Action/Strategy

Featuring: Italian heavy tanks, a modified Platoon system, and interface improvements

The beginning of a new year is the right time to start a new journey with fresh content and features deploying in World of Tanks. Update 1.11.1 brings a new sub-branch of Italian heavy tanks with an improved autoloading mechanic to the game. The updated Platoon system will allow you to find gaming buddies easier (without being limited to friends and contacts), and a few interface improvements make the gameplay even more enjoyable.

The new Italian heavy branch begins with the Tier VII Carro d’assalto P.88 and consists of four vehicles with great gun depression angles, well-armored turrets, and stylish exteriors. The top animal in the pack, the Tier X Rinoceronte (‘Rhinoceros’), reminds us that Italy is famous for its automotive design traditions. A distinctive feature introduced with the new sub-branch is the improved autoloading mechanic. As well as being able to choose between firing intermittent shots or salvos, with Tier VIII–X Italian heavies you get a rebate (up to 50%) for the reloading time of your next shell—if you had to shoot just before an extra round would be fully loaded into the clip.

Along with the new branch, four sets of battle missions are being introduced, each one dedicated to a separate tank in the sub-branch and giving out an Ancient Roman-themed emblem, inscription, and decal as rewards, with the Rinoceronte set also yielding the “Testudo Formation” 2D style. The style fits Italian vehicles only, and all other customization elements can be applied to any vehicle. Each mission set is to be completed by its ‘own’ new Italian heavy, but all of them are also doable in the Rinoceronte or in the Tier VIII Premium tank, the Bisonte C45.

“Around 3 years ago, in May 2018, we revealed the Italian tech tree, with Gianluigi Buffon as an ambassador,” says Max Chuvalov, World of Tanks Publishing Director. “The players spent some time mastering the new mechanic, and they really liked the Italian tanks. Now we’re adding new researchable vehicles that not only complement the Italian tree, but bring their own distinctive features, in order to make the experience even more diverse and exciting. Take these awesome machines for a spin and enjoy the highly-tactical gameplay!”

Also coming with Update 1.11.1 is the Platoon 2.0 system. Available for Random Battles, it allows you to find battle buddies with ease: it’s fully automated, and the search can be performed using filters you apply. Moreover, you can team up with a friend the old-fashioned way and find a third partner using the new system if you want, and once the Platoon is complete, you’ll see the allied vehicles side by side with your current ride in your Garage.

The interface improvements that will arrive along with the update continue the tradition of integrating the best solutions from popular UI mods into the client. In the game settings, you can now activate such options as the Proximity spotting circle (showing the radius of ‘unconditional’ spotting on the mini-map) and a repair timer for damaged vehicle modules.
Fight tactically in the new Italians alongside your new buds, earn the new Roman style and don’t let any brutes stab you in the back! If you need more info on Update 1.11.1, take a look HERE.

Get ready to take on Chuck’s Challenge as part of Holiday Ops 2021

2020 might have been a bit of a strange year, but it’s nice to see a familiar face: Holiday Ops in World of Tanks! This Christmas and New Year celebration will see players focused on two things: battles and baubles. From 9th December to 11th January, a cosy little mountain town will be ready for tankers to decorate as they wish, all while earning great and valuable rewards. But that’s not all… This town has an extra special resident: Chuck Norris!

Chuck has crafted his own challenge for every tanker: one which will test their resolve and mettle. Every day, a new mission will become available with 32 to take on in total. While all valuable, some of the rewards are extra special so players won’t want to miss out on them, including a special vehicle slot for Holiday Ops—which will allow players to choose their own vehicle bonuses—and Commander Chuck himself!

“Players like to say I must have been on the other side when they lose a battle; well, now it might just be true,” says Chuck Norris, World of Tanks Ambassador. “As you all know, even when the chips are down, I’m not one to shy away from a challenge and I hope that my fellow tankers do me proud when they take on Chuck’s Challenge!”

Just like last year, Holiday Ops is all about earning a collection of ornaments while decorating the special festive garage. There’s plenty to find in this snow-laden town, from a pianist performing for the residents to an enormous Christmas tree which takes center-stage. By dressing up the town, players will increase their festive atmosphere and their present yield. Tankers will be rewarded with various ornaments and decorations for creating their own firework displays (albeit, using enemy vehicles) and completing special missions. There are hundreds of ornaments to collect and 4 collections to complete so players will be able to decorate to their heart’s content.

