Playing at the lower tiers is always fun, with frequent comical moments! Thank you for sharing your screenshots with us last week- they looked great! The three most popular and three selected by us will get 300 GE. See the winners down below!


Create a stunning screenshot and submit it on the War Thunder Steam Community Hub with the tag #WTscreen98. You have time until the 22nd of December to submit your screenshot.

After that date, 6 winners will be selected (3 of which will be the highest rated by the community and 3 selected by our judges), each of which receive a reward of 300GE.

• Your screenshot must include a vehicle or map introduced in the latest major update, Air Superiority. A complete changelog can be found here.
  
• You must add the #WTscreen98 tag (title cannot have any other text in it).

[/b]

Screenshots need to be compliant with the War Thunder rules.

You need to be the author of the screenshot.

Screenshot needs to be new. You cannot use those which have previously been published or used in other competitions.

We will only accept raw screenshots from the game. You cannot use any editing software nor any other visual enhancements (like Nvidia Ansel filters).

You can use filters and settings built into War Thunder.

You can use the replay functionality built into War Thunder.

Rewards will be delivered to the author's account within 14 working days.

[/list]


https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3111228953
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3111185471
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3109673316

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3111049665
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3109369842
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3111087809

Each winner will get 300GE! Congratulations and see you next week!

You’ll be able to get the J9 in the Winter Extreme event! This aircraft is a modified export variant of the American P-35 single-seat fighter operated by the Swedish Air Force throughout WWII.


Features:

• Good flight characteristics.
  
• Heavy machine gun arsenal.
  
• Premium bonuses!

The J9 is a unique new aircraft joining the early ranks of the Swedish aircraft tree and is one of the prizes of the Winter Extreme event. Possessing balanced all-round characteristics, the J9 will make for a fantastic early fighter aircraft for rookie fighter pilots to spread their wings with. Keep on reading to find out more!



Despite its stubby visual appearance, the J9 has a lot of very good qualities to offer which will be highly appreciated if you’re just starting out in the Swedish aircraft tree. Among the more important aspects of the J9 is that it’s powered by a powerful and very durable 1050 HP Pratt & Whitney radial engine, allowing this aircraft to reach speeds of up to 470 km/h. As such, the J9 can comfortably compete with most other fighters at its rank being capable of at least outmaneuvering its opposition if it can’t outright catch them!

Interesting: While the P-35 in American service was quickly replaced by more advanced fighter designs, the J9 remained in service with the Swedish air force up until the early ‘50s!

Being a dedicated fighter also means that the J9 received respectable armament to make sure it can complete its mission. Namely, the Swedish modification in particular features an upgraded arsenal consisting of a pair of 8 mm nose-mounted machine guns complemented by an additional pair of 13.2 mm wing-mounted heavy machine guns. As a result, the J9 can easily slice through the fragile airframes of early fighter aircraft and even strafe some lighter ground targets if unopposed by enemy aircraft. However, the absence of hardpoints make it impossible to equip the J9 with suspended ordnance, thus limiting its versatility in ground battles.



The addition of the J9 makes it an excellent fighter for the starting ranks of the Swedish aircraft tree, allowing you to hone your skills and quickly progress onto the higher ranks. Take part in the Winter Extreme event, complete the tasks and obtain the J9 to expand your in-game collection of unique aircraft. Good luck and until then, clear skies!

• A bug that caused ammunition on some ground vehicles to instantly replenish at capture points has been fixed. (Report)
  
• A bug that caused the counting of APFSDS shells in tasks has been fixed. This bug caused these shells to be counted as shells with a caliber of less than 35 mm, which affected the completion of achievements in the game.

• F-15A, F-15J — the angular speed of a steady turn has been adjusted: at medium speeds — reduced by 1-2°/s, at speeds M 0.7...1.0 — increased by 1-2°/s.
  
• Excessive illumination of cockpits from the flashes of shots in some aircraft has been fixed.
  
• Ka-52 — the visual absence of a co-pilot from the gunner’s position has been fixed.

• A bug that caused ship decorations at high angles to flip to a vertical position making them unable to be used 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.

• AMX — lack of thermal imaging mode in the targeting pod camera when installing the NVG modification has been fixed.
  
• JAS39 (all variants) — the gun’s ammunition has been changed to 120 rounds. (Report)
  
• Litening II — a bug that caused an incorrect resolution in the sight has been fixed. It is now 800x600 in IR range.
  
• A bug that caused high-explosive shells from aircraft cannons to not cause damage to the fuselage section they hit if there was a module behind it has been fixed.

• USS Mississippi — the main caliber guns have been changed from 356 mm\45 mk.12 to 356 mm\50 mk.11. The parameters of the shells have been adjusted.
  
• Novorossiysk — the auxiliary caliber gun has been changed from 135 mm/45 to 120 mm/50 OTO mod.1933.

• A bug where putting decals on some ground vehicles (for example, the Comet I, T-34 (1942) and some others) with Two sided mode caused the decal to appear on three sides at once has been fixed. (Report)
  
• A bug that caused decals applied to a corner to only appear on one surface side has been fixed.
  
• A bug that could cause the water color to display incorrectly when using a VR device has been fixed.
  
• A bug that caused an incorrect texture display when using the Vulkan API renderer has been fixed.
  
• A bug that caused some objects to visually shake when using TAA, DLSS or XeSS has been fixed.

• A bug that led to the appearance of artifacts on water has been fixed.

• An issue that could cause problems with launching the game on Windows 7 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.

One of the world’s best jet fighters, the Su-27 has arrived to War Thunder in the Air Superiority major update for the USSR and China, and today we’ll be explaining it all.


Features:

• Excellent maneuverability.
  
• High top speed.
  
• 10 weapon hardpoints.
  
• Advanced air-to-air missiles.
  
• No guided weapons against ground targets.

In the Air Superiority major update, the USSR and Chinese aircraft tree have received this new top-end jet fighter, the Su-27! What type of aircraft this is, what features it has and how it differs from other Rank VIII is explained below, so let’s take a look.

Interesting: The Su-27 is more commonly known through its NATO reporting name of “Flanker”, with this identification mostly used.

