In the release of the updated version of the Dagor graphics engine, major changes in the visual effects in aviation will come to War Thunder. New effects for shots and explosions, new physics of fire and the destruction of aircraft are coming in the next update of the game! Now for more details.



In previous versions of the game, flashes from aircraft shots were created by combining animated flats to create the illusion of volume. Such effects were not particularly realistic, the fire from the shots of guns for different calibers did not have its own correct reflection on the surfaces of aircraft, the bursts were similar to each other.

In War Thunder ‘New Power’, the muzzle flashes of cannons and machine guns are now modeled with particles, the muzzle fire effect has its own perspective correction and distortion, which makes it look more voluminous depending on the angle of view. The size of the shot flash depends on the caliber of the gun, and the muzzle flame itself has received the correct reflections on the surfaces of aircraft and gun barrels. In addition, the shell ejection effect has been updated, the bursts of shots are also reflected on the ejected casings. In the new version of the graphic effects, shot bursts, fires and explosions have received photometric brightness, making them look better in HDR and in the resulting post-processing.

New muzzle flames receive their own volume and reflections: https://coub.com/view/2kwrea

Aircraft rockets and missiles have received completely re-done visual effects: volumetric flame from a jet engine, new smoke trails and a jetstream effect.



Significant improvements have been made to the effects of aircraft shells and bombs hitting enemy aircraft and different surfaces. Depending on the caliber and type of projectile (bullet, missile), a flash with smoke and debris occurs at the point of impact. The appearance of the incoming hits now depends on the material of the elements receiving damage - metal or canvas hulls, wooden or metal structural elements are destroyed in different ways.

Shell hits on bomber’s wings and hull: https://coub.com/view/2kwrf1

When hitting the surface of the ground and objects in locations, different types of projectiles form different collision effects, depending on explosive weight in the projectile, and the type of surface (soil, snow, metal, wood, etc.). Now, the appearance of such collisions has been improved, with the addition of dynamic flash and smoke, sparks and blast effects. All fragments ripped off from aircraft and objects, soil particles, as well as ejected cases now have their own physical model.

3.000kg bomb explosion: https://coub.com/view/2kwrdn

We have transferred most of the damage effects in ground vehicles to aviation - blast effects, physical sparks, and correct lighting. The holes from bullets, shells and shrapnel have become voluminous, if a fire occurs inside an aircraft, flame is now visible through these holes. Aircraft fuel and service fluids now have new effects of leaking off when tanks and engines are damaged. The overall picture of a damaged aircraft has become noticeably more life-like, especially thanks to the new effects of fire and smoke.



Fires and explosions in aircraft and the subsequent destruction of the aircraft structure has become more reliable, the nature of the destruction now depends on the type of critical damage. We have reworked the physical and visual effects of flame and smoke, the fire trails from fuel have become voluminous and bright, with a long smoky tail. When the fire spreads, destruction of the aircraft occurs - broken wings rotate in the air, the fuel from the tanks continues to burn both out and inside them. In case of critical fire damage, the aircraft hull catches fire and continues to burn after hitting the ground. If the aircraft's speed is high when it hits the ground, it continues to slide with inertia - this effect is especially noticeable when destroying jet aircraft at low altitudes. If the surface on which the destroyed aircraft glides is solid, sparks appear under the fuselage. The effects of fire and smoke continue after sliding, the plane burns out on the ground for an extended period of time.



So, in the upcoming War Thunder New Power update, air battles will noticeably change. We will continue to talk about the graphics improvements very soon. Stay tuned to find out more!

The MiG-21bis is the most advanced massively produced version of the renowned Soviet Cold War era jet fighter. Soon, this top performing and highly anticipated jet fighter will make its way into the aerial battlefields of War Thunder with the release of the upcoming update “New Power”!

MiG-21bis, jet fighter, USSR, VI rank.

➕ Climb rate 225 m/s!
➕ Increased flight performance
➕ Very capable both against aerial and ground targets
➖ No countermeasures

With its insanely powerful engine, improved flight characteristics and deadly missiles, the MiG-21bis will not only become the new crowning jewel of the Soviet aviation tree but will also quickly become the new fan-favorite among jet jockeys!



