MMORPGs

Update 0.8.9 sees early access launch of new nation, while also kicking off Halloween celebrations with return of Saving Transylvania and Sunray in the Darkness Operations

Wargaming has today rolled out the latest update for World of Warships – 0.8.9 – which sees the launch of the brand-new Italian cruiser line into early access of the popular online naval combat game. The introduction of the Italian cruisers comes with new mechanics, a game event with new directives, the new Taranto Port, and much more.

A new video for update 0.8.9 can be viewed HERE.

Update 0.8.9 also kicks off the Halloween celebrations with the return of the popular Saving Transylvania and Sunray in the Darkness Operations. The second Halloween phase will be available from October 31st and will bring to light a new game mode “Raid for the Filth” allowing players to do battle against otherworldly forces while their own ships slowly transform from man-made machines into gigantic sea monsters.

A new developer diary taking an in-depth look at update 0.8.9 including the new cruisers of the Italian Navy and the Halloween event, can be viewed HERE.

The Italian warships included in update 0.8.9 present the first researchable branch of the Italian Navy. Players can now get early access to the first Italian cruisers with the introduction of the Raimondo Montecuccoli (Tier V), Trento (Tier VI), Zara (Tier VII) and Amalfi (Tier VIII). The new cruisers are notable for their maneuverability and powerful 203 mm guns on Tier VI ships and upwards. Two new mechanics are also introduced:

• Semi-armor-piercing (SAP) shells combine certain characteristics of both AP and HE shells to steadily inflict large amounts of regular damage to enemy ships, but are unable to start a fire.
• The Exhaust Smoke Generator is a unique consumable that can conceal a player’s ship without it having to reduce speed.

A new game event gives players the opportunity to earn special rewards, including new containers and a new temporary resource: Italian Tokens. These can be exchanged in the Armory for permanent and expendable camouflages, signals, days of Warships Premium Account, credits, Random Bundles or event containers for a chance to unlock early access to the Italian Cruisers. Finally, players will have the opportunity to admire their recently acquired ships in the brand-new Taranto Port.

The spookiest day of the year, Halloween, will see the start of the new “Raid for the Filth” game mode. Players will be able to research and command magic-infused ships across three different branches: destroyers, cruisers, and battleships. They will face off against other human opponents as well as hordes of dark forces controlled by AI. The main objective is to gather Filth, a special resource, both from set locations or from defeated enemies before escaping through a centrally situated portal. Filth can then be exchanged in the Armory for valuable rewards such as credits or random bundles for new permanent camouflages, signals, XP and much more.

Finally, in Update 0.8.9, players can keep on celebrating Halloween as long as they want with a new set of creepy, monster-styled permanent camouflages.

Visit the official World of Warships website now to sign up and play World of Warships for free!

New kind of ray tracing technology developed by Wargaming and Intel will improve the visual fidelity of World of Tanks on any PC supporting DirectX 11 and above; even on notebooks with the latest generations of Intel integrated graphics

Introduced in March 2018 as part of Update 1.0, the Core graphics engine significantly improved the visual fidelity of World of Tanks. Now it’s time to move forward and integrate new technologies into the core engine. One of them will be a new form of ray tracing that will bring close to displaying real-life shadows that can be run on any graphics cards that supports DirectX 11. That means that it could be even enabled on the latest notebooks with the latest generations of Intel integrated graphics without a special graphics card with hardware ray tracing support.

The correct implementation of shadows has been one of the industry’s biggest problems for a long time. In Wargaming’s case, it was implementing correct vehicle shadows and being in a constant balance between quality and performance. At one point the vehicles in World of Tanks became more detailed than their shadows and it was time for a change.

Intel had a library called Intel Embree for a long time. It specializes in quick BVH building and has been mostly used in offline applications, the movie industry, computer-animated films and so on. During the collaboration and consulting Intel’s advanced rendering team, Wargaming comes with a solution and implemented the multi-core technology and solutions for concurrent rendering in update 1.4, the Intel Embree technology which took less than a week.