The Su-27 is one of the main top-tier jet aircraft that does the update name “Air Superiority” justice! Let’s start with its flight characteristics. This aircraft itself is quite large and heavy, but its powerplant, consisting of the powerful Saturn AL-31F engines accelerate the Su-27 at altitudes to speeds close to 2500 km/h. Combined with an integrated airframe design with a lifting fuselage, this turns the Su-27 into a true aerial acrobat — it’s not for nothing that maneuverability is rightly considered the calling card of a fighter aircraft!

You’re going to appreciate the Su-27’s large payload of varied weapons, where it’s worth noting right away that this aircraft has as many as 10 weapon hardpoints, most of which can be allocated with air-to-air missiles. The main armament of the Su-27 in the dogfighting role is the maneuverable R-73 for close combat, the all-aspect R-27T and the R-27ET that has an infrared seeker, as well as the radar R-27R and R-27ER for medium distances. The combination of these missiles allows you to fine-tune the Su-27 for any style of combat situation, from long-range launches to short-range ones. There’s no additional countermeasure pods on this aircraft, but 96 large-caliber countermeasures do their job and are usually enough for medium-range engagements in battle.

Did you know? In 1987, Su-27 pilot Vasily Tsymbal struck a Norwegian P-3 Orion. The Su-27 was at an extremely low speed directly under the Norwegian aircraft, and ended up knocking the Su-27 against the propeller of one of the P-3’s engines, causing it to collapse, hit the airframe and depressurize the aircraft. Thankfully, there were no casualties.

To engage with ground targets in ground battles, the Su-27 can only operate with regular bombs: it doesn’t have any laser-guided ground weaponry. This aircraft can carry a large mass of bombs in general, ranging from free-fall, incendiary or regular. There’s also rockets, ranging from the small S-8 and medium S-130F to the large S-250. Naturally for top-tier aircraft, the launch of rockets and bombs is backed up by a ballistic computer, ensuring you don’t miss.

In your matches by Mike, Official WT Streamer & Marketing Manager:
“Despite its large size, the Su-27/J-11 excels as a dedicated air superiority fighter. A full fuel tank will heavily affect your flight performance, so it's best to avoid close-range dogfights in the initial stages of the match and rely on your excellent R-27ER and R-27ET missiles for long-range splashes. Once you’ve lost some weight, closing the range and using the thrust vectoring R-73 missiles in combination with HMD aiming, are sure to make you feel like an Ace. Don’t get tunnel vision however, or you’ll quickly find that a slow Su-27/J-11 invites lurking enemies to put several holes in all of your wings.”

The Su-27 has arrived to the USSR’s and China’s aircraft tree with the release of the major update, Air Superiority. China’s J-11 is an export model, and both the Su-27 and J-11 characteristics and weapons are identical. Enjoy and see you soon!

We’re ending 2023 in style with the awesome Air Superiority major update. Top-tier jets have been added to several nations, some of which include the F-15, the Su-27 and J-11, the Mirage 4000, plus the JAS39. We’ve introduced Rank VIII for ground vehicles, and subsequently new tanks: M1A2 SEP2, Leopard 2A7V, T-90M, VT-4A1, Strv 122B+ and Challenger 3 (TD)! The USA gets the brilliant USS Roanoke and a few other ships come in for other nations, while Volcano Valley is here for aircraft, set in the beautiful peninsula landscapes of Russia. The ability to use universal backups while in battle and tutorial missions for using aircraft missiles have also been added, and we’ve reworked all types of fire graphics for vehicles and burning buildings to make them look better in general.

Please feel free to leave your feedback on this Major update in the feedback thread by clicking here

One of the main highlights of this major update is the introduction of Rank VIII for ground forces! A new rank means new vehicles of course, so you’ll be able to get your hands on the M1A2 SEP2, T-90M, Challenger 3 (TD), Leopard 2A7V, VT-4A1 and Strv 122B+! Want to research Britain and America’s new tank faster? Check out the premium M1A1 HC Click-Bait pack for the USA and the Challenger 2 (OES) for Britain. Oh, and some Rank VII vehicles have also moved up to Rank VIII for all nations — overall, there’s 11 new ground vehicles that have been added — check them out!


Hear the sound of an eagle? That’s the F-15 Eagle! Say hello to new top-tier jets — the awesome F-15 comes in for the USA (F-15A), Japan (F-15J), and Israel (F-15A), and the USSR gets the Su-27 and China gets the J-11 equivalent. The nimble Gripen is also here, with JAS39A for Sweden and South Africa’s JAS39C for Britain, while France gets the large and dual-engine Mirage 4000. In addition to this, the awesome AMX for Italy, a cockpit remake for the Firefly FR Mk.V, and the handy Tornado IDS WTD 61 premium pack for Germany that’s great for ground attacks. Check them out!



6 nations have now received interesting naval vessels each — one in particular is the USS Roanoke, which is perfect for engaging with surface targets as well as air targets. France and Italy get a Rank V premium Battleship, the Courbet and RN Leonardo da Vinci, bringing their naval premiums up to par with other nations. Britain and Japan also get an interesting ship each, but be sure to check out the full list below!


Volcano Valley is a new location for aircraft battles. Inspired by the nature of Kamchatka which is a peninsula located at the very edge of Russia, this new map offers you beautiful scenery including erupting volcanoes and a lovely river. In addition to this, Hürtgen Forest has received some changes based on your feedback, so be sure to check both of these out and let us know what you think.


Are you currently on a high login streak but worried about losing it, perhaps you’re on vacation without a PC or your WiFi has gone down? Not to worry any longer, as one of the final Roadmap changes which is being able to login to WT Mobile to continue your login streak has been added. Simply log into WT Mobile with your Gaijin account and your login streak on the PC version of War Thunder will continue without an issue.

You can also check out the latest Roadmap news that we published earlier this week here.


We’ve now added the ability for you to activate universal backups in the respawn window while in a battle, meaning you won’t need to activate them before the battle begins. We’ve also added some sweet new achievements, including the “Peaceful Atom” one that you can get for shooting down a nuclear-bomb aircraft that hasn’t yet dropped its bomb. For buildings and vehicles, fire graphics have been reworked and look better in general. The full list of new mechanics, graphics and rewards are in the major changelog.