Starting off with the feature that truly makes the MiG-21bis stand out from all its predecessors - namely the engine. Being powered by the Tumansky R-25-300 turbojet engine, generating up to a mind-boggling 9,900 kgf of thrust while afterburning at sea level at Mach 0.9-1.0, the MiG-21bis can reach about the same top speeds as its predecessors (up to Mach 2.04 at high altitudes), but doing this much faster thanks to greater acceleration.

Subsequently, the aircraft’s climb rate has also seen a substantial increase up to 225 meters per second, while constructional changes to the aircraft’s airframe also allow it to sustain higher load factors. All these improvements will become most noticeable to pilots during low altitude dogfights, making the MiG-21bis a much more formidable dogfighter in this combat scenario than its preceding variants as a result.



However, the MiG-21bis didn’t only receive major upgrades to its flight performance; its firepower was also improved! While still carrying the twin-barrel Gsh-23 gun pod as its primary weapon, the MiG-21bis does carry an increased ammunition load of 250 rounds for this weapon. Furthermore, the total number of air-to-air missiles the aircraft can carry was also increased to a total of six, compared to four on the preceding MiG-21SMT.



Lastly, the MiG-21bis receives access to a brand new missile too. While still carrying the familiar R-3R, R-3S and R-60 missiles, the new R-13M missile now also joins the arsenal. Being in essence a further developed modification of the R-3S, the R-13M that possesses a longer range and better agility, allowing it to better track targets. The MiG-21bis also retains access to unguided munitions such as bombs and rockets of various calibers for all those passionate close air support pilots out there.

We continue to tell players what’s new in the upcoming update New Power. Today we will talk about the new War Thunder skies. It is the first in a series of devblogs about the updated version of the Dagor game engine.

In previous versions of the Dagor Engine, the sky, clouds and fog were created with separate algorithms and were not united into a system. Physically, the sky in War Thunder was quite authentic. However, to achieve a better visual resemblance with the real sky, it lacked the relationship between atmospheric phenomena. In the new version of the Dagor Engine, we have managed to model a realistic atmosphere with the correct distribution and scattering of sunlight, both in the sky and on the Earth's surface. We’ve also created new clouds of different types at different heights, and significantly improved the appearance of mist and fog.


Noon, flight among cumulus and altostratus clouds in sunny weather.

The scattering and absorption model of sunlight has changed. First of all, we’ve improved the spectral model of light scattering. Previously, air scattered light taking into account Rayleigh and Mie scattering, but with a simplified model. The new version uses refined spectral modeling, which more accurately reproduces the shades of the sky under different conditions.

The game will now have an ozone layer. During the day, the sky on our planet is blue mainly due to Rayleigh scattering; at sunrise and sunset, the atmosphere remains blue because of the property of ozone to absorb a specific wavelength in the sunlight spectrum. Also, ozone absorption additionally paints the higher clouds in orange and pink at sunrise and sunset.


Sunlit clouds at sunset


Ozone paints the sky in deep blue at sunset and sunrise.

Changes to clouds are the most noticeable improvement. Previously we used only one relatively thin layer of clouds, and we had to choose where to place it in every battle. Now we are modeling tropospheric clouds at heights from hundreds of metres up to fifteen kilometres and higher, and different types of clouds can be in the game at the same time. Clouds differ in morphological type - we have implemented all types of clouds, except for the most exotic and rare ones. Cumulus, stratus, altocumulus, stratocumulus, altostratus, cumulonimbus and cirrus clouds are now presented in the game, and all types of clouds can occur simultaneously in the War Thunder sky, depending on the weather settings for each battle. If it is raining below a cloud, the pillar of droplets is clearly visible from afar due to the additional scattering of light on the raindrops.


A view of cumulus and altocumulus clouds at dawn.


