In this digest we would like to tell you about our continuing work on improvements and fixes in the game. You can find information about all updates that have been released in War Thunder on the website special section.




In our previous release we reported the improvement of turns and pivot control of the War Thunder ground vehicles. Though this improvement was warmly appreciated by the community, you have pointed out odd vehicle behavior on steep slopes.

When moving down a hill, the driver might forget to switch to a higher gear, making a vehicle slower than it could be moving. At the same time, while climbing up a slope, the driver might switch between gears 1 and 3.

These issues are solved now. A driver selects a proper gear ratio, depending on the circumstances. Go up better and down faster!


Immediately after the “Red Skies” update, we rolled out several important fixes to prevent a game crash. The key one was related to the function of downloading additional content only from your hangar. Your bug reports helped greatly to make it happen as fast as possible.

The Gaijin Dev team would like to thank all the players who inform us about such issues. Thank you all!




This issue didn’t last long, but affected damage for War Thunder fleets from HE rounds. The durability of certain hull materials was mistakenly set too high for shrapnel and blast wave damage. This issue was especially noticeable in boat battles, but also affected the bluewater ships, making fuel tanks very durable against shrapnel.

Well, you’d better be afraid HE rounds again, since this issue is happily solved!




When the “Red Skies” update went live, we got numerous reports concerning the odd trajectories of the anti-tank guided missiles. Obviously, they were not supposed to fly like that!

We’ve fixed that rather fast, but we’re not sure all the players got the good news in time. The Snail reports: ATGM launch issue is fixed, once and for all!


For some time our overpressure damage mechanics were nuts! Can you imagine - when sitting near an ally, who is getting HE damage, you may also receive overpressure damage, which totally ignores your armour!

A tank without armour is nonsense, do you agree? So do we. We fixed this naughty bug in a day after the reporting.


This release is mostly retrospective, since we decided not to tie down improvements that need to be released as soon as possible. However, we still have a good list of changes, released to the game to make your game experience better, a big list of individual fixes for vehicles that will definitely improve your gaming experience.

• The driver in ground vehicles now switches gears more correctly when moving up or down a hill.
  
• Phantom FG.1, Phantom FGR.2 - fixed missing texture on the AIM-9G/9D missile pylon.
  
• OS2U-3 - fixed a bug with obstructed view for the gunner (report).
  
• A bug that caused the radial menu to not work when playing with a gamepad for some players by using control settings different from standard (flying out in an event, fire extinguisher, artillery strike) has been fixed.
  
• A bug that in some camera positions showed tree branches and leaves without transparency has been fixed.

• SA 313B Alouette II (Germany), SA 313B Alouette II (France) — fixed a bug where the MG sight might disappear whilst using the weapon selector.
  
• Etendard IVM - fixed a bug where an antenna might remain when the tail is torn off.
  
• Firefly FR.Mk.V - fixed a bug that prevented installation of 250 lb or 500 lb bombs separately from rockets (report).
  
• A.109EOA-2, A129CBT - fixed a bug that disabled stabilization from the gunner view in certain sectors.
  
• SB-2 (all series) - bomb drop order has been corrected for DER-19 and DER-33 pylons.
  
• MiG-21F-13 - the thickness of the headrest has been corrected to 16 mm.
  
• Harrier GR.3, Jaguar GR.1, AV-8A, AV-8C, Phantom FG.1, FGR.2 — incorrect overload limit equal to 4G for launch AIM-9D and AIM-9G missiles has been revoked.

• MiG-23M - the maximum indicated air speed has been increased to 1,400 kph.

• Ostwind, Ostwind II — fixed a bug that prevented part of the ammo rack from exploding even if the module had been destroyed (“blackened”).
  
• M47, mKpz M47, M47 (Japan) - gun depression angle has been corrected from -5 to -10 degrees (report).
  
• FV102 Striker — Issues causing an inability to fire ATGMs after the commander was killed has been fixed.

• IJN Yugumo - fixed insufficient draft.
  
• HMS Belfast, HMS Liverpool - the armour type on specific elements has been fixed.
  
