Meet the Zerstörer 45! This is an experimental German SPAA armed with 30 mm autocannons, capable of inflicting deadly strikes into enemy vehicles, and is coming in the next major update. 


Features:

• Quadruple 30 mm turret!
  
• Excellent ballistic properties.
  
• Open fighting compartment. 

Vehicle History
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In parallel to the development of the Flakpanzer IV ‘Wirbelwind’, equipped with a quadruple 20 mm turret, the Ostbau Werke company also produced a second variant in November 1944. This version was then outfitted with the same quadruple mount but armed with modified 30 mm MK 103 cannons instead. Initially, firing tests of the turret were conducted on a Flakpanzer IV ‘Möbelwagen’ chassis. In December however, two dedicated prototypes were constructed using the chassis of the existing Panzer IV Ausf. H medium tanks.

Despite the work done however, the Zerstörer 45 never made it past the prototype stage as the factories of the Ostbau Werke got destroyed in the final months of the war and thus a full-scale production became impossible.
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The Zerstörer 45, is in fact in many aspects quite similar to its close relative — the Wirbelwind — but is distinctly different from it in terms of firepower and layout. Keen to find out more about what this vehicle entails when it arrives in the Alpha Strike major update? Let’s take a look at all of the details! 
 
You may already be familiar with the no less infamous Wirbelwind, which is an outstanding SPAA that the Zerstörer 45 is quite close to. There are some differences though, as instead this vehicle is not equipped with 20 mm cannons, but rather 30 mm cannons. These new cannons, which are modified Mauser MK 103 guns, possess practically the same ballistic properties as their aerial counterparts. As a result, the Zerstörer 45 can not only down enemy aircraft with greater ease than the Wirbelwind, but can also pose a significant threat to ground targets as well!




Thanks to the availability of subcaliber rounds, you’ll also be able to effectively engage even more heavily armored targets without necessarily needing to outflank opponents and hitting them in the sides or rear. This substantially increases the Zerstörer 45’s versatility in battle and allows it to support allies in more ways when hostile aircraft are currently not present above the battlefield.

You may have noticed some changes in the layout of the fighting compartment of the Zerstörer 45 compared to something like the Wirbelwind. Unlike a regular turret, the quadruple guns were covered by side skirts that provided anti-fragmentation protection at best. In the combat position, these skirts would open to allow for the guns to traverse horizontally. This is the position that we’ve decided to model the Zerstörer 45 in War Thunder, which provides better aiming angles, but also means the crew inside are extremely vulnerable to all types of fire. Bear this in mind!

In your matches by Egor, Ground Forces Game Designer: “If spawning this as the first vehicle, take cover behind rocks to remain hidden, keep close to your teammates to provide support. Only fire at enemy tanks if you know you can kill them fast, if you can’t, support your allies by covering and shooting at enemy tracks, barrels and anything to block the enemy’s view. When playing its intended role of an AA, make sure to prioritize and pick your targets, especially aircraft with larger bomb loads that can pose a bigger threat to your team. Fire in short bursts and stay near capture points, as they typically attract enemy aircraft.”

With that, we’ve reached the end of today’s blog. Coming in the next major update, the Zerstörer 45 is going to provide the German SPAA line with another excellent windbreaker — make sure you give it a try once it arrives. Until that happens though, keep an eye on our website for other dev blogs, and happy hunting!

Meet the IJN Mutsu, which was the second of two Nagato-class battleships built for the Imperial Japanese Navy in the aftermath of WWI. Being the first battleships to equip 16’’ main guns, Mutsu is sure to redefine battleship standards in War Thunder naval battles!


Features:

• Enormous 410 mm main battery.
  
• Decent armor protection.
  
• Light AA protection.
  
• Decent mobility.

