actively used in World War II battles in Yugoslavia, the USSR and Poland, and eventually in Hungary itself. High speed, independent suspension and 20mm cannon make the 39.M Csaba a good scout at the initial ranks of War Thunder.

Lynx KF41 is an infantry fighting vehicle developed by Rheinmetall AG, currently in service only in Hungary and produced at a joint venture plant in the Hungarian city of Zalaegerszeg. BMP is equipped with the latest ADS hard kill active protection system, which detects enemy missiles, determines the trajectory of flight, calculates the approximate location of the hit, fires a counter munition that destroys the enemy shell a moment before it touches the armor. Also Lynx KF41 is equipped with the Lance 2.0 weapon module with Rheinmetall Wotan 35 mm autocannon and Spike ATGMs, operating on the “fire and forget” principle.

The line-up of armored vehicles of Hungary will be implemented as part of the Italian ground vehicles research tree.

Other new additions to the update include, for example, the first American superdreadnought “Texas”, the Soviet flamethrower tank TO-55, the American fighter jet F-16C version Block 50, the Chinese-Pakistani tank MBT-2000 & more.

You can learn more about new vehicles, maps and other Sons of Attila content from the development diaries on the game’s official website.

Gaijin Entertainment announces that an event dedicated to Soviet robotics has started in the online action game War Thunder that will completely change your perception of warfare principles. Unique combat machines from the world of the Atomic Heart game will meet in battle with conventional tanks, other ground vehicles and helicopters produced by the USSR and the U.S.A. during the Cold War times. The Atomic Thunder event is already available to players and will run until July 31st.

In Atomic Thunder, players are divided into two teams, which include the conventional military vehicles, such as tanks T-55A and M-60, helicopters AH-1 and Mi-24, and unique combat vehicles from Atomic Heart. The battle robot Hedgie can curl up into a ball and move swiftly around the location, jump up and attack enemies from above, as well as bombard them from afar with homing missiles with HEAT warheads. The Laser Pchela is a swift flying drone attacking with a laser. Finally, the Repair Pchela can repair allied vehicles and robots, as well as summon the Burav, a powerful fighting machine that attacks enemies from underground.

Watch the Atomic Thunder Trailer HERE.

For their success in combat, players receive unique decorations and Atomic Heart-style avatars. Learn more about the rewards and other features of the event on the official War Thunder website.

The latest update brings the first Indian tank to the game, new missile flight physics and more

Gaijin Entertainment announces the release of a major update La Royale for the military online game War Thunder. It begins the closed testing of the French fleet, which even in modern times has retained its traditional nickname La Royale (“royal”). In addition, the update adds dozens of other models of ground, air and naval vehicles – for example, the French SPG Au F1, the first Indian tank in the game; the Vijayanta and the American F-14B fighter jet. Players will also get updated flight physics and visual effects of missile flight, new maps and other content.

Watch the War Thunder ‘La Royale’ Gameplay trailer HERE.

Quite powerful at the beginning of World War II, the French fleet suffered a sad fate. France was defeated on land and capitulated, after which some of its ships were destroyed right in the ports by the British or scuttled by their captains. The former allies feared that French battleships and cruisers would be captured by Germany and used against them. In the La Royale update players will find ships of very different fates – from the cruiser Colbert, which was killed in Toulon by British shells, to the destroyer La Malin, which became part of the Free French Navy. To be among the first to take part in a closed test of France’s blue-water navy lineup and receive exclusive bonuses, players can purchase early access packages with premium ships bundled with them.

The Indian Vijayanta tank is an export version of the British Vickers Mk.1, which received an infrared spotlight, side shields, and HEATFS rounds for its accurate and rapid-fire Royal Ordnance L7A1 cannon. The powerful-looking French SPG Au F.1 on the chassis of the AMX-30 tank is equipped with a 155 mm caliber gun with an autoloader and mechanized ammo rack for 36 rounds. Such self-propelled guns are still in service with the armies of France, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait.