It visually will get close to displaying real-life shadows as they will be sharp or soft in those very places where they should be, as they will try to mimic real-life shadow behavior. “Ray tracing is a true revolution in video game graphics that is happening before our eyes—and we at Wargaming are among the revolutionaries,” says Bronislav Sviglo, World of Tanks Render Team Lead. “The development of ray-traced shadow tech with the help of our partners from Intel is just the beginning. Take a look at the fruits of our labor today—download World of Tanks enCore RT!”

These shadows are only the start and much more can be done with the help of this new technology. Realistic reflections ambient occlusion, global illumination and the whole frame, in general, can be generated using it, but billions of rays for one frame need to be processed to do so. Currently no computer can do it in real-time and it will be a long time until it’s possible, but you will be already able to enjoy the ray-traced shadow in World of Tanks in the very near future.

We decided to use World of Tanks enCore as we did before the update 1.0 release. World of Tanks enCore will now let our players try ray tracing in-game, you can already download the World of Tanks enCore RT app. Launch it, adjust the rate tracing quality, check if your computer can handle it and see the visual difference.

From October 15, World of Tanks enCore RT will be available to download at: https://wotencore.net/en-eu/

Take a look at the video where those behind the ray tracing tech explain how it works.

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

The new event will allow players to obtain rare military vehicles by performing well on the battlefield

Gaijin Entertainment announces the start of the Operation Shipyard event in the military online action game, War Thunder. Participating players will be able to get four rare vehicles – an MBK-161 armoured boat, the VT 1-2 SPG, a Whirlwind P.9 fighter and the H-34 helicopter.

The most interesting prize is the German experimental VT 1-2 self-propelled gun that was developed in Germany in the early 70’s as part of the replacement program for the more traditional tanks. The VT1-2 has two powerful 120 mm guns without any conventional traverse – the cannons are rotated using the whole hull via the tracks. As was the case with the actual constructed prototype, the in-game version of the VT1-2 has been modeled without the use of armoured steel, so it does not have much protection and the players would be better to rely on its firepower and mobility.

While Operation Shipyard runs, players will get materials and blueprints they need to produce the armoured boat parts and assemble the whole vehicle. For a completed MBK-161, players will get vouchers that can be exchanged for event vehicles or sold in the market. In order to get access to the VT 1-2 and H-34, players should also collect tank blueprints. There are two ways for those who want to get the new vehicles as fast as possible: players can either play well and finish their battles in first place more often, or purchase the missing items in the Market.

The full details of the Operation Shipyard event are available HERE.

For more game information and to download War Thunder, please visit the official War Thunder website.

Update 0.8.8 brings two new battleships and in-game rewards ahead of birthday stream on September 20 featuring sneak peek into future plans

Wargaming is celebrating World of Warships’ fourth birthday with the arrival of update 0.8.8 today, which brings two new ships next to a variety of rewards for dedicated players of the popular online game to unlock. To keep in the festive mood, the renowned developer and publisher has also announced that a global birthday stream, lifting the veil on future plans, will go live on Friday the 20th of September at 16:00 UTC time.

A teaser video can be viewed here.

World of Warships celebrates its 4th anniversary by giving players the opportunity to earn supercontainers for their first victory aboard Tier X ships in the new update 0.8.8. First wins on lower tier ships will also give players valuable rewards, such as special signals and an exclusive Anniversary camouflage. New combat missions have been added for the occasion, and completing them will reward prospective commanders with three additional supercontainers, as well as a container unlocking a random Tier VI Premium ship.

Update 0.8.8. also features two new Tier X ships: the British Thunderer and the American Ohio battleships. The Thunderer is an alternative take on its close cousin, the Conqueror, and sports 457 mm guns with very high shell damage, have good accuracy and a fast reload time. The new British battleship comes with a less effective Repair party consumable than that of the Conqueror but will be able to use it once more than its sister-ship. The American Ohio battleship features eight 457 mm guns and powerful secondary armament. This, combined with a shorter reload on the Repair Party consumable, as well as its decent armor make the Ohio a well-suited ship for close to medium range skirmishes.