Vehicle History
[expand type=details]
As part of the naval rearmament program leading up to and during WWI, the Japanese navy was constructing a number of new battleships and battlecruisers, incorporating the latest technologies. IJN Mutsu was one of these ships, being ordered into construction in June 1918 and seeing completion in 1921. Along with her sistership, IJN Nagato, they were the first warships in the world to be fitted with 16’’ cannons, which greatly increased their firepower and range. Being subject to several upgrades and modernizations in the interwar period, Mutsu entered WWII as one of the most powerful battleships in the world. However, this warship only saw limited combat action and was tragically lost in 1943 while at port due to a catastrophic magazine detonation which destroyed the ship and caused many losses.
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In War Thunder, Mutsu will be the new top battleship that will be awaiting you in the next major update, Alpha Strike! Being among the last and most advanced battleships constructed for the IJN before the outbreak of WWII, Mutsu brings with it notable upgrades over preceding designs, the most important of which we’ll cover in today’s devblog. Ready to dive straight in?
 
While appearing quite similar to older Japanese battleship designs on the surface, Mutsu actually represents a major step forward. Much of that can be traced back to the ship being fitted with an incredibly powerful primary battery consisting of eight 16’’ (410 mm) cannons. You’ll not only be able to engage targets more reliably at a greater distance, but the increased shell weight will also result in improved ballistic properties as well as increased damage potential upon landing a successful hit.




Interesting: Upon its release, Mutsu’s primary guns will become the largest caliber weapon available in War Thunder!

In addition to this, Mutsu traditionally features decent protection, with its most critical components and modules being shielded with up to 305 mm of steel armor. A high crew count rounds off Mutsu’s good survivability and ensures that this battleship can absorb enemy damage and stay in the fight for longer than other ships.

Mutsu will arrive to the game in its early configuration, meaning that this battleship can’t boast about excellent anti-air protection and is reliant on its allies for robust defense against aerial threats. Lastly, with all that firepower and armor, this battleship may claim an impressive displacement but this does come at the cost of maneuverability. So plan your tactical maneuvers some time in advance. On the other hand, being fitted with an improved propulsion system means that Mutsu is able to attain a top speed of 26.5 kts (49 km/h), thus being faster than some of its predecessors.

In your matches by Igor, Naval Game Designer: “IJN Mutsu is an evolution of the Kongō-type battlecruisers / fast-battleship of the Japanese navy of the interwar period. Using armor-piercing main caliber shells and increased gun reloading speed, you’ll be able to achieve better results in battle. Its armor may not be enough to consistently hold off 14-15” battleship shells as well as the fire of post-war battlecruisers, so minimize the hits you receive by maintaining a maximum distance if possible in combat.”

IJN Mutsu will soon be joining the top rank of the Japanese navy’s Bluewater fleet with the release of the Alpha Strike major update. In the meantime, be on the lookout for more news regarding the upcoming update. Until then, calm seas and happy hunting!

Let’s have a look at the ZBD-04A light tank, coming in as one of the most advanced vehicles of this class. Meet an awesome vehicle for War Thunder’s top ranked battles, still currently in service with the People’s Liberation Army of China.


Features:

• An anti-tank guided missile!
  
• 30 mm cannon with APFSDS rounds.
  
• Thermal imaging for the commander and gunner.
  
• Good mobility.
  
• Amphibious.

Vehicle History
[expand type=details]
The ZBD-04 which has a fighting compartment from the Russian BMP-3 was developed in China in the late 1990s and began entering service in the early 2000s. The next model of this vehicle was the modernized ZBD-04A, featuring additional armor and improved electronics. This vehicle was first presented to the general public at a parade in 2015. Today, the ZBD-04A is in service with units and is the most modern vehicle of this class in the People’s Liberation Army of China.
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The ZBD-04A is a light tank that’s going to be arriving to the game in the next major update, Alpha Strike. Fast, furious and deadly in general, it’s going to offer you great flexibility at the higher ranks for China. Let’s take a further look!

Interesting: ZBD translates to IFV (loosely “Armored Infantry Tracked”).

