SMS Westfalen was one of the first four German dreadnought-type battleships of the Nassau class, built for the Imperial Navy in the late 1900’s. Soon, seasoned captains in War Thunder will have the chance to take the helm of SMS Westfalen as it arrives to the game as one of the first German battleships with the incoming update “New Power”!

In War Thunder, SMS Westfalen will be among the first battleships to join the ranks of the German naval tree in the game after the release of the major update. Being a true lumbering teutonic beast, SMS Westfalen possesses characteristics much akin to other nation’s dreadnoughts, best described as ‘slow, but very deadly’. Let’s take a closer look!





SMS Westfalen is soon joining War Thunder naval battles and will be one of the first battleships to appear in the ranks of the German navy with the release of the “New Power” upcoming update. In the meantime, stay tuned to the news as we continue sharing more information on what the next major update has in store for you. Until then, calm seas and happy hunting captains!

Check out the full Dev Blog article here!

In the night when evil spirits creep out under the moonlight we return again to one proven method of cleansing. Start your M18 and Po-2 engines racing and terrify the forces of evil into oblivion in glorious races!

From 11:00 GMT on the 31st of October until 09:00 GMT on the 1st of November
Earn 300 rating points in the supercharged M18 “Hellcat” and get a prize - one of the creepy decorations. The rating depends on the position in which you finished the race.


Jack-o-lantern


Witch hat


Slasher’s Hatchet


Cannibal Axe

You can follow your progress by clicking on the “award button” in the “event” tab. Update in the records table can take up to 15 minutes.


Fly a special "Night Witch" aircraft and earn 300 rating points to get one of the unique decals. The rating depends on the position in which you finished the race.


"Pumpkin" decal


"Bad Turn" decal


"Hell's Belle" pin-up


"Trick or Treat" text

When the races are over, the top 1,000 pilots will permanently receive the unique Po-2 biplane. The vehicles will be awarded during the 48 hours from the end of the event.

Don’t miss the discounts and other promotions dedicated to War Thunder’s birthday!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1423760
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1108450
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1233371
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1233370
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1368800
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1368801
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1368110

The situation in the sea around Spitsbergen Island is getting hot! Take command of a modern submarine and use all available detection tools to not only counter a hidden threat but also to take the initiative into your own hands. Control torpedoes, hide from enemy sonar, strike with cruise and ballistic missiles!


In this event you will take control of nuclear submarines, the gameplay of which is radically different from the more familiar battles in our game.

Submarines for the following nations will be represented in the event: USSR/Russia, USA and Great Britain. They differ from each other in mobility, visibility and durability.


Maximum depth: 350 m
Movement Speed: Medium
Noise level: Low
Visibility: Low


Maximum depth: 550 m
Movement Speed: High
Noise level: High
Visibility: Medium


Maximum depth: 450 m
Movement Speed: Medium
Noise level: Medium
Visibility: Medium

To enter the event you need to equip any naval vessel in a crew slot. You will join the battle in the submarine of the nation that you have selected before entering the event.

Your task: using active and passive sonars, detect and destroy the entire enemy team submarine fleet before they destroy you.





Both sides in this battle seek to use their nuclear weapons! To launch the nuclear missile the boat must get to the launch point and have a short preparation before launching - do not permit the enemy side to achieve this and try to be the first to launch the missile!

Press F1 in the game to see more information about submarine controls and its weaponry and sonar.




Sonar

• The only way to detect your opponents under the surface of the water.
  
• You can switch between two sonar modes:
  
• Passive - will detect the noise of the enemy submarine’s engines at short distance, shows the direction and will help you to navigate submerged.
  
• Active - reveals the location of your submarine for the enemy but also detects enemy submarines at long distance.

Visibility

• The rotating screws on each submarine create noise during movement. The faster the rotation speed the higher the noise and the greater the distance at which a passive sonar can detect it. Launching a torpedo also creates noise!
  
• Detection using active sonar varies according to the size and the position under the surface of the enemy boat. A submarine that lies on the seabed is much less visible but is also limited in maneuvering and fighting capabilities.

Torpedoes

• Each submarine is equipped with torpedoes. Launch a torpedo towards a detected enemy sub and the camera will move to it giving control to the launching player.
  