Flight between cloud layers


Rain from a cloud, the boundaries of the pillar of raindrops is clearly visible

Sunlight, scattered and absorbed by the clouds and atmosphere, makes skies look beautiful and varied. Depending on the density of the cloud, the color of the illumination also changes in its different parts, from a light translucent white haze to a dark gray thundercloud. To illuminate the clouds, we approximate the internal multiple scattering of light from the sun and the sky inside the cloud. Each cloud actually becomes a source of light and the structure of the cloud itself becomes visible, the eye can clearly see the inhomogeneity of each type of cloud. All clouds illuminate and shade the neighboring ones, and this is how the picture of a deep, voluminous cloudy sky is formed.


Cumulus clouds with and without multiple scattering

Picturesque pillars of light (“God rays”), or beams of sunlight clearly distinguishable against the shaded background of the clouds are called crepuscular rays. This effect is automatically obtained in Dagor Engine 6.0, since we model the lighting with a sufficient level of detail. Along with the crepuscular rays, the game also sees the anti-crepuscular rays, which are especially visible when flying at a height from the side of the sun in hazy weather. These effects will appear in the game due to the property of clouds to partially transmit sunlight, casting a shadow not only on the ground and themselves, but also on the air in the entire atmosphere.


Sunset, pillar of light shines through a gap in clouds


Afternoon, crepuscular rays, viewed from height on the ground’s surface.

Fog and mist are now fully fledged parts of the atmosphere. In the new version of our graphics engine, fog is modeled with the same algorithms that create clouds and atmosphere. Due to this, the fog has become less homogeneous, and scatters light correctly.


Fog in the morning light.

In short, the game has its own atmosphere! This sophisticated mathematical model allows us to simulate visually accurate effects of the sky, clouds, scattering of sunlight at any height and at every point on our planet.


Earth’s atmosphere from Space, from low orbit at 200km (game engine).

Not only our planet too! For example, we can simulate a dawn on Mars by simply setting parameters for the density and thickness of the atmosphere, the nature of the ozone layer, and the size of the planet. The atmosphere of Mars is very thin, and the sunset appears with a blue color as Rayleigh scattering simply does not have time to absorb the blue light; there is very little ozone and, due to the absence of a magnetic field, it is evenly distributed in the atmosphere of the red planet. In addition, there is no water vapor, instead dust storms constantly rage. Compare our modelling with the images from the ‘Curiosity rover’ - looks pretty much similar, doesn't it?

For 8 years, all connoisseurs of military history and fans of war games meet each other on the battlefields of War Thunder. Over the years the game has become a global encyclopedia of military vehicles and battles from the last 100 years and gives the player the opportunity of choices that you cannot find anywhere else!

We can see that you appreciate this and we are sincerely grateful for your loyalty and support. Let us celebrate the eight years of your favourite game together!

• 50% discount for all modifications, backup vehicles and talismans for all types of vehicles.
  
• 50% discount for premium account: in game 90 and 365 days.
  
• 50% discount for all in-game vehicles for SL and GE, for all nations:
  • Britain, Italy, Japan
    26th of October (11:00 GMT) — 28th of October (11:00 GMT)
    
  • China, Sweden, France
    28th of October(11:00 GMT) — 30th of October (11:00 GMT)
    
  • USSR, Germany, USA
    30th of October (11:00 GMT) — 2 nd of November (09:00 GMT)

Vehicles from update “Raining Fire” and vehicles obtainable via in-game activity in squadrons are not included.

Traditionally we open the purchase for Golden Eagles some vehicles that are no longer available in the store as part of the bundles.

The list of the vehicles will be published here on the 30th of October.


You will get this memorable pinup for 1 battle in a vehicle of rank II or higher in any game mode.
The king of the heavy tanks — “Maus” will be available again for research and purchase for Silver Lions from 11:00 GMT on the 30th of October until 09:00 GMT on the 2nd of November.



Spend some Research points or convert your free research points to Maus within the specified period of time. Any research progress on the vehicle begun will not be lost and you can continue your research at any time after the 2nd of November. To begin the research you need to open rank V of the ground vehicles in the German research tree.

Don’t create any noise if you don’t want to hear the sound of a torpedo heading your way in your earphones. In this event you can submerge to a depth of tens of metres below the surface of the sea and fight against other commanders in enemy submarines!

Details about the event will be published in separate news on the 30th of October.