You may have noticed something familiar about the ZBD-04A, which is that it closely resembles the Russian BMP-3, including some of its features like the 100 mm gun and coaxial 30 mm autocannon. That’s right! This vehicle is indeed based on a Russian design, however its main differences lie internally. First up is its 100 mm cannon which can fire two types of HE shells, although its main advantage is the ability to fire a powerful anti-tank guided missile from its barrel. This vehicle can take up to 8 of these in battle where each can penetrate up to 600 mm, usually enough to send an MBT to the hangar if it successfully hits!

Next up is the 30 mm autocannon, which has received a brand-new APFSDS round not seen on the BMP-3. Thanks to the addition of this round and its ability to be fired from a rapid-firing gun, you’ll be able to effectively flank enemies and take them out from the sides or rear. To further assist you with this, the commander and gunner both have modern thermal imaging sights, particularly handy to help see enemies at dusk and in poor weather.




Did you know? In order to reduce the total mass of the ZBD-04A after additional armor was added, Chinese engineers opted to not use water jets. Instead on water, this vehicle maneuvers around by using its tracks.

One important difference between the ZBD-04A and its previous variant is additional protection. The hull of this vehicle is made up of regular armor, but its front and side is protected by composite screens, allowing it to withstand some heavier machine guns and auto cannons. As expected however, this armor is not going to be stopping typical rounds fired from main battle tanks, but is still going to provide sufficient protection against other light vehicles and aircraft that will be shooting at it.

The addition of more armor typically means more mass, which is indeed the case with the ZBD-04A compared to the BMP-3 for example. In general, this vehicle’s driving characteristics and max top speed are still good, allowing it to swiftly drive around on roads, overcome small inclines and uneven terrain without issue!

In your matches by Tom, Lead Community Manager: “My favorite thing about vehicles like this is the map versatility, as it has effective short and long range weaponry it can basically play anywhere. If you feel confident with your map routes you can rush in and focus on the 30 mm at close range. If not though, you can comfortably fall back to sniping and scouting with the ATGM. Keep your hull hidden and stick around ridge lines using your thermals, the turret is comparatively tiny so at range you can be tricky to hit.”

That’s it for now. The ZBD-04A is going to be arriving to the game in the first major update of 2024, where it’s going to provide good reconnaissance capabilities in top ranked ground battles for China. Be on the look out for other development blogs coming your way soon, but until then happy battles ahead!

• A bug where severely damaged enemies finished off by allies did not count towards progress for tasks, wagers, challenges and battle tasks etc has been fixed.
  
• Severely damaged enemies finished off by allies have been added to the “Destruction of aircraft” item in the battle results. In the “Finishing off” column, the value “By another player (no reward)” is indicated, making it easily distinguishable from your own destruction of enemies.
  
• A bug that caused the client to crash on Ubuntu 20.04 when running via Steam 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.

We loved seeing all of the creative screenshots you captured last week! In history, some warbirds came painted in all black like the P-61 Black Widow! 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 #WTscreen109. You have time until the 8th of March 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 player vehicle that is on fire.
  
• You must add the #WTscreen109 tag (title cannot have any other text in it).
  
• Artists may only win by popular vote once per four screenshot competitions.

[/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=3167678376
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3169953315
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3168438929

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3167480227
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3169081324
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3167837853

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

Today, we’d like to tell you about an important milestone that is approaching for War Thunder’s aircraft component — the game wide introduction of Active Radar Homing Missiles, otherwise known as FOX-3. Taking into account the characteristics of this type of weapon and its possible impact on the gameplay in air battles, we’d like to talk to you in detail about our approach to adding these highly advanced missiles into the game. 