The F-14B is an improved version of the formidable F-14A with a significantly increased arsenal of weapons and improved rate of climb. In addition to more advanced air-to-air missiles, the fighter received a sighting container as part of the LANTIRN system, and Paveway II guided bombs, as well as a new type of weapon – bombs with a stopping parachute for low-altitude attacks without the risk of damaging your own plane with splinters.

The new map “Iberian Fortress”, designed for mixed ground and air combat, takes players to a touristic town on the eastern coast of the Balearic Sea. And the new “Franz Josef Land” nautical map introduces new mechanics – destructible coastal fortifications with guns firing at players’ ships.

Learn more about the new content in the La Royale update in the development blogs on the War Thunder website.

The update brings new jets, anti-aircraft systems and flight effects

Gaijin Entertainment announces the release of the “Sky Guardians” content update for the military online action game War Thunder. It brings dozens of new military vehicles, including the Yak-141 – experimental Soviet VTOL fighter, the Czechoslovak M53/59 wheeled anti-aircraft gun and modern British tank, the Challenger 2E. The update also introduces the first French naval ships, ejection mechanics, new effects for aviation, and more.

The Yak-141 was developed as the main aircraft for Soviet aircraft carriers being designed and built and set 12 world records for rate of lift and payload. The program was closed in 1992 due to an accident with one of the flight prototypes and the collapse of the Soviet Union. Possessing an excellent climb rate, this jump jet very quickly breaks the sonic barrier, and at high altitude is able to accelerate to over 1,800 km/h at minimal payloads. A good radar, radiation warning system and effective missile armament allow Yak-141 to work perfectly as an interceptor. Ground targets, if necessary, can be attacked by incendiary and HE bombs up to 500 kg, cannons and unguided rockets.

The update also improves some of the physical aspects of flight. For example, the vapor cone effect that can be seen at transonic speed of the aircraft due to the local pressure gradient looks more realistic now. Other improvements include the new effect of the contrail left by the running aircraft engines and the wingtip flow separation effect.

Also, “Sky Guardians” has brought the mechanics of ejection seats for aviation from later periods. It visualizes how the cockpit canopy is torn off by pyrotechnic charges, the effect of the pilot’s seat being ejected from the cockpit, after which the seat is disconnected from the pilot and finally the rescue parachute is triggered.

Finally, the first two ships of the French Navy, the light cruiser Duguay-Trouin and the destroyer Aigle, have become available for purchase. Closed testing of the entire French Navy tech tree will take place in one of the upcoming updates, and owners of one of these ships will be the first to have access to it.

More information on this update is available at the official website.

F-16, MiG-29, Tornado and Dozens of Other New Military Vehicles are Now Available to Players

Gaijin Entertainment announces that the “Apex Predators” update for the online military action game War Thunder is already available to players. The focus here is on the 4th generation jets F-16, MiG-29 and Tornado, however, all game modes have received huge chunks of new content. The voices of fleet officers and crews during a naval battle have been completely reworked, and carrier-based aircraft can now operate from five new aircraft carriers – Shokaku (Japan), Illustrious (GB), Saratoga, Lexington and Enterprise (USA). New ground vehicles have been introduced, i.e. the exotic American M728 engineer tank with a 165mm gun, the French Char 2C bis super-heavy tank, and the Jordanian Khalid MBT. More than 20 aircraft and helicopters now have secondary weapon customization options, and the external fuel tanks feature is available to the new top aircraft.

The Winter Quest event has also started alongside the update release. Players complete missions and fight for prizes like decorations, camouflages and, most importantly, four rare models of vehicles, including the Tornado IDS Marineflieger, a German version of the European Tornado fighter-bomber. It is intended for naval strike aviation, so the Marineflieger does not have access to guided bombs, but the aircraft can carry the AS.34 Kormoran guided anti-ship missiles (new to War Thunder) into battle.

