Action/Strategy

Dozens of other famous vehicles will join the massive military online action game

Gaijin Entertainment announces that the Swedish ground vehicles will be the main theme of the next major Content Update “Viking Fury” for the the military online action game War Thunder, but there will be new ground, air and naval vehicles for other nations as well – more than 60 completely new war machines in total. For example, the Soviet navy will get the light cruiser Sverdlov commissioned right after World War II, while the US Air Force will get the Vietnam era Douglas A-4B Skyhawk jet.

Swedish tanks might not be as famous as the vehicles produced by the countries that actually participated in 20th century wars, but they have been developed with both neighbors’ combat experience and local landscape features in mind, leading to unique and very practical designs. With the next major update War Thunder players will be able to try out how these vehicles, ranging from the light pre-war models like Strv m/31 and Strv m/40L to the contemporary designs like Strf 90C, would manage against the ground vehicles of the larger tank-building powers. By the way, real Swedish tanks did have some combat experience. For example, the Santo Domingo rebels used the Strv m/40L tanks against US Army M48 Pattons, while various variants of the Strf 90 have been used by Sweden, Denmark and Norway in the ongoing Afghanistan war.

The Sverdlov was the first of the Soviet Project 68bis light cruisers that were built using all the accumulated World War II military experience gained. It boasted highly effective anti-air weapons, had good armor and great combat range. The Sverdlov was launched and carried out combat duties in the waters of the Baltic Sea and Atlantic Ocean until her lay-up in 1978. She never saw real action, but became famous when the Soviet delegation arrived in London aboard the Sverdlov for coronation of Elizabeth II amidst Cold War hostilities.

The Douglas A-4 Skyhawk was a very cost-effective and easy to operate ground attack and fighter jet developed right after the Korean war. The A-4B’s primary armament consists of two 20mm Colt Mk.12 cannons, while the secondary ordnance options range from unguided rockets, such as the Mighty Mouse or Zunis, through guided missiles such as the Bullpups and Sidewinder air-to-air missile to standard unguided bombs as well as additional 20mm gunpods. Skyhawks saw action even after Vietnam, most importantly in the Falklands war (used by the Argentinian Air Force), and were based on the Brazilian aircraft carrier Sao Paulo until her decommissioning in 2018.

Follow the news at the official War Thunder website to find out more about the next content update that is scheduled to arrive in mid-March.

The update brings a new researchable British heavy cruiser tech tree, together with highly decorated commander Admiral Cunningham, as well as new Ranked Battles Season, new map, and much more!

The powerful Royal Navy upgrades today in World of Warships with the full release of British heavy cruisers, as well as a new historical commander, the highly decorated admiral Andrew Cunningham, whose impressive resolution and military skills were decisive during WWII.

The Royal Navy gets a massive expansion in World of Warships today with the latest update that brings a new researchable tech tree with six heavy cruisers. Update 0.9.1 will also see the introduction of the historical commander Andrew Cunningham, whose impressive resolution and military skills during World War 2 were highly decorated. New World of Warships update will also bring a new Ranked Battle Season, a new map and more.

A new World of Warships video can be viewed HERE.

With the release of Update 0.9.1. six new British heavy cruisers in Tiers V-X will be fully available in World of Warships. The new ships are Hawkins (Tier V), Devonshire (Tier VI), Surrey (Tier VII), Albemarle (Tier VIII), Drake (Tier IX), Goliath (Tier X). Read more about the history of the original ships: British Heavy Cruisers: Ships History. Alongside these ships, a brand new premium cruiser London (Tier VI) will be available to those who finish four Directives.

The new commander Cunningham’s talents are perfect for players that want to increase the speed of their ships or reduce the reload time of the ship’s main battery guns and torpedo launchers. Cunningham also has the ability to increase the number of consumable charges of your ship by one when destroying two enemy ships. This unique British commander can be obtained from the Armory in exchange for Royal Tokens, a new temporary resource, which can be gained from Daily shipments or for completing Daily Missions and the four new Directives.