• USS Baltimore - fixed the type of armour decking.
  
• S-204 Lang - MG34 machine gun changed to MG15.

• The game now launches correctly in VR mode using a WMR Headset with the Easy Anticheat checkbox enabled in the launcher.

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.

• Economy indicators (Rewards, repair cost) of vehicles where the BR was changed in the release of the “Red Skies” update have been returned to the level before update release. These unplanned changes were done mistakenly due to an increase in the maximum available vehicle BR.

• Changed the logic of AI strike aircraft. Now, even if the ground battle is over, but there are enough ground units left for the battlefield, AI strike aircraft will continue attacking them.
  
• Airfields in the locations Ruhr and Vietnam have been converted to the rank system.
  
• In missions with the rank system of airfields, airfield modules now have the correct HP values. Previously, they may have had the HP value mistakenly set to 0.

All missions with old logic:

• AI strike aviation templates have been converted to the new version of the logic (previously used for Sicily and Denmark) in order to resolve old bugs that are corrected in the new logic, as well as to take another step towards migration of all EC missions to the new logic.

General changes:

• Fixed a bug that caused the loading screen to freeze after joining a battle.

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.

Ground Vehicle model, damage model, characteristic and weaponry changes:

• Strv 122B PLSS — A bug where the controls for the commander’s optics would rotate together with the optics module in the X-Ray view of the vehicle has been fixed.
  
• Ta 152 H-1 — A bug which would cause missing textures around the engine area has been fixed.
  
• A bug that caused the periodic flares firing function not to work has been fixed.
  
• A bug, where allied vehicles would receive pressure damage as if their armour was ignored when other nearby allied vehicles were struck with a HE shell, has been fixed.
  
• Centurion Mk.1 — A bug where the commander’s sight camera would not work due to an unfinished model has been fixed.

Aircraft and helicopter model, damage model, characteristic and weaponry changes:

• J6B, Iacobi's J8A, SAAB B17B, SAAB B71A, J22-A - An erroneous round from the “armoured targets'' ammunition belt for the 8 mm Ksp m\22 machine gun with an armour penetration of 23 mm, has been removed. A duplicate belt for “ground targets” has been removed.

Sound

• Artillery explosion sounds have been improved and are now more powerful. Now, they will be louder at lower frequencies, and will not be suppressed by other sounds as easily.
  
• The sounds of firing the machine guns on ground vehicles have been improved and firing sounds in the medium frequency range have been added.
  
• The fire rate sounds (up to 1,000 rpm) for machine guns has been fixed.
  
• Changes in the sounds of machine gun fire for naval forces, which would occur as the distance between the gun and listener increased, have been made more explicit.
  
• The volume of a ground vehicle’s suspension (as it bounces up/down) will now depend on the player’s engine volume setting.
  
• The voice notification about approaching allied mines and torpedoes during naval battles has been fixed.
  
• A bug, where the notification about approaching enemy torpedoes in naval battles would be too late to trigger, has been fixed.

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.

Rank VII for aviation, brand new commander's sight for selected vehicles, naval shell chase camera and almost 30 new machines are joining the game! Two new locations, new effects for the nuclear blast, updated sounds, and much more!


11 new ground vehicles and brand new mechanic - commander's sight!

T-80BVM


Marder A1-


https://youtu.be/ZIlXOyv0_oU

Rank VII for most modern jets in line with the expanded 11.0 Battle Rating

Many new aircraft, including the MiG-23M and a premium F-5C in the famous Red Menace camouflage!

MiG-23M


Sea Vixen FAW.2



6 new naval vessels and a new naval shell chase camera view for better aiming!

Dante Alighieri



Red Desert


Drowned City



This time “It’s fixed!” comes together with the hotly anticipated major update “Red Skies”, and as usual, we have included positive changes and fixes inside the update’s changelog to make it even better!

Ground vehicle DM improvements

We have changed the calculation of effective armour penetration in cases where a projectile hits several armour elements at once, for example, a junction of armoured plates of different thickness, or several vehicle parts.