Furthermore, update 0.8.8. features two Ranked Sprints, each allowing players to earn up to 10 000 coal to be exchanged in the Armory for Premium ships. Clans will also get their share with two Clan brawls opposing teams of 3 players on smaller maps for especially intense naval combat. Finally, a host of modifications and improvements are included, with a massive overhaul for the sound system for more realistic and immersive battles, a large increase in the Armory’s stock with the addition of multiple premium ships, and updated maps with new lighting models.

A global birthday stream for World of Warships will go live on Friday the 20th September with a fun retrospective on the past year, as well as a sneak peek on what’s to come for World of Warships. For the anniversary, multiple gifts will be given out during the stream, with a chance for players to earn a premium ship. The global stream can be watched from 16:00 UTC time on World of Warships official YouTube channel.

Further details on the Update 0.8.8. can be found here.

Visit the official World of Warships website now to sign up and play World of Warships for free!

Tactical Hide and Seek For Higher Ranked Vehicles as Helicopters and Tanks Equip Night Vision and Thermal Aids for Low Light and Night Time Combat

Gaijin Entertainment today announced that War Thunder will receive a new major Content Update this September, nicknamed “Night Vision”. It will bring a lot of new content, including the eighth playable nation – China.

The initial line-up of Chinese vehicles available in War Thunder features tanks, fighter aircraft and bombers which were used during World World II or shortly after, and will show just how turbulent the history of the country’s military in the 20th century was. Players will be able to try aircraft employed by foreign volunteers from the Flying Tigers regiment that helped China fight against Imperial Japan, captured Japanese vehicles, military imports from the USSR that became part of China’s military as well as local variants of Soviet MiG jets and American Patton tanks. Each vehicle that will become a part of War Thunder’s initial Chinese vehicle tree was historically used by China at some point: The Henschel Hs 123A-1, for example, was imported by the Chinese Nationalist forces from Nazi Germany and was used against the Imperial Japanese Navy during battles at the Yangtze river.

Immediately after the release of the “Night Vision” Update, all players will get access to a first selection of Chinese ground vehicles and aircraft. Players who wish to gain access to the entire Chinese tech tree as fast as possible can do so by fulfilling a series of in-game tasks in War Thunder, or by purchasing one of the Chinese pre-order packs that include a premium vehicle, in-game currency, premium account time and cosmetic items. One of the packs will grant access to the aircraft tech tree and the other one will unlock the ground vehicles tech tree.

Another important part of the new update and a significant expansion to the gameplay of War Thunder on higher ranks is the introduction of night vision devices and thermal sights. For the latter, the game will calculate the temperature of each component of a vehicle, i.e. the gun or tracks, and show their temperature accordingly. The hotter components get, the more visible – and thus more vulnerable to detection – the affected vehicles will become. On the other hand, tankers in War Thunder will then be able to turn off their engines to decrease their vehicle’s temperature, e.g. to prepare for ambushes. Night vision devices, which allow increased visibility in dimly lit conditions or darkness, will not only be available to tanks, but helicopters as well – including the modern Eurocopter Tiger, which is also included in this update. Of course, this also means that there will be an increased chance for night time encounters in higher-ranked ground forces battles.

More information about the Chinese vehicle tree, new vehicle models from other nations and the night vision and thermal sight features are available at the official War Thunder website.

Wargaming pulls the curtain on the long-awaited ship class for its popular naval combat game with a brand new cinematic trailer and gameplay video

After recently announcing the upcoming arrival of submarines as playable vessels in World of Warships, publisher and developer Wargaming has unveiled more details on their unique features as well as their plans for the launch of the long-awaited ship class during gamescom 2019.

Watch the brand-new cinematic trailer and a gameplay video showing the submarines combat abilities!

Three nations will be the first to receive these stealthy combat machines, including:

• The United States: the Cachalot (Tier VI), Salmon (Tier VIII) and Balao (Tier X).
• Germany: the U-69 (Tier VI), U-190 (Tier VIII) and U-2501 (Tier X).
• USSR: the S-1 (Tier VI), L-20 (Tier VIII) and K1 (Tier X).