Admiral Andrew Cunningham enjoyed an illustrious career during World War 2 and was awarded more than twenty decorations. Under his leadership, the Royal Navy managed to save 16,500 men during the Axis’ invasion of Crete in May 1941. World of Warships makes a tribute to Cunningham’s decorated and impressive career.

The new update also brings a new Ranked Battles Season focused on Tier X ships of all types in 7vs7 combat featuring the updated Arms Race mode. For those players looking for a new warzone, Update 0.9.1 deploys a new map – “Northern Waters” – which was designed for Tier VIII–X battles in the Epicenter and Domination modes, including three distinct capture areas.

Further details on the Update 0.9.1 can be found here. Assets for World of Warships can be found in our press room.

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

A new update for World of Tanks brings double-barreled heavies with an impressive firing mechanic to the battlefield

Today World of Tanks welcomes the first update of 2020: 1.7.1. The new version features, among other things, a trio of heavies brandishing a couple of large-caliber guns each. Here’s what you need to know before rushing to research them to take these formidable armored vehicles for a spin.

The double-barreled newcomers are all Soviet, sitting at Tiers VIII, IX, and X in an all-new branch stemming from the KV-3 at Tier VII. They are capable of firing their twin guns consecutively or in thundering salvos (the latter requiring some time to prepare).

The first in this new line of heavies is the IS-2-II. Those tankers who found an Object 703 II in their New Year Boxes should feel right at home with the IS-2-II as they handle similarly. However, the new, researchable Tier VIII gunslinger will forsake some of its one-time damage for a faster reload time.

At Tier IX, players will be introduced to the IS-3-II and its firm handshake, one capable of dealing 390 points of damage in a single shot. And finally, at Tier X they will tame the ST-II. It’s much like the ST-I already present in the game: it’s as well-armored and utilizes the same 122-mm gun that’s able to inflict 440 points of damage with a standard round. The difference is, the ST-II brings two of these guns to a fight.

“The concept of double-barreled tanks haunted many a tank engineer,” says Max Chuvalov, World of Tanks Publishing Director at Wargaming. “But due to various reasons no such project has ever been brought to life. Yet in our game you can ride these monsters into battle looking just as they would have come to be.”

Besides the two-barreled Soviet heavies, Update 1.7.1 offers tankers a very useful tool: the Demount Kit. It allows players to demount equipment from a vehicle without any Gold cost. And for those who like making their tanks look stunning, they will have access to several new 3D styles.

Learn more about Update 1.7.1 by watching the “Double-Barreled Soviet Tanks!” Trailer HERE.

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

Military Simulation Fans Will be Able to Participate in Joint Operations of Air, Naval and Ground Forces

Gaijin Entertainment announced that the second season of World War mode called “Attack from the Sea” will arrive in War Thunder, the military online action game, very soon. This time players will be able to reconstruct famous historical battles using not only ground and air forces, but also naval units. The new season will see the US army defending the Philippine island of Luzon from the Imperial Japanese forces, while the Soviets will try to land their troops on the Crimean peninsula occupied by the Germans. Two inland battle scenarios will also be available – the battle for Caen and Operation Nordwind.

Watch the World War: Season 2 / War Thunder Trailer HERE.

In World War mode the commanders of either side move air and ground armies on a strategic map, and when those armies meet, their clash is resolved with a battle session between players. The second season will add new types of armies like coastal artillery, landing ships and boat, destroyer and cruiser squadrons. New types of battle sessions include the defense of landing units convoys, air defense of coastal artillery and daring boat raids against heavy cruisers. The result of each clash influences the situation on the strategy map and the outcome of the whole operation.

Only vehicles that actually participated in the historical battle are permitted in World War battle reconstruction. Players that have not unlocked those vehicles or have not even tried that specific nation tech tree yet, will still be able to use them. During the first season of World War, the game provided the basic modifications only for the vehicles, but in the second season players will get fully upgraded tanks, ships and planes. Players will also have more freedom to choose the specific vehicles they want to use where it does not contradict historical accuracy.