Additionally, the Snow Maidens are back and are giving out special gifts daily. Each of the four Snow Maidens is responsible for a specific collection: Christmas, New Year, Lunar New Year or Magic New Year. By selecting rewards from the same collection each day, a special meter will fill up and lower-tiered ornaments will be excluded from your daily gifts.

“2020 is drawing to a close and we want to give the community something to remember,” states Max Chuvalov, World of Tanks Global Publishing Director. “Holiday Ops is always our biggest in-game event and it’s the perfect way to see off the year! We hope that this will really get everyone in the festive spirit!”

And finally, the holidays are a time for giving and this year, while crazy, is no different. All players—whether they’re on the Nice List or Naughty List—will be find a token of appreciation when they log in: the brand-new Pz.Sfl. IC, a Tier IV German tank destroyer with an autoloader! Thanks, Santa!

Watch the Holiday Ops: Presents, Bonuses, and Missions From Chuck Norris video HERE.

For more information about Holiday Ops 2021, click HERE.

The ‘New Power’ update brings a new engine, next-gen consoles version, battleships, new aircraft carriers, VTOL aircraft and more

Gaijin Entertainment announces that the military online action War Thunder just got “New Power”, which is the biggest update in the history of the game, as well as PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S versions of War Thunder that fully utilize the next-gen consoles power. War Thunder has also switched to the Dagor 6.0 engine, thus significantly upgrading the game visuals on all platforms. PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X players can enjoy the new look at a steady 4K@60FPS resolution, while the PC version supports DLSS technology for RTX graphics cards. The ‘New Power’ update also introduces battleships, VTOL aircraft and lots of other new military vehicles, i.e. the T-90A and Leclerc S2 tanks.

Visual enhancements are the first thing that players will notice in the updated game. The War Thunder engine simulates a natural-looking sky with clouds of various types, fog and the correct distribution and scattering of sunlight. The game now has the means to draw a realistic sunset on Mars or a nuclear bomb explosion if needed. Shot and explosion effects, as well as fires and vehicle destruction physics are also enhanced. Physically correct armour scars appear on ground vehicles in places where shells hit and in some cases the projectile can even get stuck in the armour.

War Thunder naval players will now have the chance to fight using battlecruisers and battleships – like the famous HMS Dreadnought that marked the beginning of a new era in military shipbuilding or the Imperatritsa Mariya (“Empress Maria”), which is one the dreadnought-class battleships built by the Russian Empire right on time for World War I. USA, Germany and Japan also got their own battleships. The update also changes the naval fleet progression system, allowing new players to skip torpedo boats and start with destroyers to get to the largest ships much faster.

Aircraft fans are getting VTOL machines in the Harrier and Yak-38 families. They are equipped with a thrust vectoring propulsion system. In flight, pilots can vary the thrust nozzles’ angle to alter the flight characteristics of the aircraft – for example to perform tighter turns. Additionally, pilots will be able to perform helicopter-style attack runs or avoid enemy detection at low altitude. War Thunder players are also getting aircraft carriers that are suitable for machines of this era, namely, HMS Ark Royal, USS Forrestal and the Soviet aircraft cruiser Baku.

T-90A tank is finally arriving in War Thunder. It’s most distinctive feature is the Shtora electro-optical jammer and laser/IR warning system. Two groups of Shtora sensors on the tank turret look like giant eyes – that’s how you can easily recognise the T-90A in photos. Other nations also get interesting examples of modern armoured vehicles, like the US M1128 Stryker MGS, German Leopard 2A6 and French Leclerc S2.

“New Power” update brings numerous new features, like the interactive hangar or illuminating shells. There is going to be a Battle Pass system as well, allowing players to get prizes for participating in battles and completing daily and seasonal tasks. Rewards include not only cosmetic items, but premium vehicles as well, i.e. US F2G jet and Soviet Т-10А tank. Reward vehicles can be added to a player’s hangar or sold to other players on the market.