Halloween is a holiday which is traditionally celebrated on the 31st of October. Night races in special aircraft and tanks and also a festive hangar will allow you to immerse yourself in the atmosphere of the occult.

Details about the races will be published in separate news on the 30th of October.

From 28th of October until the 8th of November
You can take part in the automatic tournaments on the tss.warthunder.com daily.

Duel tournaments in the format “1 vs 1” and “2 vs 2” for aircraft and ground vehicles, naval “Corsairs 5 vs 5” tournament and many others - in total 23 tournaments with a total prize pool of more than 160,000 Golden Eagles, with a special award of the “8 Years of War Thunder” decal.

• Scheduling for the Tournaments

18:00 GMT on the 6th of November until 19:45 GMT on the 8th of November

The prize fund of the tournament “5 vs 5” in combined battles includes Redragon gaming sets for the winners and the new “Thunder front” in-game title.

REGISTER

Summary of terms:

• Format: 5х5.
  
• Difficulty: RB with markers.
  
• End of registration 06.11.20, 17:40 GMT.

Tournament will be held in 2 stages: group + playoff with a single elimination system (G2+SE).

Winners will receive:

• Gaming keyboard Redragon + gaming mouse Redragon Tiger2
  
• 1,500 Golden Eagles, Premium Account for 7 days, "Thunder front" title, "Golden Fire Front" and "8 years of War Thunder!" decals.

Winners will receive:

• Gaming mouse Redragon Phoenix2
  
• 1,000 Golden Eagles, Premium Account for 7 days, "Thunder front" title, "Fire Front" and "8 years of War Thunder!" decals.

Winners will receive:

• Gaming combo Redragon M601WL-BA
  
• 700 Golden Eagles, Premium Account for 7 days, "Thunder front" title, "Fire Front" and "8 years of War Thunder!" decals.

Gaming sets will be given out to 5 players in each team that will be chosen by the captain. The rest of the awards will be given out to all team members in accordance with the tournament regulations.

The list of the all tournament awards can be seen on this page.

Gaijin Entertainment announces that military online action War Thunder will get the major Content Update “New Power” and native next-gen consoles versions in mid-November. This update will bring a new version of the Dagor Engine, blue-water naval power and a lot of other surprises.

One of the more unusual vehicles in the game will be the Roland 3 air defense system on the chassis of the MAN truck! A mighty newcomer joins the battle in the next War Thunder major update!

FlaRakRad, SAM, Germany, VII rank
Pros
➕ Roland 3 missiles out the box
➕ VT1 missiles with a 12 km range
Cons
➖ Huge profile
➖ Weak protection
➖ Mediocre mobility



In War Thunder, the FlaRakRad SAM will be the new top-tier air defense vehicle of Germany, which will become available at rank VII with the release of the next major update. This is a very unusual machine with a chassis unique in our game and excellent guided missiles. The Roland 3 air defense system is unified to work not only with Roland missiles, but also with more advanced VT1 missiles, which will also be presented for the first time in the game on this vehicle.

The FlaRakRad base is an army wheeled MAN 8x8 truck. It has a radar control system and a twin launcher for guided missiles. As a result, the build itself has huge dimensions both in length and in height, while featuring no armor protection. Covering such a giant on the battlefield is quite a task. It's speed is not high, and in an open field, FlaRakRad is visible from afar and will become easy prey to the enemy.



However, when well covered, FlaRakRad provides almost perfect protection for the team from air targets - immediately after purchase, the vehicle has Roland 3 missiles, and after research is capable of mounting VT1 missiles in battle, that have a radius of up to 12 km, a speed of about Mach 3.5 and a high available overload. This air defense system has equal or greater chances in a confrontation with any air targets, including helicopters. By the way, unlike other self-propelled air defense systems, the FlaRakRad has a pretty good ammunition load - a total of 10 missiles, including those mounted on racks, but no other weapons are provided on the vehicle, though it does have smoke grenade launchers. As a great bonus - the vehicle is equipped with a thermal imaging camera and a laser rangefinder which makes targeting easier at long ranges and in any light conditions.



The eight-wheeled FlaRakRad is one of the more interesting vehicles in the next update! Follow our news, we have a lot to share!