The M728 is a combat engineering vehicle based on the chassis of the M60 tank. It was created in the 1960s and is still in the reserve of the US Army and in service with Saudi Arabia and Oman. The machine is equipped with a crane boom on the turret, a winch, a dozer blade and a 165 mm caliber demolition gun. The M728 was actively used during the Vietnam and Gulf Wars to destroy fortifications and overcome barriers, as well as perform other engineering tasks in the field. Khalid (“sword”) is a modification of the British Chieftain tank, which was originally created for the armed forces of the Shah of Iran under the name “Shir”, but then was finalized for another customer – the Jordanian army. It differs from the original version with a much more powerful engine, as well as a laser rangefinder.

War Thunder mixed battles of ground and air forces will now unfold on the new map “Gold Quarry” that recreates a typical mining and processing plant in the Tien Shan mountains. The teams will have to fight for control points among the rock heaps, between the concrete walls of the workshops and on the territory of the car park with mining dump trucks and bulldozers. In addition, the popular location “Poland” has been given a winter version – with snowdrifts and a frozen lake that you can now risk crossing to attack at the flank of the enemy.

You can read more about these and other new features of “Apex Predators” at the official website of the game.

Gaijin Entertainment announces that the next big update for the military online action game War Thunder will be called “Apex Predators” and is planned for the end of December. It will bring three of the most famous fourth-generation jets ever, the F-16, MiG-29 and Panavia Tornado. All three are a part of the Air Force from many nations having performed combat missions in multiple conflicts. In addition, dozens of other new models of vehicles will appear in the game – for example, the Soviet 9A35M2 Strela-10M2 anti-aircraft system, the Israeli Magach 7 tank and the Japanese SUB-I-II armored personnel carrier prototype will be added to the game that will significantly expand the tactical options for players.

With the release of the F-16, MiG-29, Tornado and other comparable combat aircraft in War Thunder, a new, eighth rank appears in the aircraft development trees. The rest of the aerial vehicles that will be assigned to it, as well as other new content of the Apex Predators update, will be announced in the coming weeks on the official website of the game.

Visit the official War Thunder Website for more game information.

The new update brings flamethrower tanks and boats among other new features

Gaijin Entertainment announces that the Fire and Ice update for the military online action War Thunder is already available to players. It adds Finnish air and ground vehicle branches (including the famous BT-42 tank), dozens of other tanks, ships and aircraft like the modern American M1A2 SEP main battle tank with the TUSK kit, the legendary Japanese battleship Fuso, the latest Russian anti-aircraft gun 2S38 “Derivatsia-PVO”, as well as two new maps – “Arctic” and “Rocky Canyon”. The first flamethrower-equipped tanks and boats also debut in the game. Finally, aircraft fuselages will now feature realistic volumetric holes in addition to the local smoke and fire effects, and hitting the water will now produce a new, reworked splash effect.

Check out the trailer HERE.

The British Churchill Crocodile is one of the most famous flamethrower tanks in history. It is built on the design of the Mk.VII version with a 75mm cannon and excellent protection, but also equipped with a flamethrower, which is fed by a fuel trailer attached behind the tank. Thanks to this trailer, the Churchill Crocodile has the largest number of fire mixture charges among tanks, and also is the longest tank in the game. Also debuting in the game is the American flamethrower boat “Zippo”, created during the Vietnam War on the design of the LCM(6) landing craft. Flamethrowers, located on the sides in the bow, will be an excellent tool in battles at close range. Spectacular fires in the jungle can also be started by the American carrier-based A-1H Skyraider attack aircraft that has napalm bombs in its arsenal. Those three vehicle models are available with the release of the Fire and Ice update as prizes for the new Battle Pass season.