The full list of updates is available at the official War Thunder website.

DISCOVER ENGLAND’S DARK AGES AND BUILD THE LEGEND OF EIVOR, A VIKING WARRIOR ON A QUEST FOR GLORY

Ubisoft has announced that Assassin’s Creed® Valhalla, the next iteration of the Assassin’s Creed franchise, is now available on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One consoles, PlayStation®4, the Epic Games Store and Ubisoft Store on Windows PC, as well as on Stadia, Amazon Luna and Ubisoft’s subscription service, Ubisoft+. Assassin’s Creed Valhalla will release on PlayStation®5 alongside the launch of the console on 12th November.

With development led by Ubisoft Montreal, Assassin’s Creed Valhalla offers players the captivating experience of playing as Eivor, a legendary Viking warrior, driven from Norway by endless wars and dwindling resources in ninth century AD. Players can relive the ruthless fighting style of Viking warriors with a revamped dual-wielding combat system and experience new gameplay features, including raids, settlement-building and the ability to customize hair, tattoos and more. Political alliances, combat decisions and dialogue choices can influence the world of Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, so players must choose wisely to protect their clan’s home and their future.

Watch the Assassin’s Creed Valhalla Launch Trailer HERE.

Players can also embark on more adventures with the Assassin’s Creed Valhalla Season Pass. Included in the Gold, Ultimate and Collector’s Editions, or available for purchase separately, the season pass includes:

• The Legend of Beowulf quest – In this exclusive quest, players will uncover the monstrous truth behind the legend of Beowulf, available on launch day.
• Expansion 1 – Wrath of the Druids (Spring 2021) – In this new adventure, players will journey to Ireland and unravel the secrets of an ancient and mysterious druidic cult, tracking and discovering their members. Diving into Gaelic myths and folklores, they’ll need to fight their way through haunted forests and dazzling landscapes while gaining influence among Gaelic kings.
• Expansion 2 – The Siege of Paris (Summer 2021) – In The Siege of Paris, players will have the chance to relive the most ambitious battle in Viking history with key historical figures of war-torn Frankia. During this key moment in history, players will infiltrate the fortified city of Paris and the River Seine under a prolonged siege, uncover enemy secrets and form strategic alliances to safeguard their clan’s future.

In addition, all players will have access to an extensive lineup of free seasonal content, including new narrative content and in-game events available after launch. Each season will last three months and will be accessible to all player types and levels of progression, focusing on gameplay, world evolution, and other exciting content. Season 1 will launch in December and includes:

• A new settlement area, allowing players to continue to grow and evolve their settlement.
• The Yule Festival, a traditional Viking festival for players to experience in their settlement.
• River Raids, a new game mode building on the game’s core raiding mechanic to deliver a dynamic, challenging and highly replayable raid experience.
• The addition of the Ranks for Jomsviking where players can not only create their lieutenant to be part of their raiding crew, but also recruit from their friends and the community. In Season 1, players will see an update to the Jomsviking feature, which will allow their Jomsviking to earn XP and rank up. The higher the rank of the lieutenant, the more silver players will earn when recruited by other players.
• Season 1 will also come with new player skills, abilities, weapons and gear, along with new cosmetic items for their settlement, long ship, horse and raven.

For more information about Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, please visit assassinscreed.com.

By Steven Messner @ PC Gamer

Assassin’s Creed Valhalla is my favorite Assassin’s Creed, which is saying something considering it’s a series that spans 23 games. It builds on the already excellent RPG foundations laid by Origins and Odyssey, but with meaningful improvements that iron out many of the frustrations I had with both games. Case in point: Not once during the 60-hour story was I told to stop and level up a bunch before I could take on the next quest. That also means Ubisoft isn’t selling optional experience boosts, either. Thank god.

Read the Review Here

Battlecruisers and battleships, including HMS Dreadnought, will join the battle

Gaijin Entertainment announces that the next major Content Update will bring battlecruisers and battleships. The Blue-water fleet with destroyers, cruisers and battleships will become the fifth type of military hardware in War Thunder, along with ground vehicles, aircraft, helicopters and coastal fleet.