In the next couple of weeks, players will be able to get a first glimpse of submarines during the upcoming Super Test phase. Prospective commanders can already look forward to this fall’s PvP event, which will let them try out submarines from the first three nations for a limited time to evaluate the changes brought by the introduction of the new ship-class before its actual release. Wargaming is looking to expand the selection of submarines to other nations in the future, with the Japanese fleet to follow, as well as the future introduction of additional researchable and premium ships.

The uniqueness of submarines resides in their ability to appear in places where they are least expected, dislodging enemy ships from choke points via surgical torpedo volleys before disappearing again. Submarines will have the best stealth capabilities in the game, as they will be able to dive below the ocean surface and evade visual detection as long as their supply of oxygen allows it.

This brand-new ability will let players launch surprise attacks on the enemy team and become invulnerable to most types of damage. Submarines will however be relatively slow and have the least amount of hit points, requiring from prospective commanders thoughtful use of their unique mechanics, as well as good positioning and situational awareness to turn the tides of battle.

When submerged, submarines will lose vision of enemies in the battle. They will need to plot their course and detect other ships with the help of another new mechanic, the hydrophone. This feature will allow them to determine the direction to the nearest enemy ships and visualise their surroundings when diving, actively helping them with their spatial awareness.

Players will also gain the ability to adjust their aim after firing and to alter their torpedoes’ course by pinging certain parts of an enemy ship using their sonar. This new feature will however be a double-edged blade, as it will show the submarine’s position on the minimap for a short period of time.

The introduction of submarines will also bring new weapons and mechanics specifically designed to counter them. Destroyers will be particularly efficient at hunting down submarines and special zones will appear on the surface once they get close to their prey. Once they’ve acquired a target, destroyers will be able to use brand-new weapons designed to sink submarines hiding at high depth: the anti-submarine mortars and depth charges, which will be activated automatically when they sail above their opponents.

Wargaming has also launched today the new update 0.8.7., the second of the French Arc, which lets player research and unlock the complete line of French Destroyers.

Visit the official World of Warships website now to sign up and play World of Warships for free!

First U-boats ready for testing

Developer and publisher Wargaming today confirmed that they’re working on adding submarines as playable vessels in World of Warships, the premier online naval combat game. Closed testing will begin in a couple of weeks and as usual players participating in the World of Warships Supertest will be the first to try out and provide feedback on the new vehicle class.

The initial test phase will feature four playable submarines representing the US Navy and the German Kriegsmarine. More details about submarine models and their unique features will be revealed at gamescom 2019.

The fundamental nature of naval warfare shifted dramatically with the coming of advanced submarines and the new tactics they introduced. Going below sea level will open a completely new dimension for players, who have been asking for this iconic class of ships since the game was launched in 2015. Right now, World of Warships offers more than 300 historical warships to play with, divided into four different ship classes – destroyers, cruisers, battleships and aircraft carriers.

“World of Warships has continually evolved with new gameplay mechanics, innovative game modes and rich content since its release,” said Artur Plociennik, Executive Producer of World of Warships. “The uniqueness of submarines poses very interesting design challenges for our team, which we hope to be able to turn into novel new gameplay tactics for our players and to make online naval combat more exciting than ever before. We are always looking for new ways to make our audience happy and we’re aiming to fulfill every player’s fantasy of WW2 submarine operations.”

Stay in touch with World of Warships to find out more as we progress through development and release more details on this upcoming content.

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!

Head over to the official World of Warships website now to sign up and play World of Warships for free!

Gaijin Entertainment today announced the start of the Operation H.E.A.T. player event in War Thunder. From August 2nd to August 26th, players are able to complete in-game tasks in battle to get six new and exclusive vehicles: the BT-7 (F-32) light tank, Bf 110 C-6 heavy fighter, River class (K-246) frigate, AUBL/74 HVG armoured car, P-59A jet fighter and Yūdachi destroyer, as well as camouflages and decals.

