War Thunder

NEW UPDATE TO ADD RANK VI FOR GROUND FORCES

At gamescom 2017, Gaijin Entertainment announced that its popular vehicular combat MMOG War Thunder will soon add a sixth rank for Ground Forces via the upcoming New Era Update. The new rank will feature armoured vehicles from the 1960’s through the 1970’s and introduce new ground combat technologies, such as composite and reactive armour.

New mechanics added to War Thunder will significantly expand gameplay in top-rank battles, offering exciting challenges and skills to master to players. Stabilized cannons, one of the common features of Rank VI vehicles, allow players to shoot effectively on the move, while smokescreen launchers increase survivability after detection and open up new tactical opportunities. The introduction of modern armour technology will offer improved protection against HEAT shells and allow players to act more aggressively on the battlefield, which will see the addition of a great variety of new armoured vehicles from the second half of the 20th century.

At gamescom, the Soviet T-64A and US-American M60A1 RISE (P) were presented as the first vehicles on the new rank to feature modern armour technology. The T-64A, the world’s first mass-produced tank featuring composite armour, became a worldwide standard in tank production. It’s composite armour, which is a combination of several layers of different materials, offered improved protection against HEAT shells. In X-Ray view during the hangar screen, players of the T-64A can see in detail the protection their armour offers.

The M60A1 RISE (P) will be the first tank in War Thunder to feature Explosive Reactive Armour (ERA). Explosive-filled containers placed atop regular armour provide additional protection against HEAT shells. When hit, the detonation forces the container’s upper plate against the HEAT shell’s penetrator (a jet of metal moving at hypersonic speed), greatly reducing its effectiveness. Overwhelmingly useful against the first hit to the area, this type of protection leaves the armour below vulnerable to follow-up shots. The updated hit camera will clearly show attacking players which parts of ERA were hit and destroyed.

Additional iconic vehicles from the second half of the 20th century include the American-German MBT-70 project, or KPz 70 for the German variant. Both feature a powerful 152mm cannon capable of shooting conventional shells and guided missiles. The M50 MAG ‘Ontos’ is a powerful US tank destroyer armed with six 106mm recoilless rifles. The world famous BMP-1 personal carrier will enrich the Soviet tree with an amphibious multi-purpose vehicle equipped with a regular cannon and ATGMs.

Besides new post-war machines, the “New Era” Update will add new ground and air vehicles from earlier periods and some new maps. More information is available on War Thunder’s Development Blog.

Players get the opportunity to unlock four rare vehicles for free in yearly event series and try out five Destroyer-class warships in Naval Forces mode

Gaijin Entertainment today announced a massive expansion to the Naval Forces of the vehicular action MMO War Thunder. Now, each of the five fleets represented in the game’s most recent game mode feature their own Destroyers. These include the 1936-class Z20 Karl Galster for Germany, the Tribal-class for Britain, the 7-U-class for the USSR, the Fletcher-class for the USA and Yugumo-class for Japan. Try all of them in an upcoming Naval Forces testing weekend!

DESTROYERS IN NAVAL FORCES
The first Naval Battles in War Thunder featuring destroyers were received with overwhelmingly positive feedback by the players. Now, Naval Battles feature three different types of vehicles – aircraft, torpedo boats and destroyers – allowing players to perfectly adapt their choice of vehicle to the current situation on the battlefield.

Equipped with the largest-caliber weapons currently available in Naval Forces, Destroyers can engage opponents over extreme distances, even up to the opposite end of the map. To defend themselves from torpedo boats and attacking aircraft, they employ a large variety of lower-caliber automatic machine guns and cannons. The comprehensive, realistic damage model of Destroyers will allow virtual captains to truly feel ‘at the helm’ of a sizeable warship, requiring them to quickly make important tactical decisions. While the captain himself directs the fire of the main cannons, he can decide who are the priority targets for the crew manning the secondary armament, or which sections of the ship to focus on during repairs. In combat, time is of the essence – as damaged destroyers become a prime target for both torpedo boats and bombers.

For those keen to get early access to the regular testing sessions of ship combat in War Thunder and make their voice heard in the development process, more information is available here.

OPERATION S.U.M.M.E.R.
July 28th sees the start of Operation S.U.M.M.E.R., a month-long series of rewarding in-game activities. The two ground vehicles up for grabs this year are the Type 65, a powerful Chinese Anti-Aircraft modification of the famous T-34 medium tank for the Soviet tree, and the German Sd.Kfz. 234/4 “Pakwagen”, a heavy armored car equipped with a 75mm cannon. Virtual pilots will be able to take off in two new monoplane fighter aircraft, the P-43A-1 Lancer for the USA and the Ki-94-II for Japan. Further detailed information on the event and a daily updated calendar will be available on the game’s official website here.

About War Thunder
War Thunder is a free-to-play, cross-platform, massively multiplayer military masterpiece for PC, PS4, Mac and Linux with millions of fans worldwide, that allows players to fight their way across air land and sea with access to over 800+ historically accurate planes and armored vehicles from WWII to the Cold War. Fans can expect hundreds more added as Gaijin Entertainment commits to ongoing development via regular updates. For more information, please visit the official War Thunder website.

War Thunder’s Italian Air Force has successfully concluded closed testing. Initially introduced with Update 1.69 Regia Aeronautica, all regular aircraft of the game’s sixth major nation can now be unlocked by all players, with the top jet fighters; Fiat G.91 and G.91R/1 being the last to finish their trials.

Warmly welcomed by the players of War Thunder, the new Italian aircraft are now a common sight in the skies above the War Thunder battlefields. To prepare them for release, all Italian aircraft went through a closed playtest on the live servers, after which they were progressively unlocked for all players to research. Both purchasers of one of the Italian Founder packs and active players of War Thunder could participate in the testing, giving the developers invaluable feedback in the process. Today, many virtual pilots have already mastered the unique and ingenious Italian designs, which now play a major role in any air combat they participate in.

Naturally, with the end of closed testing the development of the Italian Air Force in War Thunder is all but finished. New Italian content is already in development and will reach the players of War Thunder as soon as the next major update goes live.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.