More detailed information on the new season of World War is available at the official War Thunder website.

Ships deploy into World of Warships early access with new British Cruisers event bringing new Directives, British Tokens and Random Bundles 

The mighty Royal Navy has expanded in World of Warships today with the deployment of a new series of British heavy cruisers. The new ships come as part of a new British Cruisers event, introducing British Tokens, new Directives and Random Bundles, which is going live with today’s update 0.9.0.

Wargaming will also be celebrating the upcoming Lunar New Year with exciting new content, including new Pan-Asian ships, as well as rolling out a new season of Clan battles season in the later stages of the update cycle.

A new World of Warships update video can be viewed HERE.

The new British Cruisers event allows players to unlock four new heavy cruisers in Tiers V-VIII by spending British Tokens, a new temporary resource, to obtain random bundles in the Armory. The new ships are the Hawkins (Tier V), Devonshire (Tier VI), Surrey (Tier VII), Albemarle (Tier VIII) and come equipped with the regal Victorian White permanent camouflage.

The new British heavy cruisers come with a considerable amount of firepower which they utilize best at medium ranges. Also equipped with torpedoes, the cruisers’ survivability is considerable thanks to its strong armor distribution and effective Repair party. The British tokens may be obtained from Daily shipments or for completing Daily Missions and the four new Directives.

The second part of update 0.9.0 will bring Lunar New Year celebration to World of Warships with a theme from the classic Chinese novel Journey to the West. In celebration, three new Pan-Asian ships will be making their debut bringing with them unique commanders, flags, patches and permanent camouflages.

A select number of ships have been upgraded to premium status, allowing them to earn more credits for their owners once unlocked. These are the ARP Kongo, ARP Kirishima, ARP Haruna, ARP Hiei, ARP Myoko, ARP Nachi, ARP Ashigara, ARP Haguro and ARP Takao, as well as Southern Dragon and Eastern Dragon. Lastly, a new season of Clan battles will be introduced letting players take part in 7v7 battles on Tier X ships for the chance to win steel and other rewards.

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

Players can win the experimental Soviet heavy fighter, a British self-propelled gun and more

Gaijin Entertainment announces the start of the Operation F.R.O.S.T. player event in War Thunder. From December the 20th, 2019 until January the 13th, 2020, players will be able to complete in-game tasks in battle to get six new and exclusive vehicles: the TIS MA heavy fighter, the QF 3.7 RAM SPG, a 94 FT PT-811 torpedo boat, the J6K1 interceptor, the MERKAVA MK.2B tank and a Type 1924 JAGUAR destroyer, as well as Christmas decorations and other prizes.

Each one of the newest vehicle types is special. For example, the twin-engine TIS MA is designed to escort long-range bombers and it is a real monster carrying four cannons, bombs, two types of rockets and a large calibre defensive machine gun. The Type 1924 Jaguar is a well-balanced German destroyer armed with 105mm rapid-fire guns and torpedoes. The QF 3.7 Ram SPG — is an attempt to combine the excellent 94mm anti-aircraft gun and the reliable chassis of the Ram tank into a self-propelled artillery system.

Operation F.R.O.S.T. tasks are rewarded with various prizes, including vehicle coupons. Players can use these coupons to unlock the vehicles for their own account, or sell them to other players on the Gaijin Market.

For a full list of prizes and more details on the event, read HERE.

About War Thunder
War Thunder is a free-to-play, cross-platform, massively multiplayer military masterpiece with millions of fans worldwide, that allows players on PC, PlayStation®4, Xbox One, Mac and Linux to fight their way across air, land, and sea in the same battlefield. War Thunder offers 1,500+ playable aircraft, armored vehicles and ships from the early 1930s to the 2000s. The US, Soviet, British, German, Italian, Japanese, Chinese and French military vehicles represented in game are carefully researched, historically accurate recreations of their real world counterparts. Fans can expect hundreds more added as Gaijin Entertainment commits to ongoing development via regular updates.