Previously, the resulting durability was equal to the sum of protection of all parts involved at the hit point. As a result, protection equivalent at a joint’s impact point might be excessively high.



Look at the hitpoint of a 120mm round to the Tiger’s front plate. The large projectile touches the edge of the driver’s observation device. The new calculation algorithm selects a part with minimal overlap at the point of contact of the projectile. Touching the neighbouring part does not limit the effect of penetration anymore.

Previously, a huge obliquity angle might affect a penetration calculation at the juncture of several plates, and the effective protection could be incorrect.



Previously, a high calibre projectile could overcome the side plate on the King Tiger at an acute angle ignoring the large area of the front plate. As a result, only the thickness of the side plate was taken into the calculation.

It’s fixed now in the “Red Skies” update as well!

Additionally, a new animation of the overpressure damage has been added to the hit camera in battle and the protection analysis in the hangar. Also, a value of the heading angles has been added to the protection analysis for more precise research on the ground vehicle armour.

Master your knowledge!

Tail fin model revision



This change will increase the survivability of all aircraft in the sky and make air battles even more interesting!

Previously the stabilizer (horizontal tail fin) was in the damage model as an inseparable unit and in the case of receiving critical damage, was destroyed completely no matter which part of it was shot at. In such a situation the entire aircraft lost altitude control and was destroyed.

We have reworked this DM part for US, Soviet, German, French and Chinese aircraft plus all helicopters. Now the part of the stabilizer that received damage destroyed will be exact and the remaining part will keep functionality and will allow you with skill to reach an airfield.

In the near future we will also rework the British, Japanese, Italian and Swedish aircraft.

Control of tracked vehicles



We have improved the responsiveness of tracked vehicles in dynamic turns - the vehicles will become less inertial in the direction of the turn and they will be able to complete the maneuver faster when the turn control is released. This change is most noticeable in powerful and large vehicles especially in the AB game mode.

Targeting improvements for missiles

Global targeting improvements come to War Thunder missiles with semi-automatic guidance (mouse controlled): ATGM’s for ground vehicle and helicopters, as well as SAM’s on AA vehicles.

We have improved the guiding algorithm for a missile to follow the aiming point specified by you on your mouse. The new algorithm takes into account the movement of the target or the missile carrier much better, it guides more accurately and does not lead to a swinging in the trajectory of some missiles, both with automatic and manual tracking of the target. Launch at will!

Improvements on semi-active seekers



Radar seekers now have a target lock quality indicator, making it easier for you to understand the perfect launch moment and estimate the risk of the missile losing the target and self-destructing.

The signal-to-noise indicator is displayed as a ring that grows with an increasing change of locking on target. It shows how effectively the missile seeker can distinguish the radar signal reflected from the target against the background. A changing colour in the ring from grey to red indicates that the signal-to-noise ratio is high enough to successfully lock on target.



The outer arc shows the actual signal-to-noise ratio for pre-launch locking seekers. A red colour means the target is locked and the system is ready to launch a missile.

For missiles that lock on target after launch, the arc shows forecasted signal-to-noise ratio after the missile is launched to the time of locking on target. A red color means the lock will be successful and a missile is ready to fire.

Fixing the torpedo detonation mechanics



We have slightly improved the mechanics of torpedo detonation under different conditions and from different impacts. Now the chance of torpedo detonation with its destruction will be from 3 to 7% (depending on the destruction conditions).

A torpedo onboard can detonate with a heavy fire and detonation of other nearby torpedoes. But detonation will not necessarily be the end for the naval vessel - the weight of the explosive mass and the detonation point will be taken into account and a fair damage will be calculated.

Virtual Reality reboot



Now War Thunder uses the OpenXR standard which provides better image quality, increasing picture sharpness compared to the previous implementation at the same supersampling settings. For example a picture at 100% SS in SteamVR is comparable in quality with 140% SS in the previous implementation! The new standard allows us to fix a lot of bugs, for example the incorrect display from the gunner position or blurred object outlines.

