Action/Strategy

Legendary Naval Fleet Ships And Galleons Deliver The Broadside

Gaijin Entertainment today announced that its award-winning MMO WWII online game, War Thunder, will be introducing legendary sailing ships in its latest update for War Thunder’s ten million players to enjoy.

Available for all players, these historic battleships will take the fight to distant lands and contested waters. The first test-session starts today and will last until the end of the weekend.

Long before the history books documented the modern toil of land and air warfare in tanks and planes, the oceans were ruled by huge battleships decked with cannon and shot.

War Thunder ‘s latest update will introduce British fighting ships from the beginning of the Eighteenth Century with other nations to be added later.

“It’s been a very interesting and challenging task to recreate historic battles of the most powerful sailing nations. We started working on it last year, adding interactive water, and then a few days ago we added interactive weather conditions, which are very important for realistic sailing conditions,” said Gaijin Entertainment CEO Anton Yudintsev. “The weather can change from complete calm to raging storm.”

Like their tank and plane counterparts, War Thunder’s sailing ships will also have their own interactive damage model (no health points). Gaijin Entertainment has taken care in crafting these sailing behemoths to be armored the way they were during their dominance of the oceans of long ago.

Naval battles will be available in the War Thunder Events menu in the game and will be available in Arcade mode. Players will be able to take the rank 1 British ship, the legendary “Golden Hind” galleon and join a battle on the shores of the lost islands. More ships of the Royal Navy and other nations will become available soon.

Information videos:

• Planned Royal Navy line-up
• Interactive weather conditions in War Thunder
• Interactive water effects in War Thunder

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

Wargaming is excited to reveal further details about the upcoming and action-packed Grand Finals 2016. The crowning event in the World of Tanks eSports calendar will be taking place April 8–9 in Torwar Hall, Warsaw, Poland, and promises to be bigger and better than ever before.

Grand Finals 2016 will begin Friday, April 8, with doors opening at 10:00AM. On day one, spectators can get their first taste of tank action in the group stages. On Saturday, April 9, the battles continue from 12:00PM, featuring the playoffs, quarterfinals, semifinals, and culminating in the show-stopping finale. What’s more, World of Tanks eSports stars will compete in the first ever World of Warships show match.

Inside Torwar Hall will be a Free-to-Play Zone, with 28 gaming stations and VR-headsets. Visitors can play their favorite World of Tanks and World of Warships games and take part in a master class from eSports pros. For the first time players will have a chance to feel the rush of battle watching the action in 360° with their VR-headset. Console tankers will be able to jump into 7-vs-7 competitions, or battle on six additional PlayStation®4 gaming stands.

Visitors can participate in numerous contests at the venue, as well as in social media and streams, snagging themselves lots of cool prizes and gifts from Wargaming and its partners.

Entry to Grand Finals 2016 is absolutely free. Fans can also register for the show and get a special gift: the Premium British Tier 5 heavy tank Excelsior. Registration sessions will be open on March 18 and 25, so fans need to be quick to grab their gift before it’s gone. Also available will be a limited number of VIP tickets. They allow entrance to the venue one hour before everyone else, a fast queuing lane and a dedicated premium seat in front of the action. VIP ticket holders will also receive the Premium British Tier 5 heavy Excelsior, Tier 8 Premium heavy IS-3A, the unique Grand Finals M 41 90 GF tank, and more. Official partners of Grand Finals 2016 are Intel, Razer, PayPal and SanDisc.

For more information on the Wargaming.net League Grand Finals 2016, please visit: www.thegrandfinals.com

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

Battlestate Games, the creators of the hardcore online shooter Escape from Tarkov, are happy to reveal the latest package of screenshots showcasing the game locations that change dynamically over the daytime hours. The shots are made in the vicinity of the industrial plant, featuring a wide, open-air territory. This is one of the large scenario locations open to Escape from Tarkov players for exploration, reconnaissance, and combat.

Check out the new screenshots here (Hosted by Worthplaying).

Sign up now for the Beta on the official game website.

Massive Sunderland Flying Boat, Deadly P61 Black Widow, Plus Formidable Ground Armour and New Snow Environment Maps are Incoming!

Gaijin Entertainment today announced that its award-winning MMO WWII online game, War Thunder, will be introducing some impressively sized fire power, new maps and unique vehicles in its forthcoming ‘Battle March’ 1.57 update for War Thunder’s ten million players to enjoy.