The new and exclusive vehicles will be interesting to military history fans and seasoned War Thunder veterans alike, both for their historical and tactical significance.

• BT-7 (F-32): In 1939, a single BT-7 light tank was equipped with the 76 mm F-32 tank cannon for testing purposes. The high speed of the BT-7 (F-32) allows players to outmaneuver their enemies, while the upgraded high-caliber cannon can take on most enemies in low-rank battles head on.
• P-59A Airacomet: The P-59A is the very first American jet fighter. Developed during World War II, it was never used in real combat. In War Thunder, the Airacomet will finally be able to prove its worth on Rank IV, fighting alongside top piston-engined aircraft which are more or less equal in combat strength.
• AUBL/74 HVG: This modification of the powerful FIAT AUBL/74 is equipped with a high-velocity 60mm cannon featuring a two-plane stabilizer. Its light armor makes it a nimble opponent, able to snipe accurately at enemies over long distances.
• Bf 110C-6: The C-6 modification of Germany’s “Zerstörer” series of aircraft is part of a special program to outfit the Bf 110 fighter with a heavy cannon armament. Units outfitted with the C-6 were used during the Battle of France in anti-tank duty. In War Thunder, they will be a formidable force to deploy both against ground and large air targets, such as bombers.
• River-class Frigate: The Royal Navy’s River-class rose to reputation by escorting convoys, fighting Axis submarines and supporting ground troops during the D-Day landings. With cannons ranging from 20mm to 102mm, it is effective against aircraft and small warships.
• Shiratsuyu-class Destroyer Yūdachi: The Yuudachi was part of the famous “Tokyo Express”, which ran night-supply runs to the embattled Japanese forces on Guadalcanal. With five 127mm primary cannons and two four-barreled torpedo launchers, it is a formidable warship in War Thunder.

To participate in Operation H.E.A.T. and to get access to the exclusive vehicles, players can participate in regular Random Battles, where they earn distinct “Marks of Distinction” for tankers, pilots and captains. By earning enough “Marks of Distinction”, players can unlock prizes, such as decals, camouflages and the aforementioned vehicles. For example, tankers will receive a coupon for the BT-7 (F-32)with five “Marks of Distinction” , a special camouflage for the BT-7 (F-32) with six, the AUBL/74 HVG with ten, and so on. Players can use the vehicle coupons to unlock the vehicles for their own account, or sell them to other players on the Gaijin Market.

Click here for a full list of prizes and more details on the event.

For more game information and to download War Thunder, please visit the official War Thunder website.

Update 0.8.6 introduces first French Destroyers, new missions and map.

Developer and publisher Wargaming has launched the new major update 0.8.6. for its popular naval combat game World of Warships. The update gives players the opportunity to unlock the upcoming French Destroyers early through new directives and missions. The first update of the French arc also comes with a brand new map and new seasons of Clan and Ranked Battles.

A new video presenting the update and the French Destroyers is available HERE.

The update 0.8.6. celebrates the French Navy, adding dozens of missions with great rewards at stake for players who complete them, including the opportunity to unlock the Tier V Premium French Destroyer Siroco and earn exclusive containers. Alongside signals and original camouflages, these containers will have a chance to unlock a special mission which, upon completion, will award players with one of the brand new French Destroyers, available in Early Access with this month’s update: the Jaguar (Tier V), the Guépard (Tier VI), the Vauquelin (Tier VII), and Le Fantasque (Tier VIII).

This month’s update also brings a new look for the Port of Marseille, which has been redecorated for the occasion and now features a myriad of hot-air balloons bearing the French colours. Many ships will be marked with the Symbol of France, offering players either Coal or Republic Tokens, a new temporary resource, for their first victory aboard these ships. These tokens can be exchanged for four consecutive bundles featuring a wealth of in-game
items. Once players have obtained all these bundles, 30 new ones will be made available in exchange for doubloons, with one of them immediately unlocking the Tier IX French Destroyer, the Mogador.

