https://youtu.be/WO_5EKz_Ztg
One of the most unusual main battle tanks of the Swedish research tree is back on sale, in game right now for Golden Eagles!

Following the major redesign of the hull guidance mechanics, both the Swedish Strv line and the German VT1-2 are ready to show their best sides, and with the premium Strv 103-0 prototype, you will also receive many more Research Points and Silver Lions.



With a total of three crew members, survivability after taking hits from an enemy can be slim. However, the Strv 103 series are the only tanks that can operate with only a single crew member! Its frontal armour sports an impressive angle of inclination, it’s extremely low in terms of overall size, and it bears decent protection for its crew. It also has a high rate of fire. All of these features were included in the vehicle’s first prototype - surely you can agree, this tank is quite unique.

READ ABOUT THE STRV 103-0

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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.

This time we are going to talk about some of the particularly interesting improvements in War Thunder that came out with the “Direct Hit” major update!


With each update War Thunder sounds better and better. “Direct Hit” was no exception if your feedback from Open-DEV was to be believed.

This time we worked with the sounds of the engines so they not only sounded realistic but also changed the character of the sounds depending on the load. You can hear the result in the game! Engine roar and its speed will be noticeably different when driving on rutted tracks or when climbing a steep hill.

To consolidate the atmosphere of heavy vehicle movement, we added new sounds of surfaces under an armoured vehicle's tracks: water, sand, snow, asphalt, paving stones, mud and even ice will all sound different.

Major changes also occurred in the firing sounds of all automatic cannons and machine guns. Now they better correspond to the main features of the real guns: the detail of the sound depending on the location of the listener has increased and each shot is heard more clearly.




A simple but useful improvement for the minimap. The marker boundaries that display the sector of the map you see are now more visible and contrast better. No longer will they be lost against the background of bright winter locations. Look around more comfortably!




It is hard to imagine a battle of top tanks without the use of thermal imaging and therefore this mechanism deserves special attention.

We worked on the temperature of the wrecks of destroyed vehicles. Now the piles of metal that used to be your enemy will become colder than active vehicles if enough time has passed since the fire died down and the tracks, barrels, and hulls have cooled down. However it will still be possible to hide among destroyed enemies. Just don’t forget to turn the engine off.




In War Thunder you will always find a lot of features that improve picture quality or improve game performance. Among these are smoothing with deep learning algorithms - Nvidia DLSS. This mechanism allows you to increase the FPS and at the same time get a higher resolution.

For the “Direct Hit” update we have updated the support for this technology to version 2.2 which brings two key fixes: an even more noticeable improvement in the picture and a victory over ghosting especially in dark scenes. If you own an Nvidia RTX GPU - go ahead and turn it on!




Weapon control - your trusted friend and comrade that makes shooting much easier by calculating your preemptives and making other adjustments for you. Pilots are very familiar with it but what about the Navy?

The fleet has it now too! Later ships have begun getting “Artillery Directors” whose job is to help aim at targets. Extremely useful mechanics especially when firing at very long distances.

These mechanisms are fully-fledged vehicle modules that means that they can be destroyed with a precise hit or even lucky shrapnel but until then the “Artillery Director” will faithfully help you shoot more accurately.

You can get acquainted with the characteristics of the new modules in the analysis of the modules on vehicles right in the hangar. There can be several of them and each is responsible for different cannons. Presented are “Artillery Directors” on those ships where they were used in reality.

In addition, a noticeably updated interface for cannon guidance in binocular view.




Not too far from being able to hover your mouse over a module and learn about its capabilities, we would like to inform you that you can now do the same with aircraft radar.

Turn on the module viewer and point your cursor at the vehicle or pilot radar where the head display can also tell you a lot about the aircraft’s capabilities.




Explosions, splashes, sparks from hits and smoke you see virtually every second spent in a good battle. We devote a huge effort to make them better. Do you remember the improved effects of hits we introduced in the Ixwa Strike update? Now we’re ready to present the new improved effects for naval battles!

We have completely reworked the large calibre rounds hits to different surfaces, and thoroughly improved the effects of hits on the water for all calibres in the game. The effects of underwater explosions have been reworked for torpedoes, depth charges and sea mines. New splash pillar effects from large calibres allow you to see the results of a salvo much better. We have also improved the effects for explosions on decks and introduced new beautiful splashes of stern waves.

You’d better visit naval battles to witness our work personally. See you there!

Don’t forget to check out other types of vehicles. Another bulk of ground units received physically correct tracks, a few others got an empty cartridge animation.


In the Direct Hit update we have improved the quality and overall picture perception on ultra-low graphic settings. New color correction and improved optical adaptation of the brightness in contrast scenes, such as dawn or evening, the picture looks deeper and more saturated. It looks better now!