As more and more advanced aircraft and missiles have been introduced into the game, we were faced with various challenges in implementing them and the impact on gameplay they had. Starting with the first generation of basic guided missiles, to the first missiles capable of hitting maneuvering targets, to the first all-aspect missiles, and more recently the first super-maneuverable missiles. Each of these additions had the potential to drastically change gameplay in one way or another, and sometimes not always in the direction of more fun. Because of this, the introduction of each new missile generation was preceded by many game tests by several teams, including us, the developers, our QA team, the alpha test team and by players on the dev server. This has allowed us to verify the decisions taken for gameplay consideration, the scope of necessary improvements required and the impact on balance.



Similar missiles can already be found in the game, but with features that don’t have much of a strong impact on the overall gameplay. Firstly, there’s only two aircraft that carry these missiles: the F-14A and B. Secondly, the intended purpose of the AIM-54 is primarily to combat anti-ship cruise missiles or aircraft such as heavy bombers instead of highly maneuverable targets. These types of missiles can and still do successfully hit fighters who may not see them incoming, normally because they’re flying straight. However it’s not too difficult to avoid these missiles with some maneuvering around, which is why they don’t have a massive impact on gameplay balance.

In comparison, new medium-range missiles such as the AIM-120, R-77, MICA EM and others are created and intended for use against maneuvering aircraft. Aircraft capable can carry up to 8-10 of these missiles each, which in game terms means the possibility to fire up to 100 missiles per side. Combining this with the radar capabilities of these missiles and their maneuvering characteristics at medium and close-range, this could drastically alter the current meta of the game and make it much more difficult and unforgiving when making even the slightest error.



Having said this, going by our internal tests, air dueling situations between a small group of players in a battle using these types of missiles lead to some very interesting gameplay, with new tactical approaches being created. It’s also worth noting that these missiles don’t generally provide any new range parameters for hitting targets compared to the existing ones.

Based on the above, we’re planning to conduct mass general tests of this type of weapon and their aircraft within the current dev server period. This test will be held in the form of an event with a given set of aircraft and missiles — every player who has unlocked Rank VI aircraft on the live server will be able to take part.



To participate in this event, you’ll need to put an aircraft of Rank VI or higher from the following nations into a crew slot: USA, USSR, Great Britain, China, France and Israel. The nation selected when the mode starts will determine the aircraft available for testing in the event.

List of aircraft and missiles:

• F-16C with AIM-120A missiles
  
• MiG-29SMT with R-77 missiles
  
• JAS39C with R-Darter missiles
  
• J-8F with PL-12 missiles
  
• Mirage 2000-5F with MICA-EM missiles
  
• Barak II with DERBY missiles

The introduction of these new missiles is currently planned for the second major update of this year, in which missiles with ARH seekers and their respective aircraft will be added to the game for all nations at once.

That’s today’s blog wrapped! We hope that you’ll participate and leave some feedback for us, so that together along with our analysis of statistical data, we’ll be able to find any problematic areas and outline possible ways to solve them.

More instructions on how to join the Dev Server and participate in the test here

We’re announcing two premiums that are available for pre-order from today: the Type 90B “Fuji” for Japan, and the Merkava Mk.3 Raam Segol for Israel.



Type 90B tanks are deservedly considered one of the best vehicles in the Japanese ground forces tree. Firstly, this tank’s 120 mm gun has an auto loader, allowing you to fire rounds from the first-stage ammunition rack with a reload time of just 4 seconds! Secondly, this tank is very mobile and has unique hydro pneumatic suspension, giving it the ability to peek in and out from behind low objects or hills. The Type 90B “Fuji” is a special premium version of the Type 90, featuring the Third Company of the Fuji School Armored Instructor Regiment insignia.




To pre-order from the in-game hangar, go to Shop > Online Store.