With the addition of many different types of missiles to the game, keeping up with what exactly they do, or how they work can be difficult. In this major, we’ve added Training Missions for jet aircraft that you can access through the modification window by clicking on the Test button on a missile that you’ve researched. These missions are specifically for air-to-surface missiles with manual guidance, as well as air-to-air missiles with an infrared seeker. In these missions are step-by-step instructions on what controls to use so that you can learn exactly how to fire missiles, so make sure to take advantage of this!

Major updates mean many changes, and that’s exactly the case here. Some gun sounds have had a revision and sound richer, fly-past sounds have been greatly improved, a new voice narrator has been added to some top-tier Chinese aircraft, and tank crews from several nations have received new voice acting. Most importantly, there’s a huge list of bug fixes. The full list of changes is in the major changelog, so be sure to have a look to see what’s changed! That’s it for 2023 in terms of major updates for War Thunder — thank you and enjoy.


https://store.steampowered.com/app/236390/War_Thunder/

Due to spatial constraints on Steam, the full changelog is unable to be posted here. The full changelog can be viewed in-game, or found on our official website here.

• F-15A
  
• PBY-5/5a (model update for the entire line)

• Tornado IDS WTD 61 (Pack)

• Su-27

• Firefly FR Mk.V (Cockpit update)
  
• JAS39C

• F-15J

• J-11

• AMX

• Mirage 4000

• JAS39A

• F-15A

• M1A1 HC Click-Bait (Pack)
  
• M1A2 SEP2

• Leopard 2A7V

• T-90M

• Challenger 2 (OES) (Premium)
  
• Challenger 3 TD

• Type 99

• VT-4A1

• Tigris (Premium)

• TPK 6.41 VPC

• Strv 122B+

• M109A1 Roshev
  
• M113A1 TOW

• USS Roanoke

• Novorossiysk

• HMS Orion

• Asago

• RN Leonardo da Vinci (Premium)

• Courbet (Premium)
  
• Vauquelin

• Volcano Valley — a new aircraft location has been added with two available: Ground Strike for Arcade battles and Operation for Realistic battles.

• Visual improvements have been added to the tank test drive area.
  
• Hürtgen Forest — this location has been reworked based on player feedback: spawns covered, blocked line of sight for shoot throughs.
  
• Middle East — this location has been reworked based on player feedback: spawns covered, blocked line of sight for shoot throughs.
  
• The following missions have been changed with the location of the bombing bases in them depending on the rank of the battle:
  • [Operation] Lake Ladoga.
    
  • [Operation] Ladoga. Winter 1941.
    
  • [Operation] Moscow. 42nd kilometer.
    
  • [Operation] Moscow. Naro-Fominsk.
    
  • [Operation] Moscow. Serpukhov.
    
  • [Operation] Moscow.
    
  • [Operation] Smolensk. 1941.
    
  • [Operation] Smolensk. 1941.
    
  • [Operation] Berlin.
    
  • [Operation] El Alamein.
• For trees, wind attenuation when moving away from the model has been added to enhance the visual effect of model switching.
  
• Trains driving outside of the playable zone in missions on the Flanders map have been added.

• PBY-5/5a (all variants) — the flight model has been updated. Improved sea worthiness. Improved handling on water.
  
• F-16A (all variants)/AJ/C-Block 50/D-Block 40 Barak II — fuel tank inerting system has been added.
  
• Jaguar (all variants) — a bug that caused the incorrect display of performance changes when installing the New boosters modification has been fixed.
  
• AM-1 Mauler — a bug that led to an uncontrollable turn of the aircraft during takeoff when using the “Mouse Aiming” control has been fixed.
  
• P-39 (all variants) — the flight model of this aircraft has been completely updated according to the current capabilities of the physical model. Polars of wings, fuselage, empennage, and propeller blades have been recalculated and corrected. Moments of inertia have been corrected.

• The disappearance of destroyed fuel tanks, anti-torpedo buoys, and coal bunkers in the ship’s hit camera has been fixed. Their display in full or damaged state has been placed on the back layer so that they do not overlap the internal modules.
  
• Weapon group icons have been added to the gun indicators above the action panel — Main Caliber, Auxiliary or Anti-Aircraft.
  
• A more visual indication of the impact of proficiency vs skill improvement for crew experience points has been added to the crew skills window.

• The required level for ground vehicle crews when purchasing the “Expert” qualification have been reduced due to Rank VIII vehicles being added:
  • Rank IV: Level 30 → Level 25;
    
  • Rank V: Level 45 → Level 35;
    
  • Rank VI: Level 55 → Level 45;
    
  • Rank VII: Level 60 → Level 55.
  
  
• The required level for ground vehicle crews when purchasing the “Ace” qualification have been reduced due to Rank VIII vehicles being added:
  • Rank II: Level 50 → Level 45;
    
  • Rank III: Level 60 → Level 50;
    
  • Rank IV: Level 70 → Level 60;
    
  • Rank V: Level 80 → Level 70;
    
  • Rank VI: Level 85 → Level 80;
    
  • Rank VII: Level 90 → Level 85.
• The cost of researching and purchasing ground vehicles of rank VI-VII has been reduced, and some vehicles have been moved from rank VII to rank VIII. The values of the following parameters have been reduced: the purchase price of vehicles in SL; the cost of putting vehicles in crew slots in SL; the purchase price of Expert Crews; the total cost of purchasing modifications in SL; the cost of researching vehicles in RP; the total cost of researching modifications for RP. For vehicles transferred to a higher rank, the RP earnings multiplier, and in some cases the SL earnings multiplier have been increased.
  • Table with generalized changes for vehicle parameters.
    
  • Table with detailed changes for vehicle parameters.
• The parameters for some squadron ground vehicles have been adjusted in accordance with changes to similar researchable vehicles: the RP earnings multiplier has been increased, the SL earnings multiplier has been increased; the cost of researching squadron vehicles with squadron points has been increased, and the purchase price for Golden Eagles has been increased.
  • Table with detailed changes for vehicle parameters.
• A new progression rule has been established for Rank VIII vehicles — both MBTs and other vehicles with high-caliber guns. For the tank’s ammunition, along with a HEAT-FS shell, one of the APFSDS shells is available immediately after purchasing the tank. We’ve decided to introduce this rule due to the fact that Rank VIII MBTs have well developed, all-round HEAT defense, and HEAT shells can be ineffective even against the side protection of tanks.