War Thunders ‘Battle March’ 1.57 update will introduce more than 20 new aircraft and ground vehicles. Among them – a giant of the skies, the S.25 Sunderland flying boat, one of the largest sea planes to see active duty during WW2. Also joining the War Thunder ranks is the deadly American P61 night fighter, ‘Black Widow’ (otherwise known as the “flying tank”). Further demonstrating its ability to bring a diverse range of vehicles to its combat sim Gaijin Entertainment are also introducing the FW 189 A-1 ‘Uhu’. This unique looking aircraft was known as the ‘flying eye’ due to its reconnaissance role and unique all glass cockpit design. Another exotic plane, the Do 335 heavy fighter, Germany’s fastest piston powered aircraft with two propellers in alignment also makes it into the latest update.

Other additions on offer include the Falcon AA gun which has been created in co-operation with the British tank museum in Bovington due to the rare nature of the vehicle. In total, the British contingent will get three top-tier vehicles of which the Conway tank destroyer and Chieftain Mk.3 main battle tank add armoured muscle to. Germany will have new tracked firepower in the form of the deadly Nashorn and other open-top SPGs. USSR will get armour in the form of the T-44-100 and KV-1S and the USA rolls in with the Super Pershing tank.

Update 1.57 introduces two new map locations, Frozen Pass, a new Alpine snow map available for both aerial and ground battles, and the second map Volokolamsk, based on the real location of the same name in Russia which saw heavy fighting against German forces in the defence of Moscow during winter of 1941.

Finally, lighting effects such as muzzle flashes, launch effects of rockets and explosions of bombs has been vastly updated, which means even more spectacular and realistic battles, especially during nighttime.

To see the full list of new improvements vehicles and features, visit the War Thunder developer’s blog section.

Watch the new ‘Battle March’ 1.57  update video and check out some new screenshots on the official War Thunder website.

By Alex Connolly @ The Wargamer

Heliborne has officially hit Steam Early Access. With the latest patch, I felt it was time to drop the collective, putting skid to pad to see what’s going on with JetCat Games’ tilt for World of Flying Tanks.

Though enthralled by my time in the pre-alpha, the then-minuscule player population offered a sporadic glimpse at what Heliborne was selling. Freshly deployed and on active duty in Early Access, population boom across the three-strong servers – EU, US Central and SE Asia/Oceania, at the time of writing – makes the ten bone purchase argument far more convincing. A full-blown Heliborne match, with its unique sense of territory control, speaks for itself.

If you’re chasing a more detailed look at just what Heliborne is, do have a goosey at our pre-alpha coverage. In a nutshell, this is an excellent use of the modern “World of [insert romantic hardware]“, and perhaps one of the more nuanced of its ilk. Featuring a simucade feel, aiming to capture the revolutionary flexibility and fragility of the war whirlybird, Heliborne is as much a ground game as it is one of the air. It has an intimacy where others don’t. Each sortie an exercise in grazing ridgelines and hugging rivers; dancing between the snarl of AA tracers and coming in hot under rocketry to snatch bases with a bellyload of troops.

Read on…

Upgraded physics and improved sound making tank warfare even more visceral, taking the player experience up a notch

Wargaming is excited to announce today the release of update 9.14 for World of Tanks. This update introduces improved sound and physics, making tank warfare even more visceral, as well as 24 pristine HD models, and a new map for Rampage mode: Ravaged Capital.

Improved physics lets players immerse themselves further into dynamic battles, with vehicles handling more realistically than before. Commanders can master skillfully sharp turns, rapidly changing direction and controlling their tank’s turning radius during movement. In addition, vehicles are now more maneuverable, letting players take full advantage of agile tanks in their arsenal.

Update 9.14 also introduces significantly improved sound. In harnessing the new sound engine, Audiokinetic Wwise, commanders can hear every purr and roar of their steel beast as it roams the battlefield. With sound being processed on a separate core, there are between 10 and 30 distinct sound sources, recorded from authentic vehicles on real proving grounds. When adding enhanced sound effects to orientate players in battle into the mix, as well as original event sounds, and multiple sound presets, World of Tanks adds another layer of authenticity to the gameplay experience.