Flamethrower tanks are effective in approximately the same situations as the napalm bombings presented in the game earlier. The flame will not cause damage to the crew of a heavily armored vehicle, but light vehicles are extremely vulnerable to it: the fire mixture will instantly destroy the crew in the open cabin and set fire to the equipment. Tank mounts fire long jets of pressurized fire in a cantilevered trajectory, and they can reach the enemy even behind small cover. In addition, the wheel liners of ground vehicles are now ignited by napalm, so after driving through a burning puddle, the player’s tank will look very infernal.

The battleship Fuso entered the service of the Japanese Imperial Navy in 1915, was significantly modernized in the interwar period and participated in the Battle of Leyte Gulf, the largest naval battle of World War II. That late version of Fuso is the one that made it to War Thunder now. The main caliber of the ship is six twin 14-inch guns, evenly distributed over the entire deck of the ship. Good aiming angles and no less decent ballistic characteristics of Fuso allow her to inflict colossal damage on the enemy.

The 2S38 “Derivatsia-PVO” is an anti-aircraft artillery module with a 57mm cannon mounted on a modified BMP-3 chassis. The first prototype of the machine was presented in 2018. The uninhabited turret includes an automatic target tracking for air targets, a laser rangefinder, a coaxial machine gun, a laser warning sensor and a thermal imager. Using the APFSDS rounds, 2S38 can even deal with a tank if it comes in from the flank.

More information about all the new features of the Fire and Ice update is available on the official War Thunder website.

The military simulation game is getting a new playable nation

Gaijin Entertainment announces “Fire and Ice”, the next major content update for the military online action game War Thunder. It will bring Finnish ground and air force to the game, as well as a new map inspired by this Scandinavian country. Tech trees of other countries will also get new ground vehicles, naval vessels, aircraft and helicopters, including those equipped with a weapon type completely new to War Thunder. The “Fire and Ice” update will become available to the players in the coming weeks.

Check out the trailer HERE.

The Finnish Armed Forces has quite an experience in military conflicts as it took part in the Winter War against the USSR, in World War II and a number of joint peacekeeping missions with NATO. The country typically used imported equipment from various manufacturers (including captured vehicles), adapting it for its own needs. For example, the British-produced Vickers Mk.E light tanks have not been adopted by the UK military, but were widely used by foreign operators, including Finland. Another unique example is the BT-42, a strange but very interesting conversion of captured Soviet BT-7s, recreated into assault guns with a British 4.5-inch howitzer and a turret of local Finnish design. After WW2, Finland purchased equipment from both the USSR and Western countries, so a user playing for Finland will have access to the strangest combinations of vehicles, i.e. the British-produced Vampire FB 52A fighter jet and the Soviet-produced T-72M tank (export version of the T-72A, appearing in the game for the very first time).

Finland land and air research lines will be a part of the Swedish tech tree (similar to how the South African vehicle line is a part of the UK tech tree) in War Thunder. This approach will greatly expand the tactical options for players who are already using Swedish vehicles and would like to experiment with their vehicle setup.

Information about other new features of the Fire and Ice update will be published on the official War Thunder website in the coming weeks.

The ‘Drone Age’ update features dozens of new military vehicles and new visual effects

Gaijin Entertainment announces that the “Drone Age” update for the military online action game War Thunder is already available to players. It expands the range of available weaponry from various eras: reconnaissance and combat drones (Russian Orion, Chinese Wing Loong 1 and the American MQ-1) make modern battles more believable, and the legendary Su-25 and Mirage 2000 show what piloted aircraft are capable of. There are dozens of new military vehicles added to the game including a new Chinese helicopter tech tree, Israeli versions of the M48 and M60 tanks, the Turkish T129 ATAK helicopter and the South African Rooivalk Mk1F CSH helicopter, the Italian Andrea Doria dreadnought, two new maps – “Golden Bay” and “Pradesh”, new visual effects for vehicle destruction, and much more.