• New Gaijin.net achievements for using nuclear weapons, destroying an aircraft carrying nuclear weaponry, and using guided bombs have been added.
  
• The ability to not lose the daily login streak in War Thunder by playing War Thunder Mobile has been added. The link with QR-codes for downloading War Thunder Mobile has been added to the daily login streak window.
  
• The colors for the standard and desert camouflages for modern Italian armored vehicles have been adjusted. The three-color camouflage has been fixed (the shape of the spots have been changed and the colors have been adjusted).

• A reward for shooting down an enemy aircraft that is carrying a nuclear weapon has been added: “Peaceful Atom”. This reward is given in Ground Arcade and Realistic battles and only if the delivery aircraft has not yet dropped the nuclear bomb.

• Training missions have been added to the vehicle modification window, allowing you to familiarize yourself with the weapon that a modification unlocks and test them. Training missions are available after researching and purchasing the corresponding modification. If you have not yet familiarized yourself in a mission for a weapon, the modification is marked with a “new” icon, which shows from in the hangar to the mission itself: on the “Modifications” button, on the modification itself and on the “Test” button, which starts the mission. The “new” icon disappears on all weapon modifications when viewing any single modification of a given weapon type. For example, if you view any missile with IR seeker (let’s say AIM-9L), the icons will disappear on all missiles with IR seeker (AIM-9B, AIM-9G, R-60, R-73 etc.). You can always return to the modification window and test any weapon that you are interested in again. Missions are currently available to test the following aircraft weapons:
  • Air-to-surface missiles with manual guidance;
    
  • Air-to-surface missiles with laser guidance on an aircraft with a stabilized target designator, but without a targeting pod;
    
  • Air-to-air missiles with an infrared seeker.
    
  • Air-to-air missiles with SARH seeker.
• An aircraft’s parameters HUD is now displayed in the optical seeker view.

• The ability to use universal backups in the respawn window without needing to activate them first in the modification window before a battle has been added.
  
• In Ground Realistic Battles, when an enemy is destroyed, a new skull destruction icon instead of the regular hit icon is displayed in the hit marker, signaling that the enemy has been destroyed.
  
• Contextual hints about the use of certain mechanics and equipment of ground vehicles have been added and occur when certain conditions are met. Each hint is only shown once per spawn; i.e. it can be shown again the next time you respawn in the current battle, or in the next battle. Each hint is shown no more than three times in three months. Whenever the corresponding mechanic is used, the game remembers this fact as showing a hint, so it doesn’t get shown to experienced players if possible. Currently the following tips have been added:
  
• When trying to use the target lock of radar/IRST from third-person view, if the target lock is available only from the sights or binoculars, a hint recommending to switch to the sights is shown.
  
• When trying to use the target lock of radar/IRST from the sights or binoculars, if the target is missing, a hint recommending to point the sight to the target is shown. The successful target lock from the sights or binoculars is counted as a successful hint show.
  
• When not moving for 40 seconds, a hint about the ability to use binoculars to safely inspect the area is shown. The total binoculars usage time of 3 seconds is counted as a successful hint show.
  
• When getting damaged from the front, if the vehicle has smoke grenades, a hint about the possibility to use smoke grenades is shown. Using smoke grenades under any circumstances is counted as a successful hint show.
  
• When getting damaged from the rear, if the vehicle has ESS, a hint about the possibility to use ESS is shown. Turning ESS on under any circumstances is counted as a successful hint show.

• There has been a complete rework of all fires in the game. This includes fire on locations, for example volcano effects or burning buildings and also fires on tanks, boats and ships. A fire of each different module has its own visual effect of fire and smoke.
  
• Additional detail to the effects of large-caliber hits (from 80 mm) have been added.
  
• When a tank explodes, there is now a chance of fuel leakage and a subsequent fire.
  
• Updated and added new effects for the interaction of aircraft landing gear with various surfaces such as ground, snow, sand, concrete, asphalt and carrier decks. A unique effect has been added for each of the surfaces when the landing gear touches, moves and the interaction of air flows from the aircraft engines.

• Ultra-low frequencies have been added to the sounds of explosions, gun shots, and aircraft engines to give more richness to the game mix.
  
• The sounds of machine guns on ground and naval vehicles have been adjusted. More dynamic and characteristic sound features have been added to each weapon.
  
• The sounds of autocannons on ground units have been corrected: TNSh, ZSU-23-4 Shilka cannons, Oerlikon KDA cannons (Gepard SPAA), Oerlikon KAD B17 cannons, 2A14 cannons (PG87), Rh202 cannons. ZSU-23-4 Shilka cannons now sound like a twin 2A14.
  
• PKT and SGMT machine guns now have their own sounds. Before that, they had a set of general ones.
  
• The MG4 5.56 (PUMA) machine gun now has its own sounds. Before that, it has sounded like an MG42/MG3.
  
• Rockets and ATGMs that fly past have been given positioned fly-by sounds.
  
• The sounds of flying shells and bullets are now positioned around the player depending on the direction of fire.
  
• The sounds of hits to the player’s ground vehicles when in the gunner/driver view are now positioned depending on the direction of fire.
  
• A new type of voice informant has been added to the following Chinese aircraft: J-8F, J-11 and JH-7A.
  
• The phrases of the following tank crews have received updated and correct voice acting: Polish and French.
  
• The phrases of the following tank crews have received their own unique voice acting: Norwegian, Argentine and Indian.
  
• The following languages have received full voiceovers of the radio command messages: Portuguese and Spanish.
  
• The following languages have received additional voiceover phrases of the radio command messages (target designation, request for help, etc.): Portuguese, Spanish, Hungarian, Korean, Serbian and Turkish.
  
• Aircraft controls (control stick, thrust lever and rudder pedals) now emit sounds when moved inside the cockpit view, creating another channel of feedback between the player and the aircraft.