War Thunder naval battles began with clashes of light and fast coastal forces ships, like torpedo boats, gunships and submarine chasers. Other types of ships including frigates, destroyers and cruisers were added to War Thunder later. The “New Power” update will bring colossal battlecruisers and battleships boasting heavy armor and large calibre guns.

These large ships will include the British battleship Dreadnought (“Дредноут”), the German battleship Westfalen, the US heavy cruiser New Orleans and many other famous ships. Dreadnought is probably the most famous from the list. The construction of this battleship at the beginning of the 20th century made fleets from other nations obsolete because of two key features: an “all-big-gun” armament scheme, with an unprecedented number of heavy-calibre guns, and steam turbine propulsion. Other countries rushed to counter this threat with similar war machines and as a result a whole generation of battleships from that era was commonly referred to as “dreadnoughts”.

The gameplay experience was always quite different for small and large vessels and this difference will only increase when the battleships arrive in the game. This is why the fleet tech trees will be split into two separate trees – coastal fleet and blue-navy fleet with separate progression schemes. Players will be able to use any ships they’ve already unlocked and to train existing ship crews to use any other ships. This decision will allow newcomers that are interested only in larger ships to skip small vessels altogether, start with destroyers and get to cruisers and battleships faster, while the developers will get more freedom to choose the ships for the upcoming updates. War Thunder massive naval battles will still involve all types of vessels from both coastal and blue-navy fleets meaning that fast torpedo boats and gunboats will fight together with large ships and aircraft to achieve team victory.

More information on fleet restructuring in War Thunder is available at the official website.

World of Warships sees the arrival of the new powerful U.S. battleships sub-branch in the game’s early access today with Update 0.9.9, including the Tier VIII Kansas and the Tier IX Minnesota. They form part of a new U.S. Battleships event available now. The update also includes new Directives, an upgraded Naval Base Port, and a new season of Clan Battles, among other things.

A new World of Warships trailer can be viewed here.

The new U.S. battleships feature powerful main armaments, good anti-torpedo protection, and great maneuverability. However, while their rudder is very responsive, the ships are rather slow for their type. Numerous main battery guns with a solid salvo weight and decent firing range can be found, but they come at the expense of longer gun reload times. Rounding out the battleships are their decent AA defenses which can be reinforced with the Defensive AA Fire consumable.

Players can obtain the VIII Kansas by completing Directives, and the IX Minnesota by opening random bundles in the Armory in exchange for Doubloons. By completing Directives players can get American Tokens, a new temporary resource that can be exchanged for bundles and other rewards in the Armory, including Gold Eagle permanent camouflages for U.S. Battleships.

The new update also starts a new Clan Battles Season in 7 vs 7 format for Tier X ships. Furthermore, Division Commanders will now have additional options to invite mercenaries – players outside their Clan to join their Divisions for Clan Battles.

With the release of Update 0.9.9, players will also be able to play on all World of Warships servers within one game client, without the need to install separate game instances for each region. The game server will be determined by the currently selected account in the Wargaming Game Center.

Update 0.9.9 also brings new visual and general improvements to World of Warships, follow this link for more details.

Visit the official World of Warships website now for more game info and to sign up for World of Warships for free!

World of Tanks launches brand-new event that will see the return of the notorious Waffenträger – pitting players against the beast in 7v1 battles

World of Tanks is excited to announce the launch of a brand-new event between September 28 and October 12, The Last Waffenträger! For the first time in World of Tanks history, players will be tasked with taking on a single enemy tank, a colossal Tier 10 tank destroyer – the Waffenträger Auf E 110.

Played across three breath-taking maps (Fisherman’s Bay, Studzianki and Redshire), tankers must work together as a team to vanquish the Waffenträger, destroying its AI-controlled sentinels to unlock upgrades for their tanks – and making the Waffenträger easier to attack.

The event will introduce 6-minute asymmetric warfare – and players can win a bespoke reward pack and earn the chance to command the Waffenträger themselves!

To take on the might of the Waffenträger, players will crew modernised T-55 tanks, using teamwork to outwit the immense power of the boss – and becoming more powerful as they destroy its sentinels, leaving the Waffenträger vulnerable to destruction.

