Hi there. Even when War Thunder first began, it was obvious to us that a game such as ours would require a historical game mode allowing players to feel like a hero of real military historical events without any restrictions inherent in wall-to-wall battles, as is common in other similar games.

In contrast, historical battles are battles that are strict on the participants, in which the two sides can fight in dramatically different conditions, with different combat tasks and available vehicles. Such mechanics are not suitable for classical random sessions, because the way in which the teams must play, in order to win in such battles, is different. At the same time, the battles of World War are linked by a major goal - total operational victory. The unpredictability, complexity, and uniqueness of this mode are the major features which will help define what you might come to expect in World War.


It's a big thing. At first, we created our own engine for World War mode. Scenarios are available to players - these exhibit ‘slices’ of the known stages of the historical battles of various theaters of war. Players manage armies on a real world map, engage in separate battles, and influence the current state of affairs in operations, either following history or radically changing it.

World War itself will be built from regular seasons, in which we will present new scenarios, different in years, theater of operations, participating vehicles and tasks. At the end of the season, the most effective squadron and players will receive valuable prizes - individual for each new season.

Detailed elaboration of operations, which takes into account the historical balance of forces in the beginning while allowing for an unpredictable outcome, will remain unchanged in the seasons.


As mentioned above, a scenario is a real battle held in the past during WWII. Each includes a global map of the real world where the armies are located. Armies are presented with vehicles which were, at this period of time, at the disposal of the commanders of the operation. Players are invited to play for one of the opposing sides, playing the real course of history or changing it - perhaps correcting tactical mistakes documented by historians. Squadron commanders begin on the map of the operation of battle - the mechanics will be similar to that of regular battles. In such battles, not only squadron members are involved, but all players when they choose their side of the conflict and the appropriate battle.

• World War (Information for commanders)
  
• World War (Information for soldiers)

Technically, these are familiar sessions, but what happens at the beginning of the battle will be determined by the type of armies, the vehicles and current status of the armies, their armaments, and even the sector in which the armies collide - all of which will affect the type of mission and its objectives.


Let's say an aviation army is attacking a ground army - their aim is to attack the vehicle column, and the defensive side controls the SPAAG while trying to repel the attack.

At the same time, on the other side of the front, the tank army will attack the enemy's entrenched position - obviously, this will make the task more difficult for the attackers, whose goal is to capture a well-fortified position. There will already be entrenched forces there (as you will see), and time will not be on the side of the attackers. To help one’s fighters, the commander of the attacking side will send attackers (aircraft) into this battle, which will be immediately available to the attacking players.

There are many options! We have prepared a WIKI article about missions, but in general, each battle is a small World War.

• World War missions

Obviously, we will be adding new scenarios and awards, implementing even more missions, and following your feedback and suggestions on your World War mode experience very closely.

In the future, naval forces may also be involved in World War, and there may be post-war scenarios, and perhaps interesting ideas on alternative history, if appropriate.


There is one important detail to tell you about, without which, World War mode would, at best, have been delayed. Entire squadrons and single players helped us develop the mode by participating in lengthy testing and the sharing of ideas, many of which we have implemented.

We thank Dmitry Gordeev, the Gaijin game designer and developer of the World War mode, for an interesting conversation.

In our up and coming Devblogs, we will tell you more about World War scenarios, but you can already find a lot of information about the mode in our Wiki

CBT participants, thank you very much for your help! This contribution is hard to overestimate.

The F-86K is the NATO export version of the American F-86D interceptor, developed on the basis of the well-known Sabre jet fighter. Having seen extensive use with nations around the world, the F-86K is now set to arrive in War Thunder as well with the release of the upcoming update 1.89!

In March 1949, the North American company launched the development of a new jet interceptor, based on the existing F-86 Sabre, as part of a private venture. The new design was the first interceptor developed to be operated by a single crew member and utilized unguided rockets in combination with a complex fire control system, rather than conventional guns, in order to destroy its target. Already by April, the project had received official endorsement from high-ranking military officials and development of a production version began in parallel.