In this Roadmap article, we’ll be talking about one of the Roadmap additions to the Air Superiority major update, as well as talking about some of the plans we have for the future.

The majority of the original changes that we announced for the Roadmap have now been implemented into the game, so we’d now like to announce our future plans. We’ve now implemented the vast majority of planned changes that we set out back in the summer (43/45), with minor deviations from the original planned schedule without a delay of more than one update, which is a level of planning that we’re happy with.

Only two changes that were planned for this year have not been released, which we’re going to tell you more about now, so please read on.


First, one of the final Roadmap additions was the ability to login to WT Mobile to keep your login streak on the PC version of War Thunder, and in the Air Superiority update this feature will be implemented. To get started, you’ll need to install WT Mobile (from Google Play, or App Store), login to your Gaijin Account that you use to login to War Thunder on PC, and you’ll be able to login to keep your streak. We’d like to note that you won’t be able to collect rewards from the mobile version, but only to login to keep the streak.


In one of our previous Roadmap articles, we asked for your feedback on the Severe Damage Mechanic. Your feedback was and is greatly appreciated, however at the moment we’ve run into some issues with implementing this mechanic.

This mechanic has turned out to be quite complex in a technical sense, requiring careful testing. Part of the necessary code for this testing will be included in the game in the Air Superiority major update, and will be used by us for testing and debugging. Although you shouldn’t notice any changes to the game, this code inclusion will bring this mechanic closer to being completed. We’re planning to introduce this mechanic between the 5th update of 2023 and the 1st update of 2024.


We won’t beat around the bush, we’re postponing RP bonuses for new nations for players with top-tier vehicles of another nation for the time being — however, this feature is still planned to be implemented. We previously mentioned why we’re postponing it, but we’d like to explain why we’ve had to postpone it again. This is due to the fact that any meta changes can have long-term consequences for the game, which are difficult to evaluate if there are many changes at once.

We’re already analyzing the current data and calculating the amount needed for the planned bonuses. This analysis will take some more time (as we mentioned — due to the long-term changes that are being analyzed, where objectively a long time is required), with this feature planned to be implemented in an update in the spring of 2024.


We think that the way of implementing features from a list suggested by you, the community, while also announcing deadlines for these features was an interesting idea, being useful for us as well as you.

Therefore, we’d like to continue this process and are happy to announce that we’ll be starting a new Roadmap for War Thunder in 2024. We hope that just like back in the summer, we can form an interesting set of War Thunder features and improvements that enhance the game further to be the best it can be. Further details to come soon.

Winter is in full swing, it’s time to warm up and settle down for a brand new Winter Extreme in War Thunder! To brighten up your long dark evenings, we’ve prepared a heap of prizes for you that can be unlocked just by playing — all you need is to do your best in random battles and earn mission score!

You can get yourself some high rank event vehicles of all types, trophies with various rewards, coupons for decals, camouflages for event vehicles, player icons and decorations! Last year the low tier premium was given to the tankers, this time we’ve got something special for the pilots!

Let’s light up the Christmas tree together!

When: From December 20th 2023 (11:00 GMT) until January 9th 2024 (11:00 GMT)

By completing tasks in this event, you’ll be able to earn the following vehicles.

A Rank II Premium for Sweden. — [url]Click here to learn more.[/url]


A Rank VIII Event Vehicle for France. — [url]Click here to learn more.[/url]


A Rank VI Event Vehicle for the USA. — [url]Click here to learn more.[/url]


A Rank VII Event Vehicle for Germany. — [url]Click here to learn more.[/url]



“Winter Extreme” decals











[expand type=details]



[/expand]

Event vehicles at Rank IV-VIII and decals will be granted in the form of coupons, while Rank II premium vehicles, decorations and camouflages will be immediately activated on your account.

All event rewards will be issued for a specific number of Marks of distinction earned in the specified vehicle type in the appropriate game mode.

---

• 50,000 — 100,000 Silver Lions
  
• Silver and EXP boosters
  
• Random wagers and orders
  
• Universal backups (1-3 pcs.)
  
• Random camouflage for a purchased vehicle of any type
  
• 1 day of Premium account

• Activate all 5 coupons for decals on your account to receive the 6th decal “Snowboarding”.

“Snowboarding” decal

More about collections on the WT Wiki!


To get one Mark of Distinction for a tanker/pilot/sailor, earn 40,000 mission points in random battles in Rank III or higher (from Rank I for event vehicles) in the corresponding vehicle type and in the corresponding game mode. Point multipliers that vary based on vehicle rank and difficulty level are stated in the task description. The tasks are all the same and are renewed every two days at 11:00 GMT.




A unique opportunity to obtain items from past winter events! From December 20th until January 15th, the “Snowman” and its “Carrot” will be available to purchase in the Item Store. The “Snowman” will bring you unique decals, decorations, vehicles and camouflages from all past War Thunder winter events. Some items from past events appear as coupons for the first time and you’ll be able to trade them on the Market. You can also get Silver Lions, boosters, universal backups, wagers and orders.

The cost of the “Snowman” is 10,000 Silver Lions, and the cost of the “Carrot” is 50,000 Silver Lions. “Carrots” can also be obtained for 3 and 10 Marks of Distinction in the “Winter Extreme” event. All “Snowmen” and “Carrots” will disappear from your inventory on January 15th at 12:00 GMT, so be sure to use them before then!

Now you can open multiple chests at once! When you choose a “Snowman” in your inventory, in the bottom right part of the screen a “Consume several” button will appear that opens a menu that allows you to choose a number of chests to open. Then in the window with your received rewards you can open the same amount of chests again by pressing a single button.