We using asymmetric eye protections where the depth perception and display accuracy have been improved. Also in this update we have implemented TAA support in VR mode and the owners of the RTX GPUs will be able to use DLSS to improve performance.

In addition, VR owners now have access to all graphical settings including SSAO, reflection quality, and the effect of hot air. Simulator players in VR helmets will be able to capture and broadcast the game process thanks to the special “streamer” mode that allows them to show the image of one of the screens on the monitor in the usual resolution for the live stream!

This and much more waits for you in the game!

CHECK OUT THE FULL CHANGELOG

The “Red Skies” update is almost here! While the development team is finishing work on the update, we are describing another useful game mechanic coming to War Thunder tank battles in the upcoming “Red Skies” release.

Now light tanks and squadmates can help extinguish fires. The new mechanic works in a similar way as repair assistance: you need to drive up to a burning vehicle, wait for the indicator of assistance for firefighting, and after holding the help button, the ally will stop burning. In this case, one kit of fire-fighting equipment on the helper tank will be depleted.

The new mechanic works for burning tanks that are not able to extinguish the fire on their own - the FPE kit has run out or has not yet been installed. The firefighting assistance function makes light tanks even more useful on the battlefield, as well as improving the survivability of allies in a squad.

A modern Chinese SPAAG, equipped with radar and domestic versions of the well-known Oerlikon KDA anti-air cannons.

In War Thunder, the PGZ-09 will be a new SPAAG unit arriving in the top ranks of the Chinese ground forces tree with the release of the major update. Equipped with domestic versions of the familiar 35 mm Oerlikon KDA cannons and a radar system, the PGZ-09 is set to expand the Chinese SPAA line into the modern era!

As already mentioned, the PGZ-09 comes fitted with a pair of PG99-35-2 35 mm cannons which are in essence domestic versions of the well-known Oerlikon KDA cannons tankers are already most familiar with from vehicles such as the German Gepard or British Chieftain Marksman. Known for their excellent ballistic properties and high rate of fire, the PG99-35-2 cannons can even do serious damage to some armored vehicles with the appropriate ammunition loaded yet alone to fragile aerial targets, especially considering that the vehicle has access to a sophisticated radar detection and targeting system. It is worth mentioning that the vehicle has very limited acces to AP rounds - only 20 per gun.





The PGZ-09 will be arriving in War Thunder as part of the “Red Skies” major update and will be available for research to all tankers as a new Chinese rank VI SPAA unit. Be sure to stay tuned to the news to find out more about what the upcoming update has in store for you. Until then, happy hunting tankers!

Check out the full Dev Blog article here!

An Italian prototype jet fighter of the early Cold War era, distinguished by excellent flight characteristics and devastating firepower.

In War Thunder, the Sagittario 2 will be a new jet fighter awaiting all pilots at the higher ranks of the Italian aviation tree. Combining superb flight characteristics with lethal firepower makes the Sagittario 2 a very focused jet fighter and one which should quickly find fans among already seasoned jet jockeys in particular!

Glancing over the Sagittario 2’s visual appearance, in particular its streamlined fuselage and swept wings, already gives off a strong impression that this aircraft was built with performance in mind. And the aircraft’s performance figures certainly back up this sensation! Powered by a single Rolls-Royce Derwent Mk.9 turbojet engine - the same one used on modifications of the well-known British Gloster Meteor fighter - the Sagittario 2 can reach a top speed of 1,050 km/h at sea level. However, being an early Cold War era jet fighter means that the Sagittario 2 doesn’t come equipped with an afterburner, resulting in worse acceleration than some newer aircraft.





The Sagittario 2 will soon join the high ranks of the Italian aviation tree as a new jet fighter awaiting all pilots with the release of the next major update Red Skies. In the meantime, be sure to stay tuned to the news as we continue showcasing what other exciting new additions await you in the upcoming update. Until then, clear skies pilots!

Check out the full Dev Blog article here!