Objects in War Thunder, such as trees or houses, now have a similar rendering distance for all graphics presets. New optimized shadows appear in a certain radius around you, which require minimal resource consumption from your PC.


For this digest we have prepared a large set of useful fixes and game improvements. Be sure to read the full list which we have prepared in the separate changelog - there are many interesting things.

Once again, many thanks for all your bug reports that you submitted in our bug report section on the War Thunder forums.

• A bug has been fixed where players couldn’t see the “Attention to the map” marker on the minimap during a battle.
  
• A bug has been where an afterburner flame looked black in ULQ settings.
  
• A bug has been fixed that prevented a vehicle’s pop-up menu displaying in the test drive window whilst using a gamepad.
  
• A bug has been fixed that prevented the decal tab from closing whilst using a gamepad.
  
• A bug has been fixed that in some cases led to a crash on PlayStation consoles.
  
• The display of ground units at low heights has been fixed for weapons with TV seekers.
  
• IS-7 — a bug with an incorrect display of the coaxial 7.62mm machine guns in x-ray mode has been fixed.
  
• Vickers Mk.3 — vignette in the gunner’s sight has been fixed, field of view has been widened. .
  
• Pe-8 — separate fuel tanks have been enabled (reduced chance of fire). A more precise inertia calculation has been implemented depending on the current weight (fuel and armament load). Thermodynamics of engines has been specified.
  
• AV-8A — a bug with the display of the flares block has been fixed in the preset “Flares/chaff x240”.
  
• MiG-27M — The R-60 missiles in the preset with 100kg bombs have been changed to R-60M.
  
• ZTZ99-III — reduced armour durability of the hull’s front in comparison to the ZTZ99-II has been fixed (report).
  
• ZTZ96, ZTZ96A, ZTZ99-II, ZTZ99-III — Reloading time for the 125 mm cannon has been changed from 7.5 to 7.1 seconds.
  
• Type 79 ASM — Elevation above the line of sight in flight has been added.
  
• ZSU-37-2 — Displaying of the different angular guidance speeds for the left and right cannons in the X-Ray view has been fixed.
  
• HMS Peacock — Radar has been added to the X-Ray view.
  
• Churchill I — A bug with reverse track rotation has been fixed.
  
• Aviation SB mode now requires Easy Anti-Cheat enabled.
  
• In air SB sessions, created by players, now disabled bots will change to missing or exited players.
  
• A bug has been fixed with disabled the rocket ballistic calculator in mixed battles, if a player previously played in a ground vehicle or naval vessel.
  
• A bug has been fixed with disabling the ballistic calculator when ammo is depleted. The fix means that it is not necessary to repeatedly switch it on in AB mode
  
• F-104G (Italy) — The AIM-9J has been added to the weaponry list. The AIM-9B modification has been moved to rank II, LAU-10/A to rank III. A preset with 2хAIM-9B is now available without modification research by default.
  
• F-104S — The AIM-9J has been added to the weaponry list. The AIM-7E modification has been moved to rank II. The LAU-10/A modification no longer requires research. The AIM-9B modification has been moved to rank III
  
• F-8E — A Preset with 2х AIM-9C and 2x AIM-9D has been added.
  
• Tu-1 — Material and armour glass thickness in the nose section of the cockpit has been fixed.
  
• Conditions for obtaining some achievements and the rewards for completing them have been changed. This will not affect the reward of achievements already received and the progress of partially completed ones. The full list of changed achievements:
  • Miscellaneous — Custom-built
    
  • Miscellaneous — Path of perfection
    
  • Miscellaneous — Fully Equipped
    
  • Miscellaneous — Rearmament
    
  • Miscellaneous — Proved as Improved
    
  • Crew — Expert
    
  • Research — Only the Stars Are Higher
    
  • Aircraft — Can't Catch Me!
    
  • Tanks — Victory machine
    
  • Fleet — Flagship
• Incorrect display of fuel has been corrected, that mistakenly depended on the connection quality.
  
• A bug has been fixed where AI aircraft in Test Drive spawned with low initial speed where they stalled and crashed.
  
• A bug has been fixed that in some cases led to a client crash on downloading the hangar on Nvidia graphic cards.
  
• B-29 (USA) nuke carrier - in ground RB, the incorrect respawn type “Bombers” has been removed.

Sound

• A bug has been fixed with the overly loud sound of the Begleitpanzer’s gun and the British 40mm QF.2 gun, as well as the 57mm ZiS-4 gun from the gunner’s view.
  
• The overly loud sound of the rotary barrel gear on the M61 gun (M163 SPAAG) has been fixed.
  
• A bug has been fixed with the missing sound of the naval gun chase camera for the first 4 seconds of flight.
  
• The overly quiet sound of the beginning of an artillery barrage has been fixed.
  
• A bug has been fixed where the sound of the M230 guns of the Apache series of helicopters didn’t depend on the rate of fire.