The “Snowman” can contain the following rewards (open spoiler)

[expand type=details]
Vehicles (both immediately activated on the account and available as coupons):
Tornado IDS MFG
T-80UM2
USS Newport News
Late 298D (only direct to the account)
MiG-23MF (Germany)
C. 202D (only direct to the account)
AGS
A.C.I (only direct to the account)
IJN Hayanami (only direct to the account)
MPK Pr.201K
MiG-21PFM
Ro.57 Quadriarma (only direct to the account)
Class 3 (P)
E.B.R. (1954) (only direct to the account)
USS Baltimore
Type K-8 No.13 (only direct to the account)
TIS MA
J6K1
Merkava Mk.2B (USA)
QF 3.7 Ram
Jaguar
PT-811
Fw 190 C
M.B.152C1
T30
SU-85A
PBM-3 “Mariner” (only direct to the account)
Leningrad (only direct to the account)
P-40C
NC.900 (only direct to the account)
Ersatz M10 (only direct to the account)
AEC Mk II
Me 262 A-2a
Ki-21-I hei
LVT(A)(4) ZIS-2 (USA)
Type 62 (USSR)*
P-63C-5 (USSR) (only direct to the account)
VK 45.01 (P)
M8A1 GMC
I-301
* the chances of receiving the Type 62 (USSR) are far lower than the other vehicles and are around 0.001%.

All vehicles will be immediately credited to your account, but there’s a chance to get it in the form of a coupon unless otherwise specified.

Camouflages (coupons only):

• Tornado IDS MFG: Anniversary camouflage MFG 2 (first time as a coupon)
  
• T-80UM2: Bicolor summer camouflage (first time as a coupon)
  
• USS Newport News: Deforming camouflage (first time as a coupon)
  
• MiG-23MF (Germany): Tricolor camouflage
  
• AGS: Snow w/Open Terrain camouflage MERDC
  
• MPK Pr.201K: Deforming camouflage
  
• MiG-21PFM: Demonstration camouflage
  
• Class 3 (P): PATRIA camouflage
  
• USS Baltimore: Deforming camouflage Design 33 16D
  
• TIS MA: Bicolor green camouflage
  
• J6K1: Experimental camouflage
  
• Merkava Mk.2B (USA): Tricolor camouflage
  
• QF 3.7 Ram: Late bicolor camouflage
  
• Jaguar: Deforming camouflage Bow sea
  
• PT-811: Deforming camouflage Design 20L
  
• Fw 190 C: Nonstandard tricolor camouflage
  
• M.B.152C1: Early camouflage
  
• T30: Winter verdant camouflage MERDC
  
• SU-85A: Bicolor summer camouflage
  
• P-40C: Olive-green camouflage

Decorations (both immediately activated on the account and available as coupons):

• Christmas gnome (first time as a coupon)
  
• Christmas sleigh (first time as a coupon)
  
• Christmas mill (first time as a coupon)
  
• Cuckoo watch (first time as a coupon)
  
• Christmas sock (first time as a coupon)
  
• Christmas deer (first time as a coupon)
  
• New Year Tree (first time as a coupon)
  
• Snowman (first time as a coupon)
  
• Sparkler (first time as a coupon)
  
• Snowboard
  
• Snowshoe
  
• Biathlon rifle
  
• Ice Climber’s Backpack
  
• Snowmobile NKL-16/41
  
• DUKW
  
• Assault rifle with grenade launcher (USSR)
  
• Assault rifle with grenade launcher (China)
  
• Assault rifle with grenade launcher (Germany)
  
• Assault rifle with grenade launcher (Britain)
  
• Assault rifle (Sweden)
  
• Carl Gustaf M/45
  
• Assault rifle (China)
  
• Type 63
  
• Assault rifle (Japan)
  
• Assault rifle (USA)
  
• Assault rifle (Britain)
  
• Assault rifle (Germany)
  
• Assault rifle (France)
  
• Assault rifle (USSR)
  
• Christmas Wreath
  
• Sleigh
  
• Ski
  
• Skates

Decals (both immediately activated on the account and available as coupons):

• “We can climb it” decal
  
• “Christmas Lights” decal
  
• “Powder Day” decal
  
• “Secret Santa” decal
  
• “Times to Travel” decal
  
• Metal Bull (only direct to the account)
  
• “Raging Tiger” decal (only direct to the account)
  
• Battle Rabbit (only direct to the account)
  
• “Warrior of the North” decal
  
• “Warrior of the Slavs” decal
  
• “Desert Warrior” decal
  
• “Guard Warrior” decal
  
• “Warrior of the Rising Sun” decal
  
• “The Sherwood Warrior” decal
  
• “Warrior of the East” decal
  
• “Legion Warrior” decal
  
• Pin-up pilot China
  
• Pin-up pilot Sweden
  
• Pin-up pilot Italy
  
• New Year’s pin-up (China)
  
• New Year’s pin-up (France)
  
• New Year’s pin-up (Germany)
  
• New Year’s pin-up (Italy)
  
• New Year’s pin-up (Japan)
  
• New Year’s pin-up (Sweden)
  
• New Year’s pin-up (Britain)
  
• New Year’s pin-up (USA)
  
• New Year’s pin-up (Russia)
  
• Pin-up pilot USA
  
• Pin-up pilot Russia
  
• Pin-up pilot Britain
  
• Pin-up pilot Japan
  
• Pin-up pilot Germany
  
• Pin-up pilot France
  
• Shark Jaws (1)
  
• Shark Jaws (2)
  
• Shark Jaws (3)
  
• Shark Jaws (4)
  
• “Christmas tree” victory marks
  
• Xmas Rocket
  
• Xmas Sock
  
• Xmas Tree

Profile icons (will be immediately activated on the account and in the form of the coupons):

• Winter Pilot (first time as a coupon)

Aerobatic Smokes:

• New Year Aerobatic Smoke (only activated on your account)

Silver Lions

• 10,000 — 1,000,000

Expendable items

• Battle trophy (Research points booster)
  
• Battle trophy (Silver lions booster)
  
• Universal backup
  
• Universal backup x2
  
• Universal backup x3
  
• Random wager
  
• Random order

[/expand]


For those who not only want to spend their extra Silver Lions, but also Golden Eagles — a special Christmas Chest is available in the item shop. This chest can only be purchased with GE, but inside it you will find a huge set of useful items: premium account, SL, universal backups and boosters, premium vehicles and also all vehicles that have ever been sold for GE or Warbonds but aren’t currently attainable in the game or on the market (full list below)

Picking up a Christmas Chest is a bargain! If you have opened enough chests you’ll be guaranteed to receive talismans and premium vehicles. And that’s not all, the average value of the chest contents are almost one and a half times the price of the chest itself!