69.99

• Type 90B “Fuji” (Rank VII, Japan)
  
• Premium account for 20 days
  
• 2500 Golden Eagles
  
• Pre-order bonus: unique “Golden tank” title
  
• Pre-order bonus: unique “The 1st Mechanized Battalion Insignia” decal
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  [/expand]

The Merkava Mk.3 Raam Segol is an experimental version of the Israeli Army’s Merkava Mk.3 main battle tank, featuring the Raam Segol. In real life, this system automatically turns the tank’s turret in the direction of the laser and releases smoke grenades automatically. However in game, we’ll not be implementing this functionality as in many instances, it would interfere with the player’s control mid-combat. In-game, the Raam Segol will warn about the direction from where a laser is and the player will be able to launch smoke grenades or maneuver away as normal. In addition, this tank features thermal imaging, an effective APFSDS shell and a HE-TF shell.

The Merkava Mk.3 Raam Segol is a premium and is available for pre-order, giving you the unique “Purple Thunder” title, which is the translated name of Raam Segol, and a decal!




To pre-order from the in-game hangar, go to Shop > Online Store.

69.99

• Merkava Mk.3 Raam Segol (Rank VII, Israel)
  
• Premium account for 20 days
  
• 2500 Golden Eagles
  
• Pre-order bonus: unique “Purple Thunder” title
  
• Pre-order bonus: unique “Purple Thunder” decal
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  [/expand]

We’re announcing the brand-new premium F-20A Tigershark! Maneuverable, fast, a new powerful engine, and strong stubby wings plus an excellent selection of weapons is exactly the recipe to have some fun and be a real pain for the enemy team.

To pre-order from the in-game hangar: Shop > Online Store.
74.99

• F-20A Tigershark (Rank 8, USA)
  
• Premium account for 20 days
  
• 2500 Golden Eagles
  
• Pre-order bonus: unique “Aerial predator” title
  
• Pre-order bonus: unique “Shark” decal
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  [/expand]
  
• Pre-order bonus: unique demonstration camouflage USA
  [expand type=details]
  [/expand]

Features:

• Great top speed!
  
• Variety of weapons.
  
• Excellent maneuverability.
  
• High flutter threshold.

Vehicle History
[expand type=details]
Engineers from Northrop Corporation developed the F-20A Tigershark as a deep modernization of the F-5G fighter with improved flight and characteristics at a low cost. This new aircraft received a new power plant consisting of a single General Electric F404-100 engine, advanced avionics and radar, plus an expanded range of weapons. It made its first flight in 1982, where a total of 3 were built for testing. At the time of its creation, the F-20A was a direct competitor to the F-16 fighter jet, but was inferior to it and did not go into mass production. The only surviving F-20A was transferred to the California Science Center and is currently on display as an exhibit.
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This jet fighter could easily be called an F-5 on steroids, as everything loved about this series of compact fighters is preserved and improved: great thrust, high roll rate, short but strong wings, and an excellent choice of guided and unguided weaponry. Let’s take a further look at one of the main new vehicles coming in the next major update called Alpha Strike, and the first Rank VIII premium: the F-20A Tigershark that can be pre-ordered starting from today!

Upon looking at the F-20A you’ll have noticed that the main external difference compared to the F-5 series is the rear fuselage, which is modified and fits just one General Electric F404-GE-100 turbofan engine. This engine alone produces significantly more thrust than the twin-engines found on the F-5E, meaning truly rocket-like capabilities and the ability to excel to a rate of climb of about 240 m/s, and a maximum speed of about 2200 km/h! To sum it up, imagine the maneuverability of the late F-5s, but enhanced by a very powerful engine: you get the F-20A Tigershark. Despite being compact and lightweight, this aircraft retains excellent resistance to high overloads to the fuselage and wings. As an example, you’ll easily be able to leave the combat area and any anti-aircraft radar coverage by diving sharply to tree-top level.



Thanks to this, the F-20A’s true calling is air dueling, as it has excellent control when at almost any speed, is fast in a roll and has an effective air brake. To help out, its wing pylons can mount up to 6 x all-aspect AIM-9L Sidewinders for those short-range engagements, or a pair of AIM-7F Sparrows for long-range engagements. In addition to this, this aircraft is also equipped with advanced electronics, an excellent radar, an RWR and a pair of fast-firing 20 mm M39A3 cannons, which have a good ammunition count and are mounted in the nose of this aircraft. For defense against in-coming missiles, there’s also a total of 45 flares and chaff that can be launched, and last but not least, a 30 mm gun pod can also be mounted.