The embodiment of naval ambush predators, French Destroyers compensate their lack of Smoke Generator by a specific distribution of HP making them surprisingly resilient, their manoeuvrability and a higher speed than their counterparts, further enhanced through an upgraded Engine Boost consumable. Agility is not the only strength of these ships, as they enjoy at high Tiers comfortable ballistics, devastating Armor Piercing shells and have access to the Main Battery Reload Booster consumable, significantly increasing their damage output for a short time. In the right conditions, the French Destroyers’ firepower and survivability allow them to inflict considerable damage to even larger ships such as cruisers, making them able to surprise and take out threats that would otherwise prove fatal.

The update 0.8.6. also introduces the brand new Crash Zone Alpha map to the game. Inspired by the white cliffs of Dover, this map is available for Tier VIII to Tier X battles in Domination mode in two versions, with three and four key areas respectively. The map will be particularly interesting to Clan Battles fans, as the home key areas of the teams will be located close to each other, inciting prospective commanders to reconsider their usual strategies.

Finally, the update comes with loads of improvements and modifications, including new seasons of Ranked and Clan Battles, a new sunny weather for the Greece map, and balance changes.

The team has also announced the long-awaited Italian Navy and its Cruiser line, as well as the upcoming launch of the new European nation in closed testing. This nation will have three ships available at first: the Viribus Unitis (Austria-Hungary, Tier V), the Błyskawica (Poland, Tier VII) and the Friesland (Netherlands, Tier IX).

Further details on the update 0.8.6. are available HERE.

Head over to the official World of Warships website now to sign up and play World of Warships for free!

Four teams of three commanders face off against each other in a savage struggle for resources

Developer and publisher Wargaming just released a new post-apocalyptic Battle Royale mode for their popular naval combat game World of Warships. Rogue Wave, a temporary battle mode set in a dark and toxic sea world is coming as part of the new 0.8.5 Update, which also introduces two new seasons of Ranked Sprint and few mechanical and cosmetic changes.

A brand new trailer for the post-apocalyptic Rogue Wave mode is available here.

In Rogue Wave, World of Warships’ new temporary Battle Royale mode, players will face off in four teams of three over resources in the flooded ruins of a sunken city, adding the ability for more than two teams to battle for the first time to World of Warships. Players will start with no consumable items, and will have to navigate a world on the brink of collapse with nothing but their ship and her armaments to defend themselves from other players. Other players aren’t the only threat, however, as throughout the match a wall of Wild Fire will steadily engulf the battlefield, pushing players closer and closer together, lest they get caught in the Fire and quickly lose HP.

Rogue Wave features three new ship classes specifically designed for the mode. The Octopus gathers ships armed with powerful torpedoes and low detectability, though featuring automated main batteries. The Moray Eel is comprised of highly maneuverable ships, designed for aggressive close quarter brawls, whereas the ships belonging to the Barracuda class are formidable vessels focusing on speed and powerful main battery guns.

Alongside Rogue Wave’s temporary Battle Royale mode, 0.8.5 introduces four Directives featuring ten missions each. Accomplishing these missions will enable players to earn Fuel Tokens and various other in-game items. Fuel Tokens can then be spent in the Armory on exclusive consumable post-apocalyptic camouflage, credits, Premium Account time and even a new Premium ship, the Benham – a Tier IX American destroyer, equipped with 16 torpedoes – a record for this Tier – and featuring unique post-apocalyptic camouflage as well as a new commander.

Additionally, the 0.8.5 update will introduce two new seasons of Ranked Sprints, where players will compete in 6v6 battles, while controlling Tier VII ships. Season 5 battles will be played in Domination mode, whereas Season 6 will feature Epicenter mode.

This update will also include Clan Brawl – a series of battles where clans will fight against one another over a single day for Steel and other valuable items, as well as a host of improvements and modifications, including new mechanics for damage inflicted to ships and shell penetration, a reworked minimap which now displays only the necessary information and much more.

Further details on the update 0.8.5. are available here and can be seen in the dev diary video here.

Head over to the official World of Warships website now to sign up for World of Warships for free!