Also, after opening a specific number of chests you’ll receive memorable prizes. For 3 chests, a unique New Year sticker; for 5 chests, a festive naval flag; for 7 chests, a festive ground vehicle decoration; and for 10 chests, an amazing pilot Santa Claus player icon!




Gingerbread House decoration

[expand type=details]
Christmas Chest purchase price: 999 Golden Eagles
Guaranteed Prize: 1 day premium account + 120000 Silver Lions (total purchase price of 490 Golden Eagles)
Additional Guaranteed Prize:

(1) Talisman for vehicles (15% chance but at least once for every 14 chest openings); breakdown of chance by vehicle rank:

If all vehicles of the dropped rank already have a talisman the player will be refunded fully for the Christmas Chest — 999 GE.

(2) Premium vehicles including unavailable for sale (15% chance but not less than once for every 14 chest openings); breakdown of chances by vehicle ranks:


Unavailable for purchase vehicles presented in the Christmas Chest along with the usual premium vehicles:

• Lightning F.53
  
• F-86F-35
  
• J29D
  
• J35A
  
• YP-38
  
• T-2 Early
  
• MiG-17AS
  
• MiG-21 SPS-K (Germany)
  
• Milan
  
• S.O.4050 Vautour IIN
  
• A-4E (Israel)
  
• SAV 20.12.48
  
• Type 74 (G)
  
• Type 69-IIa
  
• M26E1
  
• UH-1C XM-30
  
• P-61A-11
  
• Bostwick's P-47M-1-RE Thunderbolt
  
• Lanovski's P-47M-1-RE Thunderbolt
  
• Wetmore's P-51D-10 Mustang
  
• USS Cowell
  
• Pz.Sfl.Ic
  
• Panzer IV/70(A)
  
• He 112 B-1/U2 (Germany)
  
• P-47D (Germany)
  
• La-5FN (Germany)
  
• Tempest Mk V (Germany)
  
• Sea Hawk Mk.100
  
• Z20 Karl Galster
  
• T31
  
• T-34 (1st Gv.T.Br.)
  
• МК-IX "Valentine" (USSR)
  
• KV-1E
  
• KV-2 (ZiS-6)
  
• IS-2 "Revenge"
  
• Mi-24D (USSR)
  
• Pokryshkin's P-39N-0 (USSR)
  
• Pe-2-205
  
• IL-2M "Avenger"
  
• Golovachev's Yak-9M
  
• Fw 190 D-9 (USSR)
  
• Spitfire Mk IXc (USSR)
  
• MiG-15bis ISH
  
• Stroyny
  
• Neustrashimy
  
• Achilles (65 Rg.)
  
• Boomerang Mk II
  
• D.520 (Great Britain)
  
• Typhoon Mk Ib
  
• Plagis' Spitfire LF Mk IXc
  
• Prendergast's Spitfire FR Mk XIVe
  
• Hunter FGA.9
  
• HMCS Haida
  
• J2M4 Kai
  
• IJN Kiyoshimo
  
• Т-62 №545
  
• T-69 II G
  
• P40 "G.C. Leoncello"
  
• RN Geniere
  
• F-84F IAF (France)

[/expand]

• The exact terms of each task can be found here: Nickname → Achievements → Winter Extreme.
  
• To get a Mark of Distinction, you need to complete a task in the corresponding vehicle type in the corresponding game mode. For example, a Mark of Distinction for pilots can only be received by playing Air battles (AB/RB/SB).
  
• You can complete tasks in multiplayer battles in all game modes except for “Assault”.
  
• You can complete tasks not only in vehicles of Rank III and above, but also in lower rank event vehicles — those that could be received in large events such as winter and summer marathons, WWII chronicles, BP seasons and craft marathons. In the stat cards of these vehicles you can find the names of events in which they first became available in the game.
  
• You’ll only have received a Mark of Distinction if the achievement’s color is golden (If you’ve completed the task and it hasn’t turned gold yet, join another battle and afterwards it should turn gold).
  
• Missed Marks of Distinction can be purchased for Golden Eagles in the Achievements window until January 11th 2024. Make sure you pick the right achievement category: either for tankers, pilots and sailors.
  
• Prizes received in the form of tradable coupons will be available for trading on the Market from January 12th 2024. The time from which the coupon can be traded can be viewed in the game in the coupon description. The option of trading each coupon separately depends on the time of its receipt and doesn’t depend on the vehicle type.
  
• For 8 Marks of Distinction you receive an untradable coupon for a vehicle. Upon activating it, you'll instantly receive a corresponding vehicle. If you do not wish to use the vehicle and want to sell the coupon on the Market instead, you’ll need the “Upgrade for coupon” item.
  
• For 10 Marks of Distinction, you’ll receive an untradable “Upgrade for coupon” item. You can use it to make the vehicle coupon you received tradable and then sell it on the Market. The date on which a traded coupon becomes available for sale can be seen in its description in the game.
  
• The “Upgrade for coupon” item has an expiration date. You can either use it or exchange it for War Bonds before it expires.
  
• PlayStation and Xbox players will be able to exchange decal coupons for similar ones. The exchange is available in the Workshop → Exchange items “Winter Extreme” window.

Enjoy this festive quest during the festive season!

The JAS39 Gripen is the latest multirole jet fighter developed by Saab and fielded by the Swedish air force. Striking not only in appearance but also in its capability, the Gripen will soon represent the pinnacle of Swedish military aviation technology, and today we’ll be talking about it!


Features:

• Superior maneuverability.
  
• Mach 2 top speed.
  
• Versatile weapon loadouts.
  
• Countermeasures.

Welcome to the JAS39 Gripen, the latest multirole jet fighter operated by the Swedish Air Force and is set to become the most advanced aircraft to arrive at the top ranks of both the Swedish and the British aircraft tree (in the form of the South African variant) in the next major update, “Air Superiority”. Possessing not only excellent flight characteristics but also a very versatile arsenal, the JAS39 is sure to quickly become a firm favorite if you value flexibility as a key characteristic in your aircraft. Let’s take a look!