Changes in Battle Ratings have been implemented (link to table).

The current provided changelog reflects the major changes within the game as part of this Update. Some updates, additions and fixes may not be listed in the provided notes. War Thunder is constantly improving and specific fixes may be implemented without the client being updated.

The VFM 5 was a light tank developed by the British Vickers company during the 1980’s based on a previous American project. Soon, tankers in War Thunder can look forward to driving this unique Anglo-American hybrid as it becomes available as a new top light tank in the British ground forces tree in the upcoming major update!

In War Thunder, the VFM 5 will be a new addition to the top ranks of the British ground forces tree, which will soon further expand its roster of highly mobile light vehicles. However, unlike some of the more recent additions, the VFM 5 gives British tankers access not to a wheeled vehicle, but to a proper traditional light tank instead!





The VFM 5 is primarily armed with a modified version of the 105mm L7 cannon - a weapon which should be most familiar not just to British tankers at the higher ranks. Featuring no noteworthy differences from that standard version of the weapon, the VFM 5’s cannon fires the usual set of standard NATO ammunition, including a number of sub-calibre and chemical rounds. Additionally, the vehicle also comes fitted with a 7.62mm coaxially mounted machine gun as well as a heavier roof-mounted M2 Browning .50 cal to combat low flying aircraft and particularly daring helicopter pilots.

Check out the full Dev Blog article here!

The Lorraine 37L Antichar is a French experimental tank destroyer, hastily developed during the Invasion of France as a stopgap measure in an effort to boost the strength of the army. In the upcoming major update, tankers may look forward to the arrival of the Lorraine 37L to the lower ranks of the French ground forces tree in War Thunder!

➕ Powerful cannon
➕ High rate of fire
➕ Small profile
➖ Average mobility
➖ Poor protection

Outfitted with an excellent anti-tank cannon, and featuring a small profile, the Lorraine 37L has all the right traits of a deadly tank hunter and will undoubtedly become the bane of many tankers in low ranked battles.



The Lorraine 37L is armed with a 47 mm SA37 anti-tank cannon, capable of traversing 34 degrees to either side of the vehicle’s horizontal axis. Unlike other 47 mm cannons most familiar to French tankers, the SA37 cannon features vastly better ballistic properties, possessing a higher muzzle velocity and penetration capability. In fact, its AP rounds can punch through 94mm of armour at close range - more than enough to knock out most of the opposition this vehicle will face in battle.

Fun Fact: The reliable chassis of the Lorraine 37L tractor led to the creation of several German conversions of the vehicle, ranging from tank destroyers, over SPGs to observer vehicles.

In addition, having an open fighting compartment allows the Lorraine 37L’s crew to comfortably operate the cannon, resulting in an excellent reload rate of just 4s! However, the open fighting compartment doesn’t just give the vehicle’s crew a lot of freedom to operate in - the same applies to the gun itself. The cannon possesses fairly good vertical firing angles too, ranging from -13 to 16.5 degrees. As a result, tankers can effectively utilise uneven terrain to further conceal their small vehicle while still being able to send rounds down range.

However, while its open fighting compartment does bring with it several advantages, its biggest disadvantage is the protection it offers for the majority of crew housed within - namely, none. As such, the Lorraine 37L is extremely vulnerable to all types of enemy fire, especially shrapnel from artillery shelling and aircraft. Thus, tankers are best advised to keep well clear of the heat of combat as their vehicle is anything but suited for close quarter brawls!



Furthermore, being based on a tracked tractor chassis, the Lorraine 37L doesn’t exactly excel when it comes to mobility. Weighing in at 7.2 tons and being powered by a 70 hp engine, the Lorraine 37L can attain a top speed of 35 km/h. This limitation in mobility once more emphasises the Lorraine 37L’s role as a second line support vehicle, providing accurate and deadly covering fire for its allies on the frontline.

• A bug where the sight for unguided rockets on aircraft may not operate has been fixed (report).

The current provided changelog reflects the major changes within the game as part of this Update. Some updates, additions and fixes may not be listed in the provided notes. War Thunder is constantly improving and specific fixes may be implemented without the client being updated.