• Torpedoes are also equipped with passive and active sonar and operate in a similar way to the main sonars on submarines.
  
• Active sonar ‘demasks’ the torpedo and increases the chances of the enemy dodging the attack but does allow the player to activate the homing system instead of manually guiding the torpedo to the target.
  

The event isn’t available on Linux and is temporarily not available on Xbox One.

Let us take a closer look at them!


War Thunder ground vehicles have moved from a tight repair workshop to a spacious military base located in a mountain valley. There is a lot of life here - mechanics have just finished work on preparing the vehicle for the battle, army trucks rush around elsewhere, free crews participate in training honing their shooting skills, overhead aircraft fly over. In closed hangars vehicles from your collection wait their turn. On the flatbed of a military transporter an armoured vehicle that has just arrived at the location waits for you to click on it to learn more about the novelty.




Not too far from the ground forces there is a lot of activity for aircraft and helicopters. Mechanics discuss some technical issues, the weaponsmith checks the bombs in the warehouse and on the apron other player’s aircraft are parked.






Player warships are located in the water of a wide bay near the military base. From here you can clearly see the bridge and cargo port of the seaside town. In addition to the currently selected naval vessel you will also see several other warships already researched by you as well as one of the premium ships that can be viewed in detail by clicking the mouse on them. Hydroplanes and flying boats will also be displayed here in the port area before battle.





The War Thunder Team

HMS Dreadnought was a British battleship from the early 1900’s that revolutionized warship design with its many innovations, setting a standard for a whole generation of warships to come. Soon, this naval legend will be joining the ranks of the British naval tree as one of the first battleships to come to War Thunder as part of the “New Power” major update!

HMS Dreadnought will not just be one of the first battleships to join the ranks of the Royal Navy, but also among the first vessels of this type to arrive in War Thunder. With its powerful guns, heavy armour and steadfast mobility, HMS Dreadnought represents everything battleships are known and respected for and, just like its real-world counterpart, signals the start of a new era for War Thunder’s naval forces!





HMS Dreadnought will be one of the first battleships War Thunder captains will have the chance to unlock and add to their fleet, following the release of the major update “New Power”. However, HMS Dreadnought won’t by far be the only one coming, so be sure to stay tuned to the news to find out more. In the meantime, calm seas and good hunting captains!

Check out the full Dev Blog article here!

In the War Thunder “New Power” update, we are dividing warships from all playable nations into two separate tech trees with traditional vertical research - blue-water(larger ships) and coastal fleets(smaller vessels).
Torpedo boats, gunboats, and frigates will be upgraded in their own tree, while enthusiasts of larger ship classes will be able to start research immediately from reserve destroyers to heavier ship classes. In this case, ships of all classes will still meet together in battles, the ships you have already researched will not need to be researched again, and the crews will be able to master any types of ships without restrictions.



The division in the fleet tech trees requires changes in the cost of researching, buying and repairing ships from different classes. For details on these changes, see this table. Please note that the maximum reward multiplier in Silver Lions for the blue-water fleet has been increased from 150 to 280% in AB and to 360% in RB.



Due to the rearrangement for the majority of destroyers by ranks I and II, and the reduction of the multipliers of rewards for linear units to a level corresponding to their rank, we are forced to remove from sale all premium vehicles of this class, while maintaining their current economic parameters. In the next updates, we will be adding new premium destroyers and cruisers for ranks I-III, but with new, more relevant prices. These new vehicles will allow you to quickly reach the top battleships and cruisers, and in the New Power update we are already planning to add 6 initial premium rank I destroyers and two destroyers of rank II-III.