The F-86K is inbound to War Thunder and will arrive as part of the upcoming update 1.89, being available to French pilots at release. Eager to find out what else the next content update has in store for you? Then be sure to stay tuned to the news for all the latest info and developments on the next major update coming to the game. Until then, clear skies pilots!

For more information, read the full Dev Blog article on the Official War Thunder Forums!

The MT-LB is the well-known multi-purpose armoured personnel carrier that was fitted with a huge variation of armament, including the “Shturm-S” missile system, which was capable of destroying heavily armoured targets.

The MT-LB, also known as “Mnogotselevoy Tyagach Legky Bronirovanny” in Russian (which stands for “Multi-Purpose Towing Vehicle Light Armoured”), has been mass-produced since 1966. The vehicle was primarily used as an artillery tractor that acted as a means of transport of the gun crew and ammunition complements. However, as it happens with every well-designed platform, the carrier ultimately became a base for all kinds of armament sets. In the early 70s, the USSR began development of an anti-tank hypersonic missile system with a strike range of up to 5,000 metres for armoured targets. The system received the designation “Shturm” and was intended to be equipped on both air and ground units. In the end, it was the MT-LB that was chosen as the base for the former role. In 1979, the new ground combat vehicle was put into service under the designation 9P149 “Shturm-S”.





The 9P149 “Shturm-S” is a rather frail yet lethal combat vehicle – especially if you are proficient at ambush tactics and aren’t too lazy to change your position quite often. Our Soviet ATGM carrier will appear in War Thunder update 1.89 very soon, and we are just as excited about its appearance in the game as you are!

For more information, read the full Dev Blog article on the Official War Thunder Forums!

On the 8th of May, 1945, the Allied forces who fought World War II in the West celebrated “VE Day” or “Victory in Europe Day”. Cities in most of the Allied nations, as well as formerly occupied cities in Western Europe, raised flags and banners, rejoicing in the defeat of the Nazi war machine.

Finally, on the 8th of May, German troops throughout Europe laid down their arms: In Prague, Germans surrendered to their Soviet counterparts, after the latter had lost more than 8,000 soldiers, and the Germans many more; in Copenhagen and Oslo; at Karlshorst, near Berlin; in northern Latvia; on the Channel Island of Sark — the German surrender was completed in a final cease-fire. More surrender documents were signed in Berlin and in Eastern Germany.

Read the full article here!

One guided missile to demolish tanks and aircraft alike? You got it! War Thunder is on the cusp of featuring an air defence anti-tank system based on the Bradley IFV chassis.

In War Thunder the ADATS Bradley will appear in update 1.89 at the rank VII of the USA ground vehicle tech tree. It’s average in terms of speed and manoeuvrability, its armour only stands up to bullets, and the hulking ADATS dimensions make it fairly conspicuous, especially when the radar antenna is active...

But who cares about that when you have your hands on the controls of a weapon capable of knocking out anything that crosses your sites? Eight all-purpose guided missiles with radio fuses will find their way to the sneakiest chopper in the sky, chase down fleeing aircraft, and even torch tanks – they penetrate up to the equivalent of 900mm of rolled homogeneous steel.





The ADATS Bradley is a worthy answer to the Tunguska when it comes to War Thunder’s fields of battle. One missile for any target is an unusual and promising solution. So, shall we see what happens with update 1.89 and put this vehicle through its paces in some higher-ranked battles?

For more information, read the full Dev Blog article on the Official War Thunder website!

Kuma is the lead ship of her class of five light cruisers built for the Imperial Japanese Navy in the late 1910s and early 1920s. The Kuma-class will be the first light cruiser vessel awaiting captains in the highly anticipated Japanese naval forces tree, coming to War Thunder with update 1.89!

In War Thunder, Kuma will be the first light cruiser available to captains at rank IV of the upcoming Japanese naval forces tree. Lighter than any other cruiser in the game and sporting firepower and mobility which is quite decent for its age and design, Kuma will be the perfect starting vessel for both seasoned captains, eager to progress down the Japanese cruiser line, as well as those who have only just begun to familiarise themselves with large warships.