Representing a further development of the design philosophy of the preceding Viggen, the JAS39 incorporates some incredible innovations which make it clearly stand out from its predecessor while at the same time reducing its overall size and weight. For instance, although the Gripen also prominently features the use of canards, unlike on the Viggen, the ones found on the JAS39 are fully powered and thus substantially improve the aircraft’s handling characteristics, especially at extremely high and low speeds. Speaking of speed, the Gripen can attain a top speed of 1,900 km/h at high altitudes thanks to its light airframe and powerful RM12 turbofan engine. As a result, you’ll be able to quickly get into the heat of battle and won’t need to fear being outrun by your opponents if they decide to break off from the engagement.

Interesting: In the absence of a thrust reverser and to decrease the stopping distance during landing, Swedish engineers made clever use of the Gripen’s canards by allowing them to be rotated nearly 90° to act as additional air brakes after touchdown.

Talking about engagements however, what does the Gripen bring to the fight? The answer to that question depends on the fight that you’ll be preparing your Gripen for! As a baseline, the JAS39 comes fitted with an integrated 27 mm Akan m/85 autocannon which can effectively be used against both aerial and ground targets, provided the correct ammunition is being used for each target type.



For intercepting aircraft, the Swedish version of the Gripen can be equipped with RB 74 and RB 74(M) air-to-air missiles for close combat, and the RB 71(DF) for longer ranges. The South African JAS39C in the British line carries AIM-9L and AIM-9M missiles for the closer ranges, as well as the Skyflash for long range. Additional countermeasure pods can be mounted under the wings, and also on the same pylon as your short range AAMs! If the situation calls for some ground strike action, the Litening II targeting pod allows the Gripen to use GBU-12, GBU-16, GBU-10, and GBU-24 laser guided bombs. JAS39C pilots can also equip AGM-65B Maverick missiles, while the JAS39A uses the AGM-65A (Designated as the RB 75). The Swedish version can also be equipped with unguided rockets, but bombs will be available for both versions: Mk.82 and Mk.83 for the JAS39C, and Mk.82 and domestic m/71 120 kg bombs for the Swedish JAS39A.

In your matches by Scott, Community Manager:
“Whilst you don’t have the most advanced longer range missiles when compared to some of your competition, getting up close and personal is where the Gripen will excel with its AIM-9Ms. That's not to say the Skyflash won't be useful in certain longer range situations though. You have a lot of countermeasures to use to your advantage as well as a solid amount of 27 mm cannon ammo. Avoid the initial head on contacts near the start of the match as much as possible. Once you are in the heat of closer quarters combat, very few aircraft will offer you a hard time in dogfights. Your low speed maneuverability is almost second to none.”

The Gripen will soon be making its way to War Thunder in the “Air Superiority” major update. Besides the early Swedish JAS39A production variant, an export modification of this aircraft operated by the South African air force, designated JAS39C, will also be added to the British aircraft tree. In the meantime, make sure to stay tuned to the news for the latest information regarding the upcoming update!

Today we’ll be taking a look at the Mirage 4000, an experimental variant of the renowned Mirage jet fighter developed in parallel to the Mirage 2000. Featuring a twin-engine configuration and vastly improved aerodynamics, the Mirage 4000 will soon be arriving at Rank VIII of the French aircraft tree in the “Air Superiority” major update!


Features:

• Superb aerodynamics!
  
• Twin-engine propulsion.
  
• Versatile arsenal.
  
• Top speed of Mach 2.2.

As the name already suggests, the Mirage 4000 builds upon the legacy of the Mirage family of aircraft and propels nearly all aspects of it to the next level. A sleek design, more power and increased payloads all make the Mirage 4000 stand out from the competition, but there’s a lot more to it than that! Let’s find out some more as we go into the details below.



The Mirage 4000 is the first aircraft of the Mirage family in War Thunder to break away from the traditional single-engine design and instead prominently feature a twin-engine layout. As such, the Mirage 4000 is powered by a pair of the familiar SNECMA M53-P2 turbofan jet engines. As a result, this jet can accelerate up to a maximum top speed of Mach 2.2! However, it’s not just the top speed that makes the Mirage 4000 stand out from the crowd. More importantly perhaps is the aircraft’s superb agility. Featuring the signature Mirage delta wing design, coupled with controllable canards in front of the engine air intakes gives this aircraft fantastic maneuverability at both low and high speeds. Thanks to this as well as other improvements, this jet can comfortably engage virtually any opponent it meets in the skies.

Interesting: Although the Mirage 4000 never made it into production due to adverse circumstances, its advanced design and superior performance paved the way for the development of the legendary Rafale fighter.

While good aerodynamics certainly represent a good start, it’s by far not what rounds out a fully fledged fighter design. This task would fall onto the armament and the Mirage 4000 has quite something to show for in this aspect as well. Apart from its standard armament of two ventral mounted 30 mm DEFA cannons, the Mirage 4000 can equip up to 8 x R550 in one loadout, or 3 x 530F air-to-air missiles. These loadouts favor aerial engagements, but what if the mission also calls for ground strike capabilities?




In this case, the Mirage 4000 can boast a high degree of flexibility with its arsenal. Namely, you’ll have access to a wide assortment of guided and as well as conventional munitions. Some highlights include the familiar AS-30L Nord AGM, up to 6 x 2000 and 1000 lb bombs, as well as 2 x BGL 1000 guided bombs to name a few. As a result, the Mirage can engage a vast number of enemy ground targets, thus making it an ideal pick to put into your ground lineups!

In your matches by Alex, Aircraft Game Designer:
“On this new aircraft I would advise to play with speed and work with its medium range missiles by trying to stay near to the enemy, two engines and dynamics of this aircraft will allow you to do this. A large number of short-range missiles gives you the opportunity to make even small mistakes in missile launches, unlike other French top planes, where every missile counts. Its wings will also allow you to quickly turn to the enemy, but I don’t recommend engaging in protracted maneuvers, as you’ll quickly lose valuable speed. In ground battles, the choice of weapons is very large, from missiles to guided bombs, my choice here is the AS-30L or a full set of assault bombs.”

The Mirage 4000 will soon be coming to the French aircraft tree in the next major update, “Air Superiority”! That’s this blog wrapped.In the meantime, be sure to follow the news for the latest information regarding the upcoming update. Until then, see you soon!