“The major improvements to sound and physics in update 9.14 have been highly-anticipated by our fans,” said Sergey Laptenok, Publishing Product Director, World of Tanks. “All this was made possible with feedback from players, and we have delivered an experience that brings them closer to the action than ever before.”

Commanders can also look forward to 24 HD models of some of their favorite vehicles. Those who have been battling in the intense Rampage mode can also learn to dominate the new map, Ravaged Capital, which drops players in the heart of Paris’s warzone during World War II.

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

Battlestate Games, the creators of hardcore online shooter Escape from Tarkov, today revealed the second in its ongoing series of developer diaries, this one dedicated to the creation of 3D in-game assets and how they are bringing “hardcore realism” to life. The developers describe the process of creating a rich and devastating world – from architectural elements to weapons and characters.

Watch the second Escape from Tarkov developer diary here. (Unless you are an expert Russian speaker, be sure to turn “on closed captioning” and choose “English” in the settings for English subtitles.)

JOIN JACOB AND EVIE FRYE IN A NEW 10 MISSION STORY ARC

Today, Ubisoft announced that The Last Maharaja add-on content for Assassin’s Creed: Syndicate is now available on the PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system, Xbox One and Windows PC.

Twin Assassins Jacob and Evie Frye join Duleep Singh as he fights to reclaim his birthright as the last Maharaja in this entirely new story for Assassin’s Creed: Syndicate. In his quest to reclaim his heritage, Duleep, with the help of the Frye twins, will take on the Templars while testing his friendship with the queen.

The Last Maharaja is available as part of the Season Pass, which includes: Jack the Ripper, A Long Night Season Pass exclusive mission, the Streets of London gameplay pack, two top-tier sets of gear and weapons, and an exclusive XP boost.The Last Maharaja is also included in the Gold Edition of the game and is available for purchase separately. Watch the official launch trailer here.

For more information on Assassin’s Creed: Syndicate and The Last Maharaja downloadable content, please visit the games official website.

Wargaming today launched the first major update of the New Year for World of Warships: 0.5.3. Players can test their might in the thrilling new battle type Team Battles, learn new Commander Skills, try out consumables, and conquer a new map.

With the introduction of Team Battles, captains can now create a formidable fleet with other players to take on teams from 3:00 pm PST–11:00 pm PST, ensuring there is always a skirmish at the ready. Team Battles is unlocked at account level 12 and pits two teams of seven against each other to rank up their rating and progress through the leagues. This battle type is also available to solo players, which means that all those mercenary captains out there can drop in to battles on the fly.

Update 0.5.3 introduces several new Commander Skills to help players achieve a perfect balance of support and aggression. The new consumable—Torpedo Reload Booster—is great for Japanese destroyers and a must for all torpedo aficionados.

The new map Tears of the Desert is set to make waves among higher tier vessels. Modelled on the islands near the coast of North Africa, featuring arid desert and clusters of barren rocks, this map is perfect for cover and luring enemies into tough situations.

Watch the World of Warships – Update 0.5.3 video here. Check out the update notes here.

For more game information, please visit the official World of Warships website.

Wargaming today announced the new battle type “Team Battles” for World of Warships will set sail in Update 0.5.3. This new battle type, which unlocks at account level 12, lets captains create an elite squadron of players, work with them to sharpen their skills, and then set out to decimate their opponents and rule the waves.

Taking the prestige of World of Warship’s naval combat to a new level, Team Battles are the domain of certain tier vessels, consisting of 7-vs-7 skirmishes. Players can have up to 10 people in their team (with three in reserve). They can also be recruited for up to three teams simultaneously, so there is always a new Team Battles waiting on the horizon. Team Battles will only be available during “prime time,” a necessary restriction to ensure a competitive number of players are all in the queue.

“The fans have been asking for more forms of team interaction since we started developing World of Warships,” said Danny Volkov, World of Warships Development Director, Wargaming. “With Team Battles, we’ve listened to their feedback and created an arena where they can meet teammates, forge their perfect squad and take on intense battles with top players in their region.”

On a team’s journey to become the dominating force of the seas, they will advance through a number of leagues, battling towards a common objective, to improve their ranking. Through Team Battles, captains get their fill of high-level skirmishes and truly take their skills to the next level.

To learn more about Team Battles, please watch the video.