Just like the F-5 series, the F-20A is not going to be out of place in ground battles, as this aircraft can drop regular bombs and fire rockets from low-altitudes. The cream of the crop though is its guided bombs in the form of 4 x AGM-65B air-to-ground missiles with a TV guidance head, best used from a higher altitude outside of the range of SAM vehicles that are commonly present at this rank.

In short, the F-20A is going to become one of the best vehicles in our store and will be available in the game with the release of the next major update. Don’t miss your chance to pre-order this awesome jet fighter to receive a special red and white camouflage, a decal, a unique in-game title, premium account days and Golden Eagles!

• The Battlepass challenge “Thunder from Heaven” that required the use of stealth belts now requires belts that contain no tracers.

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.

We’re pleased to announce that the Hungarian aircraft line is going to be added to the Italian aircraft tree in the next major update called Alpha Strike, which continues the development of Hungarian vehicles being added to the game. Let’s dive in and take a look!

[expand type=details]
Initially the Hungarian Air Force was founded in 1918 where it was made up of aircraft left over from WWI. In 1920 however, the Treaty of Trianon was signed between Hungary and the Allies that prevented Hungary from producing and using any aircraft. Despite this, they still opted to rebuild their air force in secret where it was eventually discovered in 1938 that this had been going on.

Hungary fought in several WWII battles including the German invasion of the Soviet Union, and the Invasion of Yugoslavia where their air force took part mostly using German and Italian aircraft. Hungary’s highest scoring Ace of WWII was Dezső Szentgyörgyi, having had 30 confirmed victories against Soviet and U.S. aircraft.

After WWII and the Battle for Hungary in 1945, Soviet influence played a significant role in the country. Hungary was given several WWII-era aircraft that had survived the war, including the Yak-9P, Tu-2 and IL-10 which remained in service into the 50s. This was until moving to Soviet jet fighters such as the MiG-15, MiG-17 and MiG-29 that were used throughout the Cold War. Currently, Hungary’s flagship jet fighter is the JAS39C which has been in service since the early 2000s.
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We’ve prepared a selection of interesting aircraft from WWII and the Cold War. Take a look at what’s awaiting you in this line!

Some of Hungary’s WWII aircraft were delivered to the Hungarian Air Force after the end of the war. First up is the famous Yak-9P and IL-10, as well as the Tu-2 bomber. These Soviet classics are going to bring the powerful 37 mm and 20 mm cannons, plus FAB bombing options that can be enjoyed in different game modes!




As for post-war, the Hungarian Air Force operated several interesting aircraft that are coming to the game: the MiG-15bis, MiG-17PF, IL-28, MiG-21MF, MiG-21bis-SAU, MiG-23MF, Su-22M3 and the MiG-29 9-12B! It’s these aircraft that are going to play a key role in enhancing Italy’s ground force lineups and will complement Hungarian tanks that are already in the game thanks to their additional bomb attacking options. In addition to this, they’re going to be fun in air battles thanks to their great top speeds and great air-to-air missile capability!





To top it all off is the JAS39C which is going to become the flagship jet for the Hungarian line! Still in service with the Hungarian Air Force today, this aircraft is going to be the one you’re going to want to get. Fast, maneuverable and the option for different types of air and bomb attack weapons including 6 x AIM-9M’s is exactly what you can look forward to.




This is just the start, as we have plans to implement other Hungarian aircraft in the future as well!

Make sure that you take a look at the addition of Hungarian aircraft in the Italian tree in the next major update called Alpha Strike, which is the first major of 2024, as there’s plenty to research and have fun with. With that, we’ve reached the end of this dev blog — stay tuned to the news where we’ll be unveiling other exciting vehicles that will soon be arriving!