The T-80BVM will become the new top tier MBT in the heavy tanks branch of the Soviet tech tree with the release of the upcoming ‘Red Skies” update. The T-80BVM is in many ways similar to the T-80U - the cannon and machine guns, a similar hull upper plate structure, so it's much more interesting to talk about the differences - and there are many of them!



The main and most noticeable difference is the new explosive "Relikt" reactive armor. ERA blocks cover the turret, frontal and side projections of the hull. This is a further development of the already good "Kontakt V", which gives increased protection against shaped charge ammunition (including those with a tandem warhead), and also significantly increases the protection against kinetic projectiles. Taking into account the passive armor of the hull and turret, the final protection of the T-80BVM in the most protected areas is virtually invincible to chemical rounds and extremely difficult to overcome even for the more advanced APFSDS shells - apart for the best ones in the game and hits at "right" angles at short and medium distances. The "Relikt" is certainly an excellent defense, but even that doesn't make the tank invulnerable. Firstly, the T-80BVM has several vulnerable zones in the frontal projection, not covered by reactive armor - especially in the area of ​​the mantlet and turret ring. Secondly, on the turret, these blocks are quite large, and after their loss, the T-80BVM can not stand any AP shot from top tier vehicles.



Soviet tankers will also be pleased with the new APFSDS round - this is the 3BM60, whose armor penetration characteristics are close to the best Western models. In addition to them, the T-80BVM has devastating 9M119M1 ATGM’s with a tandem warhead, good 3BM42 fin-stabilized round, high-explosive fragmentation and shaped charge shells. A very worthy arsenal!

The T-80BVM is equipped with a 1,250 hp gas turbine engine, which is pretty good. The new "eighty" does not set speed records, but it won’t weave at the tail either... until it drives forward. Alas, the plague of the Soviet topends, the low reverse speed, may certainly sometimes be the rotten apple to spoil the barrel. But notably, the T-80BVM reverse speed of 12 kph is still higher than T-72’s or T-90’s.



Well, let's summarize. T-80BVM is a new full-fledged top tier tank of the "eighties" family, with its own advantages and disadvantages. New ERA protection makes the tank almost invulnerable in the frontal projection against aviation and helicopter guided missiles and impudent ATGM carriers. The tank is noticeably more die-hard than its classmates, but the vehicle certainly has its own vulnerabilities, especially in the front projection of the turret. There is no panoramic sight for the commander, but there is an up-to-date fire control system with all required functions and duplicate controls- very useful with the new function of commander sights. The T-80BVM is well armed: finally, the top-tier Soviet has an effective APFSDS, and the branded tandem missiles are still extremely effective. All in all, the vehicle is definitely interesting and worthy of research.

Look for the T-80BVM at the very top of the USSR ground vehicles lineup very soon, with the release of the “Red Skies” update! See you in battle!

A late 1990s Italian IFV sporting good mobility and outfitted with cutting-edge weapon systems and munitions.

In War Thunder, the Dardo IFV will soon be joining the ranks of the Italian ground forces tree as a much anticipated new light tank awaiting all tankers in the upcoming major update Red Skies. Extremely mobile and packing a serious punch with its advanced weapon systems, the Dardo IFV will quickly gain a reputation as being another formidable adversary to face in top tier ground battles!

As is commonplace for modern IFVs, Dardo’s primary armament too consists of an autocannon in the shape of the fully stabilized 25 mm Oerlikon KBA. The weapon sounds familiar? That’s because it’s the same cannon as found on the SIDAM 25 SPAAG. However, while the SIDAM 25’s anti-tank capabilities are rather limited, tankers won’t need to worry about the same with Dardo. Namely, as far as the cannon is concerned, Dardo has access to a more powerful APFSDS round, allowing it to deal damage even to more heavily armored targets at close ranges.





Being a highly anticipated vehicle by fans of Italian armored vehicles, the Dardo IFV will finally be making its way to War Thunder as part of the next major update Red Skies and will await all tankers at the top ranks of the Italian ground forces tree. In the meantime, stay tuned to the news as we continue unveiling what other exciting new features will await you in the upcoming update. Until then, happy hunting tankers!

Check out the full Dev Blog article here!