At the apex of the event, the challenge becomes even more interesting; with tankers getting the chance to take on a Waffenträger Auf E 220 crewed by World of Tanks developers and celebrity guests! If a team destroys the Waffenträger Auf E 220 in these battles – then the whole team will win premium reward packs!

“Many tankers will remember the Waffenträger was previously playable in game, but its power proved too much, and so we had to address the balance by removing it” states Max Chuvalov, Publishing Director, World of Tanks. “But it seems that players were still attached to this mechanical behemoth, and asked us to bring the Waffenträger back. So, for this time limited event, we did. Get ready for fearsome battles and amazing prizes – because the Waffenträger is back with a vengeance!”

In game, separate battle missions will unlock exciting reward packs – including event themed vehicle customisation elements (2D styles, unique decals, emblems), in-game goodies and even the chance to play as the Waffenträger Auf E 110.

Watch the all new The Last Waffenträger: Riding the Legend Trailer HERE.

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

Winners will get four new rare military vehicles, including the modern Merkava tank

Gaijin Entertainment announces the start of the “Strategist” event in the military online action War Thunder. Players collect toy soldiers and use them to attack enemy lines on the strategic map. Four new exclusive vehicles will serve as rewards: the Merkava Mk.3D main battle tank, a BI fighter interceptor, the Lübeck frigate and the Sd.Kfz.251/10 armoured vehicle. The event will last until October, 5th.

“Strategist” event players attack figurines that represent enemy armies, sabotage buildings, break through defensive lines and collect secret documents that can be exchanged for prizes. All resources and toy soldiers for the “Strategist” event can be obtained by playing classic War Thunder session battles.

The Merkava Mk.3D is a later modification of the well-known Israeli main battle tank that remained in production until 2003. It gained a new 120 mm smoothbore cannon, a better engine and new electronic equipment that includes thermal sights and a laser warning system.

Watch the trailer here.

The BI is the first Soviet rocket-powered aircraft, designed during WWII and envisioned to become a short-range defensive interceptor. The aircraft’s rocket propulsion allows it to get into the action fast, thanks to high acceleration, top speed and climb rate, but at the same time, prevents it from lingering in combat for too long due to its limited fuel supply of just 2 minutes with WEP mode. This aircraft didn’t take part in active combat, but the insights gained were later used for other projects during the Cold War.

Lübeck is a Köln-class frigate, built in the 1960’s and represents one of the first larger warships built by Germany after WW 2.

The Sd.Kfz.251/10 is a variant of the well-known and widely used German WW 2 halftrack, equipped with a 3.7cm anti-tank cannon for increased firepower.

The full description of the “Strategist” event and the prizes is available at the official War Thunder Website.

A new episode of the game’s Battle Royale event kicks off later this month

A brand-new episode of Steel Hunter, World of Tanks’ most popular event, kicks off on September 21. For one week, players will be able to see who’s the best on the battlefield in the game’s very own Battle Royale. Tankers can also expect more episodes to come in October and November of this year, each bringing unique rewards.

Steel Hunter sees 20 lone wolves or 10 platoons battle it out to be the last tank (or tanks) standing. Tankers will need to loot items found on the map (such as precious ammunition, Battle XP and HP refills) or take them from destroyed vehicles. Players must be careful though as a safe spot can become a Danger Zone, which will quickly see them leave the battlefield.

2020 has brought some changes to Steel Hunter: there are now more tanks: 5 compared to last year’s 3. Each of these vehicles has their own specific roles (Scout, Hunter or Survivor) to perform in battle, which is reflected by their in-game regular abilities and ultimates as well as the way they handle and their crew skills and/or perks. Also, players who’ve yet to brave the Steel Hunter mode this year will notice a brand-new map: Arzagir 4.04.

“The new episode of Steel Hunter is coming later this month, and in 2020, the experience of our most popular event has just gotten better,” states Max Chuvalov, Publishing Director, World of Tanks. “Players have been really enjoying the new additions, and what’s better the return of the same gameplay and battles they know and love!”

Along the Steel Hunter journey players will be duly rewarded and the main prize for each episode is something that tankers can show off on the battlefield to let people know just how skilled they are: a unique 2D style.

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