However, in stark contrast to its auxiliary weapons, Kuma’s primary and torpedo armament are quite formidable, especially when coupled with the ship’s mobility. Namely, Kuma’s primary armament consists of seven 140mm quick-firing cannons, of which six can be brought to bear on a target at once. Complementing the primary guns are also four dual 533mm torpedo launchers, found on either side of the ship and featuring faster reload times than other similar armaments, which can be quite handy in quickly taking down more potent adversaries or for resolving a heated close-quarter dispute.

For more information, read the full Dev Blog article on the official War Thunder Forums!

The CH-8 is one of the first Japanese ships designed to combat submarines. The ships of this class were produced in the second half of the 30s and used in coastal waters until the end of WWII. Because of their specific role, submarine hunters were not equipped with large, or even medium calibre weapons - the main caliber of this ship is a paired 40 mm cannon, reinforced by turrets with 25 mm autocannons. The main weapons of the hunter were Type 95 depth bombs with an explosive weight of 100 kg, as well as bomb mortars which were installed on later modifications of hunters, such as the CH-8. The CH-8 itself belongs to class No.4, and between 1937 and 1939, there were 9 such units built.

In War Thunder, the CH-8 is placed at rank II of the Japanese naval research tree and can be researched after the slightly more powerful Kusentei No.13 Type which is equipped with a large 80mm cannon and has a larger displacement and crew. Why? Because the CH-8 carries a record number of depth bombs for its rank - up to 18,160 kg worth of the Type 95! At the same time, bomb weapons can be enhanced - among the researchable modifications, you will find bomb mortars which will add four more bombs that “jump out” on the sides. The CH-8 sports relatively weak weaponry - the main calibre is represented by a pair of 40 mm cannons, and there are a few 25 mm anti-aircraft guns; that's all. This combination makes the CH-8 a role-specific, but interesting battleship.





The Japanese No.4 Type CH-8 is one of the most unique ships at its rank. It's not easy to master - every battle is a new challenge for the commander's skills, but the potential of this ship’s destructive power is enormous! Coming to the battlefield with update 1.89, be sure to take the CH-8 out to sea and master all of her quirks and features!

For more information, read the full Dev Blog article on the Official War Thunder Forums!

In the next major update we will introduce the Japanese Naval research tree - Over 20 vessels, from torpedo boats to destroyers and cruisers.

We are happy to announce that in War Thunder update 1.89, we will introduce the Japanese fleet - one of the greatest Naval forces in the world.

The Japanese fleet took part in major WW2 operations. In addition to the release of the Japanese Fleet, there's a brand new ship class coming to War Thunder - heavy cruisers

You will be able to see further information about these new vessels, and other vehicles in update 1.89, in the next few weeks on our official website.

For more information, read the full article on the Official War Thunder Forums!

Restore the rare fighter - the I-180S and trade it for the VFW SPG, Pr.122bis submarine chaser, the Ju 388 J interceptor, the Merkava Mk.1 MBT or the light cruiser HMS Tiger.


We managed to recapture an aircraft building facility that does not appear on any of the maps. There we discovered a very interesting I-180S fighter. We should move them back to the home front, but the railways are still controlled by our enemy. So the only option is to restore them and transport them under their own power!

For more information, check out the full article on our website!

The War Thunder Team

The VFW was an experimental German heavy SPAAG, developed and tested in the later stages of WW2. Although the project was eventually abandoned, War Thunder players will have the chance to obtain this unforgiving tier III German heavy-hitter as part of the upcoming ”Battlefield Engineer” event!

The VFW was the first of several projects of the Krupp company to mount a heavy anti-air gun on a mobile armored chassis. This initially developed version, which mounts the 8.8cm FlaK 41 cannon onto a heavily modified Panzer IV chassis, was created in 1944.





Nonetheless, the VFW will remain a highly effective tank buster, thanks to its excellent 88mm cannon and should by no means be underestimated by its opponents for simply lacking armor. Those that do will unlikely live to convince others of doing the same. Look no further than this premium beauty if precision long-range shooting is your cup of tea!

For more information, read the full Dev Blog article on the Official War Thunder Forums!