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

Wargaming lets players construct their own warship and prepares for a 24-hour Christmas stream to raise funds for Save the Children charity

Christmas is coming early to World of Warships as players can build their own warship in the new update 0.8.11, as well as find a host of presents and rewards. Wargaming prepares to keep on giving with a planned global charity stream for Save the Children, set to kick off across all its territories on December 19th.

A new video for update 0.8.11 can be viewed HERE.

Keeping the season of giving close at heart, Wargaming will begin a Save the Children 24-hour charity stream, aiming to raise $25,000 dollars before the clock runs out. Players can donate by buying various in-game items, from premium ships to rare camouflages, with the proceeds going to charity.

One of the biggest new features of update 0.8.11 lets players build their own personal warship. The premium Tier X Puerto Rico large cruiser is waiting to be finished in the players’ Dockyard. They can complete the warship in stages, from laying the keel to installing weaponry and other equipment, by spending special Shipbuilding Tokens found in the new Event Directives. Each completed stage nets the player various rewards, with the ultimate prize being the Puerto Rico itself.

A new Shipbuilding Collection, with 20 new collectable elements, is featured in the new update. Each completed subcollection will reward you with 1 day of Premium Account. Also introduced are Snowflakes, holiday victory bonuses with large rewards, which can be encountered blowing off on all ships of Tier V and above.

Wargaming keeps on improving the visual fidelity of World of Warships with the Trident and Neighbors maps, as well as the Hamburg and Marseille Ports having been reworked in update 0.8.11. Special attention has been given to the sea with more realistic surface and enhancing the wave action.

Further details on the Update 0.8.11 can be found here.

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

European line gets major boost with new Tier III-X destroyers from Swedish navy, as well as Austrian-Hungarian Tier II destroyer and Polish Tier I cruiser

World of Warships welcomes a major influx of new researchable European ships to its supertest environment today, allowing them to be tweaked and receive balance adjustments before their full deployment to the popular navy combat game in the future.

The new Tier II-X destroyers, a special Tier X destroyer, as well as the Tier I cruiser in the European line represent not only the introduction of a sizable in-game force of Swedish warships but also the Austrian-Hungarian and Polish navies, bringing with them their own set of unique gameplay mechanics and features.

The new ships available in today’s supertest session are:

• The Swedish navy destroyers Romulus (Tier III), Klas Horn (Tier IV), Visby (Tier V), Västerå (Tier VI), Skåne (Tier VII), Öland (Tier VIII), Östergötland (Tier IX), and the Halland and Småland (Tier X).
• The Tier I Cruiser Gryf from the Polish navy.
• Tier II destroyer Tatra from the Austrian-Hungarian navy.

The new ships in the European line bring their own specific characteristics and playstyles, such as:

• They carry very fast torpedoes with long range but low damage.
• The artillery is similar to American destroyers, being quite effective in close combat, but weaker than those of dedicated artillery-focused destroyers.
• The Tier VII to X destroyers have a relatively low top speed which can be increased by an Engine Boost consumable.
• Starting from Tier VII, the AA defense of European destroyers has a larger area of effect and deals good damage.
• Starting from Tier VIII, the new ships are equipped with Surveillance Radar with an action time of 15 seconds and a range of up to 7.5 km.
• The ships lack a Smoke Generator but have a relatively high detection range. When engaging in combat with other destroyers, it’s better to rely on the Surveillance Radar and fast torpedoes.
• Starting from Tier V, the destroyers are equipped with the Repair Party consumable.

Further details on the new ships in the European line can be found here.

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

See in the New Year with a special event that will spread festive cheer

World of Tanks is ready to see in both Christmas and New Year with its biggest in-game event of the year: Holiday Ops 2020. It’s all about baubles and battles. From 13th December to 14th January, players will be able to spruce up a new in-game garage, which is better suited for the upcoming holidays, and earn great rewards. It’s something that would even put a smile on Ebenezer Scrooge’s face!