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.

• A bug has been fixed where players couldn’t see the “Attention to the map” marker on the minimap during a battle.
  
• A bug has been where an afterburner flame looked black in ULQ settings.
  
• A bug has been fixed that prevented a vehicle’s pop-up menu displaying in the test drive window whilst using a gamepad.
  
• A bug has been fixed that prevented the decal tab from closing whilst using a gamepad.
  
• A bug has been fixed that in some cases led to a crash on PlayStation consoles.
  
• The display of ground units at low heights has been fixed for weapons with TV seekers.
  
• IS-7 — a bug with an incorrect display of the coaxial 7.62mm machine guns in x-ray mode has been fixed.
  
• Vickers Mk.3 — vignette in the gunner’s sight has been fixed, field of view has been widened. .
  
• Pe-8 — separate fuel tanks have been enabled (reduced chance of fire). A more precise inertia calculation has been implemented depending on the current weight (fuel and armament load). Thermodynamics of engines has been specified.
  
• AV-8A — a bug with the display of the flares block has been fixed in the preset “Flares/chaff x240”.
  
• MiG-27M — The R-60 missiles in the preset with 100kg bombs have been changed to R-60M.
  
• ZTZ99-III — reduced armour durability of the hull’s front in comparison to the ZTZ99-II has been fixed (report).
  
• ZTZ96, ZTZ96A, ZTZ99-II, ZTZ99-III — Reloading time for the 125 mm cannon has been changed from 7.5 to 7.1 seconds.
  
• Type 79 ASM — Elevation above the line of sight in flight has been added.
  
• ZSU-37-2 — Displaying of the different angular guidance speeds for the left and right cannons in the X-Ray view has been fixed.
  
• HMS Peacock — Radar has been added to the X-Ray view.
  
• Churchill I — A bug with reverse track rotation 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.

A new premium strike aircraft in the Soviet lineup, featuring devastating guns and a heavy bomb load. The perfect addition for mixed and naval battles at mid tiers!

In our game, the Tu-1 is a premium strike aircraft at rank IV of the USSR aviation. This aircraft complements the line of cannon strike aircraft, and in many ways resemble the excellent premium TIS-MA fighter. Heavy forward-facing armament consisting of a pair of 45-mm and a pair of 23-mm cannons makes it unsurpassed in the destruction of low-flying bombers and attack aircraft in air battles. Ammo belts for hitting armored targets easily crack armored vehicles - including heavy tanks and self-propelled guns when shot into the side or roof. Tu-1 is equipped with a radar, which is quite exotic for mid-rank Soviet aviation. The radar makes it easier to detect targets in markerless game modes and will be a huge advantage in night battles, as well as in thick clouds, rain or snow. Two machine-gun mounts with high-caliber MGs at the bottom and top of the fuselage will quickly cool down fighters that dare to chase the Tu-1 on her “six”.





The Tu-1 is an excellent addition to the Soviet strike aircraft lineup. We are sure that the aircraft has a great future in War Thunder!

Check out the full Dev Blog article here!

This update brings a wealth of new vehicles and improvements to War Thunder, including such legendary aircraft as the MiG-27M and the Swedish Viggen! New guided bombs are making their way into the game, along with many additional features - two new maps, an updated test drive, a fire control system for ships, new visual effects, Nvidia DLSS 2.2 and so much more!


17 new or upgraded aircraft, including the JA37C Jaktviggen and Saab J35A Draken interceptor fighters, the MiG-27M with the game's first guided bombs.

MiG-27M


JA37C Jaktviggen



A dozen new vehicles, an improved "Test Drive", clarification of the dynamic characteristics of missiles, and an even more systematic approach to the consideration of reports on the protection of modern tanks.

Vickers Mk.3


2S25 Sprut-SD



15 new vessels, including the USS Pittsburgh heavy cruiser.

USS Pittsburgh


IJN Yubari



2 new battlegrounds, and an updated test drive for tankers to test different terrain types.

Spaceport


Breslau


Updated Test Drive



We're updating old models with a new coat of pixels! The B-17 bombers are getting 3 times the polygons, and textures 4 times as big!

CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL LIST OF CHANGES

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The iconic Boeing B-17 bombers will receive an updated exterior in the upcoming Direct Hit update!
Dear Pilots! We continue to work on improving the external models of War Thunder’s vehicles. In the next big update, Direct Hit, we will introduce a new look for true veterans of the game - the Boeing B-17 series heavy bombers!

American B-17 bombers, nicknamed "Flying Fortresses" for their devastating defensive armament, appeared in the War Thunder many years ago during the closed beta testing. Since then, a lot of work has been done to the flight model and armament of these aircraft, but the appearance of the American giants is clearly outdated.