The history of Chinese combat helicopters can now be experienced by progressing through their lineup in War Thunder. At first, local engineers adapted imported designs, like they did with SA.342L Gazelle. The first attack helicopter built entirely in China was the Z-9WA, created after studying French Dauphins. That led to even more local projects like the light strike-reconnaissance Z-11WA or the very successful Z-19. Finally, a full-fledged heavy attack helicopter Z-10 was designed with the involvement of specialists from the Russian Kamov design bureau.

Check out the trailer HERE.

The Mirage 2000C-S5 is the new top jet fighter that will capture the hearts of virtual pilots playing for France. The iconic delta wing, excellent flight characteristics and powerful armament make it a worthy competitor to other fourth-generation fighters. The French Air Force Mirage 2000 saw action in many conflicts in the 1990s, ranging from the Gulf War to Allied operations in Afghanistan. The aircraft is also in service in Egypt, India, Greece, Qatar, Brazil, Peru and other countries.

The new “Golden Bay” map for naval battles was created based on the coast of San Francisco with a recognizable silhouette of a picturesque bridge across the strait. The ground part is inspired by the landscape of the areas east of the bay, where small towns, green hills and mountains meet. And the location “Pradesh” (in Hindi this means “region”) is designed for ground and air battles and reproduces the foothills of the Himalayas on the border of India and Pakistan. Grassy hills and forested mountains coexist here with watery meadows and shrubbed plains.

In land and sea battles, procedurally generated shell-to-armor contact effects have been added that take into account the caliber and type of the projectile – now smoke and wisps of flame escape from the holes in armor. Tank explosion simulation has been improved, and track wheels can now fly off destroyed vehicles and interact with other objects on the battlefield. In addition, high-quality models of shells and missiles are now used in the kill camera and in the protection analysis menu. The player can now better see exactly how the enemy vehicle (or your own) was hit, and can better prepare for the upcoming battles.

Detailed information about the content of the update is available on the official website of the game.

Reconnaissance and strike UAVs will revolutionize modern warfare

Gaijin Entertainment announces that the “Age of Drones” major content update for War Thunder will be released in September, bringing reconnaissance and strike UAVs to the virtual battlefield. This new feature will greatly expand tactical options for players that fight using modern armored ground vehicles. The update will also add dozens of new tanks, aircraft, helicopters and ships to the already vast roster of carefully recreated real world military hardware, as well as new maps and other content.

Drones are a crucial asset for any high-tech army nowadays and provide an opportunity to be the first to detect and destroy the enemy. On the other hand, drones are quite vulnerable and basically are consumables in modern warfare. They can be shot down with small arms or ‘locked-on’ by radar from an anti-aircraft complex and destroyed with a missile. War Thunder players will see and experience exactly how drones influence the tactics of tank battles in the 21st century.

Check out the trailer HERE.

Modern light tanks in War Thunder will get the ability to launch small reconnaissance drones. The commander will be able to send such a device into the sky right in the middle of the battle and, switching to it using a special button, control the drone to reconnoiter the location for enemy vehicles. Such a UAV has a battery capacity large enough to patrol over the battlefield until the end of the battle – or until it is shot down, or if the vehicle from which the drone is controlled is destroyed. All UAVs have a “sighting camera” that allows players to scout an area of ​​interest from a great distance, plus, some models are equipped with thermal sights.

The Age of Drones update also introduces three types of attack drones: the Russian Orion, the Chinese Wing Loong 1, and the American MQ-1 (it can be used in War Thunder while playing as any country except Russia and China). Each strike UAV carries anti-tank guided missiles that can be used to strike enemies that are sitting in an ambush position without endangering the drone operator. The legendary MQ-1 drone was in service with the US Army from 1994 to 2018 and was used in many modern conflicts – from Yugoslavia and Iraq to Afghanistan, Syria and Yemen and it also became the star of iconic Hollywood films.

More information about Age of Drones content and new features will be published on the official website of the game in the coming weeks.