This new garage features an interactive Christmas tree, a feast, an installation and a yard, all ready to be adorned to your liking. There are more than 300 different decorations to be found and 4 collections to be completed (Christmas, New Year, Magic New Year and Lunar New Year). So, get ready to deck the garage with bundles of decorations, fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la!

Normally at Christmas, only the best behaved get rewards, but not with Holiday Ops; players will receive decorations for causing destruction, creating their own New Year’s firework display and completing special missions in Random Battles. By putting up these ornaments, tankers will increase their Festive Atmosphere and each new level will bring special rewards!

Once players reach level 5 of Festive Atmosphere, they will be introduced to a brand-new Holiday Ops 2020 mechanic: the ability to create their own dream team of vehicles that will earn additional bonuses in battle. The machines chosen will become Holiday Ops vehicles and depending on their class, they will earn extra Battle XP, Free XP or Crew XP. Tankers will initially start with one Holiday Ops vehicle slot at level 5, but with each level increase, a new slot will be unlocked. The Festive Atmosphere level that unlocks a new slot corresponds to the vehicle tier which can be placed there; level 5 is for Tier V vehicles, level 6 for Tier VI, and so on.

There are a lot of festivities going on, but players won’t be doing this alone: they’ll be guided through Holiday Ops 2020 by the Snow Maidens. Every day they will gift players a present that features one random decoration and personal missions for 5x XP. The Snow Maidens will also be rewards for hitting certain levels of Festive Atmosphere so tankers will be able to keep them as crew members for good!

“2019 has been a great year and Holiday Ops is the perfect way to not only end it, but also to kick off 2020,” states Max Chuvalov, World of Tanks Global Publishing Director. “We hope our players love the festive mood we’ve created and the fairy tale nature of the event as we wanted to give them something they’d never forget!”

And there’s even more! The holidays are a time of giving and Holiday Ops is no different. Whether they’ve been naughty or nice, from 13th December each tanker will get a special present that contains the Tier II French Premium light tank, the F42 AMR, 3 decoration boxes and one Charge (a special item that can be used during Holiday Ops). Thanks, Santa!

Watch the Holiday Ops 2020: Unwrap Your Presents and Get Bonuses video HERE.

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

Update 0.8.10 rounds out final part of the new Italian cruiser branch with new in-depth historical collection and unlockable Italian commander, as well as visually updating ten maps and two ports, while also paving the way for the kick-off of a new Ranked Battle Season

Wargaming has today released Update 0.8.10 for World of Warships, completing the full branch of the Italian cruisers with the introduction of a new themed collection and the unlockable historical Italian commander Luigi Sansonetti. The update also brings a host of visual enhancements to ten maps and two ports, and prepares the game for the arrival of a new Ranked Battle Season.

A new video for update 0.8.10 can be viewed here.

The second installment of the Italian cruisers event kicks off by allowing everyone to research the new warships, all ten of them, while also introducing the “Resolute and Rapid” themed collection, dedicated to highlighting the history of the Italian Navy.

Finishing the whole of this collection grants the unique Italian navy historical commander Luigi Sansonetti who possesses special and powerful in-game effects. His talents activate by achieving specific battle goals such as destroying an enemy ship which will extend the maximum fire range of the main battery guns.

This commander also boasts two enhanced skills: Expert Loader and Torpedo Acceleration. Much like other unique historical Commanders, Luigi Sansonetti comes with specialized personalisation options: a broad pennant, colored shell tracers, and a signal flare that’s fired over the ship when one of his talents is activated.

A new Ranked Battles Season is set to commence in the middle of Update 0.8.10 featuring matches with Tier X ships in an 8v8 format. Only one aircraft carrier per team can be brought, with the total reward for reaching the 1st Rank being 5,500 steel.

Wargaming continues to update the maps and ports in World of Warships so that they make full use of the latest advances of the new lightning model and enhanced HDR technology. Ten maps and two ports, including Solomon Islands, Ring, Two Brothers, Shards, have been updated, as well as the Ocean and Saint Petersburg ports.

Further details on the Update 0.8.10 can be found here.

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