In the upcoming update, we will introduce updated exterior models for all B-17 bombers in the game, including the trophy bomber aircraft in the Japanese tech tree. The number of polygons on the updated models tripled, and the textures became 4 times larger.

Check out the full Dev Blog article here!

In the next major update coming to War Thunder, the Japanese ground forces tree will see several highly anticipated new additions and changes being implemented. In today’s devblog, we will showcase some of the most notable changes coming with the upcoming major update - let’s have a look!




Coming as part of the next major update “Direct hit”, seasoned tankers may rejoice as new variants of the popular Type 74 make its way to the top ranks of the Japanese ground forces tree. Specifically, the current Type 74 in the game will be updated to the Type 74 E, while the earlier modification - the Type 74 C - will be introduced to reinforce the Japanese high tier lineup. As a result, the combat endurance of Japanese tank commanders should increase as they get the chance to bring more vehicles into battle!

Additionally, we also plan to update the ammunition selection of the Type 74 series, including that of the STB-1 prototype. While the Type 74 E will retain most of its current ammunition selection, it will lose access to HESH rounds. The STB-1 on the other hand will retain its subcaliber and HESH rounds, but will lose the option of carrying HEAT rounds. Lastly, the new Type 74 C will form a middle ground between the two existing modifications: it will carry the same ammunition as the STB-1 but will also have access to a more powerful HEATFS round which tankers will be able to unlock as they gain experience using the vehicle.




Apart from new additions to the top ranks, we also plan to introduce two new vehicles to the low and mid ranks of the Japanese ground forces tree, specifically its SPAAG branch. Already familiar to American tankers in particular, their Japanese colleagues will now also receive access to the well-known and no less deadly M16 and M19 SPAAGs. These will bolster the strength of the Japanese SPAAG line at ranks II and III, respectively.

With these two new additions we strive to make the progression through the ranks of the Japanese SPAAG branch smoother while at the same time offering tankers more adequate levels of anti-air protection at each rank. Beware pilots, the Japanese mobile air defences just got stronger!




Last but not least, fans of Japanese ground forces will have one more new addition to look forward to in the next major War Thunder update. Namely, we plan to introduce an updated default single-tone camouflage, as well as two-tone patterns to all JSDF vehicles, thus giving tankers the option to outfit their favorite Japanese high-rank vehicles with a fresh coat of paint! Quite neat, isn’t it?

These and many more new additions and improvements await you in the upcoming major update arriving soon to War Thunder. In the meantime, make sure to stay tuned to the news to find out what other exciting new content the next major update has in store for you. Until then, happy hunting tankers!

Check it out on the official War Thunder website

• A bug has been fixed due to which hull aiming vehicles were unable to turn and were shaking sometimes while viewing from the driver.
  
• A bug has been fixed with desynchronized gun sight and binoculars on the hull aiming vehicles, which resulted in sight elevation while switching from the binoculars to the gunner’s view.
  
• Me 163B-0, Me 163B, Ki-200 — take-off cart no longer jumps to the tail when detached from the hull.
  
• A bug has been fixed with flickering gun shots, smoke and fires while using some Nvidia drivers. (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.

The C13 is an IFV developed by OTO Melara with the aim of producing a replacement to the outdated M113 APC in service with Italian forces at the time. Soon, tankers in War Thunder will get the chance to command yet another excellent light vehicle arriving to the higher ranks of Italian ground forces tree as part of the next major update!

In War Thunder, the C13 T90 will be a new light tank arriving to rank IV of the Italian ground forces tree as part of the next major update “Direct hit” coming to the game. Its devastating 90 mm cannon, impressive mobility yet rather light armor make the C13 T90 a typical representative of the IFV class of vehicles and thus a likely new favorite among seasoned Italian tankers. Let’s give the newcomer a closer look, shall we?





The C13 T90 is soon joining rank IV of the Italian ground forces tree as it comes to the game as part of the next major War Thunder update. In the meantime, make sure to stay tuned to the news as we continue unveiling what exciting new additions and features await you in the next update “Direct hit” coming very soon. Until then, happy hunting tankers!

Check out the full Dev Blog article here!

The BV 138 is a German WWII flying boat, developed in the late 1930s as a replacement to the outdated Dornier Do 18. Being one of the most widely used German flying boats of the war, pilots will now finally have the chance to take control over this unique aircraft as it arrives to War Thunder as part of the major update "Direct Hit"!

In War Thunder, the BV 138 C-1 will be a new flying boat arriving to the lower ranks of the German aviation tree with the release of the next major update. Further expanding the German seaplane lineup in the game, the BV 138 may not necessarily impress pilots with its flight characteristics or payload capacity, but its relatively small size and formidable defensive armament may make it ideally suited for capturing and defending strategic points in naval battles!





The BV 138 C-1 will soon become available to fans of German aviation with the release of the next major War Thunder update. 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!