Destroyers that will be removed from sale:

• Type 1939 (T31) - Germany, rank III, BR 3.7, 5040 GE, 284% RP
  
• Z20 Karl Galster - Germany, Rank III, BR 4.3, 6090 GE, 308% RP
  
• Project 7U Stroiny - USSR, III rank, BR 4.3, 6090 GE, 308% RP
  
• Project 41 Nesstrashniy - USSR, Rank III, BR 4.7, 7080 GE, 332% RP
  
• Geniere - Italy, Rank III, BR 4.3, as part of a pack, 332% RP

Destroyers that will be added for sale:

• Clemson (DD-195) - USA, rank I, BR 3.3, 250 GE, 150% RP
  
• Porter (DD-362) - USA, Rank III, BR 5.0, 1300 GE, 272% RP
  
• 1924 Iltis class - Germany, rank I, BR 3.7, 250 GE, 150% RP
  
• Kerch - USSR, rank I, 250 GE, 150% RP
  
• Montgomery (G95) - Britain, I rank, BR 3.3, 250 GE, 150% RP
  
• Class J (leader) - Britain, Rank II, BR 4.0, 1000 GE, 248% RP
  
• IJN Satsuki - Japan, rank I, BR 3.3, 250 GE, 150% RP
  
• Aquilone - Italy, rank I, BR 3.3, 250 GE, 150% RP

Premium destroyers available for purchase on the Market will be hidden in the research trees for players that haven’t purchased them. But you can still find them on the Market with a search.

The changes will also affect squadron vehicles: The Project 35 will be moved to rank V in the USSR coastal fleet tree with an increase in research cost to 520,000 squadron experience and a maximum purchase price of 5,600 GE; The IJN Shimakaze will remain at rank III with the same squadron RP and Golden Eagles cost.

In the War Thunder “New Power” update, we are presenting the first battleships and battlecruisers! These are giant, heavily armored ships with large-calibre guns. Most of those added currently were built at the very beginning of the 20th century; it was these war beasts that represented the main force at sea until the beginning of World War II. Read our devblogs, where we will tell you about some of the battleships from the upcoming update War Thunder: “New Power” very soon!

Developed as part of a private venture during the early 1960’s, the Saab Sk 60 was a versatile combat jet trainer aircraft currently employed by the Swedish and Austrian air forces. Soon, pilots in War Thunder will have the chance to take control of the nimble Saab Sk 60 upon its arrival at the higher ranks of the Swedish aviation tree in the upcoming update “New Power”!

Saab Sk 60B, jet attacker, Sweden, V rank.
➕ Good handling characteristics
➕ Deadly weapons
➕ Small silhouette
➖ Modest top speed



In War Thunder, the Sk 60B will be a new jet attacker coming to rank V of the Swedish aviation tree with the release of the upcoming major update “New Power”. With its arrival, Swedish pilots will gain access to a dedicated light ground attacker, ideally suited for supporting their allies on the ground in combined battles!

However, before we dive into the Sk 60B’s deadly weapons arsenal, let’s take a closer look at the aircraft itself. Being powered by two Svenska Flygmotor AB RM9 turbofan engines - a licence-built version of the Turbomeca Aubisque - the Sk 60B can reach a top speed of 765 km/h.



Although a fairly low top speed for a jet aircraft, it’s also worth pointing out that the Sk 60B has an incredibly low stall speed of just 170 km/h! This, combined with the aircraft’s overall good handling characteristics make it ideally suited to run precision air strikes against hostile ground targets, thus supporting its allies on the ground.

Speaking of supporting allies on the ground, aspiring pilots of the Sk 60B will have a number of different ordnance options with which they’ll be able to do so! First and foremost however, it’s worth noting that the Sk 60B doesn’t come with any integrated weapons on board. Instead, all of the aircrafts weapons are carried on ordnance pylons underneath the wings.

Possessing a total of six pylons under its wings, the Sk 60B can be loaded with a multitude of different ordnance options. These range from 30 mm cannon pods, rockets of various calibers and having a pair of guided air-to-surface missiles available.



Overall, the Sk 60B is the ideal aircraft for close air support missions. Being comparably small and nimble, but capable of carrying a deadly payload, the Sk 60B will prove itself as a highly potent strike aircraft in the hands of a skilled pilot and a more than welcome sight in the sky above allied forces on the ground!

The Sk 60B is coming soon to rank V of the Swedish aviation tree with the release of the upcoming major update “New Power” and will be available to all pilots for research. In the meantime, be sure to stay tuned to the news as we continue to reveal what other exciting new things the “New Power” update has in store for you. Until then, clear skies and happy hunting pilots!

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.