Your collection of screenshots submitted last week looked fantastic! As designs improved through history, many planes, tanks and ships became bigger and more capable than their previous generations. This week, capture a heavy tank, bomber, or a ship from the bluewater fleet! 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 #WTscreen173. You have time until the 30th of May 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 light tank, fighter, or coastal fleet vehicle.
  
• You must add the #WTscreen173 tag (title cannot have any other text in it).
  
• Artists may only win by popular vote once per four screenshot competitions.

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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.

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https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3483244627
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3485043584
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3482961203

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3484981477
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3483329082
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3484062397

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

Today we’re starting pre-orders for two new Bluewater ships at rank VI. Check them out below!



To get to the Gaijin Store through Steam, go to the in-game hangar > Shop > Online Store!

79.99

• Gneisenau (Rank VI, Germany)
  
• 3000 Golden Eagles
  
• Premium account for 30 days
  
• Pre-order bonus: unique "Glorious Hit" title
  
• Pre-order bonus: unique "Gneisenau ship crest" decoration (available after the next major update)
  

Vehicle History
[expand type=details]
Gneisenau was the second of the two Scharnhorst-class battlecruisers commissioned for the Kriegsmarine in 1938. Like her sistership, Gneisenau featured nine 28 cm (11’’) guns in triple turrets. Considered inferior to other battleships of the time, Gneisenau’s primary battery was intended to be upgraded to 38 cm (15-inch) guns, at a later time in the ship’s service. Gneisenau operated alongside Scharnhorst during several Atlantic raids, sinking or capturing numerous Allied merchant ships.

In early April 1941 at Brest harbour, KMS Gneisenau was seriously damaged by a torpedo from a patrolling Beaufort British torpedo bomber. In February 1942 after repairs during Operation Cerberus, the ship was redeployed from Brest to Germany. While in dock for repairs after breaking through the English Channel, KMS Gneisenau was subjected to another air raid and was hit by a 454 kg bomb, causing a fire in the ammunition of the bow turret and serious structural damage.

During the reconstruction, Gneisenau was to receive its originally planned upgrade of the primary battery. However, all efforts to rebuild the warship were ultimately abandoned due to the worsening war situation. In the end, the Kriegsmarine chose not to complete her upgrades and in March 1945, Gneisenau was scuttled as a blockship in the harbor of Gotenhafen to prevent Soviet access. After the war, her wreck remained partially submerged until it was raised and scrapped by Polish authorities in the 1950s.
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This ship will soon be joining the German Bluewater fleet as a premium in the next major update, completing the Scharnhorst class in the game. Building upon the strengths of its sistership, Gneisenau most prominently features its originally intended upgrade to its main battery while retaining its signature superb protection and mobility. Let’s dive in!




From the outset, Gneisenau was planned to receive an upgraded suite of 380 mm main battery guns during its service life. Although this ultimately never materialized due to the war situation, you’ll soon be able to play this ship in its ultimate form! Swapping its triple 283 mm main battery for a twin 380 mm one results in Gneisenau receiving a monstrous upgrade to its firepower. As a result, this ship is capable of engaging in direct firefights with even the most heavily armored opponents.



While Gneisenau’s primary battery received a substantial upgrade, the remainder of the ship’s specifications remains similar to Scharnhorst. As a result, you can count on a superb match with both excellent protection and good levels of mobility. Furthermore, Gneisenau also packs some serious firepower in terms of its secondary and anti-air power, resulting in the ship being well protected against attacks from smaller vessels as well as airborne threats. Thanks to the premium status of this ship, you’ll be able earn more research points towards your German Bluewater fleet tree.



Please note that this vehicle’s characteristics may be changed before it is added to the game.




To get to the Gaijin Store through Steam, go to the in-game hangar > Shop > Online Store!

79.99

• Project 69I Sevastopol (Rank VI, USSR)
  
• 3000 Golden Eagles
  
• Premium account for 30 days
  
• Pre-order bonus: unique title Steel Guardian
  
• Pre-order bonus: unique flag with the coat of arms of Sevastopol (available after the next major update)
  

Vehicle History
[expand type=details]
The development of the Project 69 battlecruiser began in the Soviet Union in the late 1930s. The initial project called for a ship with 305 mm guns, but after receiving intelligence about the construction of Scharnhorst-class battleships with 380 mm guns in Germany, Soviet designers radically revised the project.

In 1939, a new version was approved. Called the Project 69I (with the “I” standing for “inostranny”, English: “foreign”) with a spec to use 380 mm main caliber guns, it was decided to purchase 38 cm SK C / 34 guns from Germany (the same ones that were on the Bismarck). The Kronstadt and Sevastopol were laid down in 1939, but construction immediately ran into problems. German deliveries of 380 mm guns were never completed, and the USSR did not have its own production of larger types of guns. The war finally put an end to the project and in 1947 the unfinished ships were dismantled.
[/expand]




Sevastopol was designed as a classic battlecruiser, featuring powerful main weapons and good top speed but with relatively light armor. This ship features three twin-gun turrets with 380 mm guns, which are capable of taking out cruisers as well as battleships. Secondary weapons include four twin-gun 152 mm turrets, four twin 100 mm universal guns and anti-aircraft machine guns.




The Sevastopol’s main armor belt is relatively light, being only 230 mm. Soviet engineers paid extra attention to the armor under the waterline, and for the first time in the Soviet fleet, a 50 mm thick anti-torpedo bulkhead was implemented. Due to the increased displacement, newer engines were needed, meaning Sevastopol has an excellent speed of 32 knots (about 60 km/h).



All of this combined makes Sevastopol a powerful ship that’s capable of dealing devastating blows due to its main caliber to enemy ships on the high seas! Thanks to the premium status of this ship, you’ll be able earn more research points towards your Soviet Bluewater fleet tree.

Please note that this vehicle’s characteristics may be changed before it is added to the game.

The main reward in the Spirit of the Tempest is the first Indian combat aircraft, the HF-24 Marut, designed by Kurt Tank!

At a glance:

• High maneuverability
  
• Up to 4,000 lb of bombs
  
• SNEB rockets in a retractable pack
  
• 30 mm cannons!
  
• Subsonic
  
• No guided missiles

Vehicle History
In the mid-1950s famous Focke-Wulf designer Kurt Tank, who had previously worked in Argentina, was invited to the position of chief designer at Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) to design the first Indian-made combat aircraft. At the time, HAL engineers already had experience in developing piston-engine training aircraft as well as licensed jet aircraft.

In 1961 after building and testing a wooden glider demonstrator, the first HF-24 prototype was built, receiving the designation Marut (Hindu for “Spirit of the Tempest”). Despite the fact that the aircraft was meant to be an interceptor-fighter capable of reaching speeds of up to Mach 2, issues in selecting a suitable engine led designers to use a pair of Bristol Orpheus MK.703 engines. The combined thrust of these engines barely allowed the aircraft to break the sound barrier, which only ended up being possible at high altitudes.

The first HF-24s were produced in 1964 and despite teething problems, the aircraft made a positive impression on combat pilots. 147 HF-24 Marut aircraft were built, including combat trainer variants. In combat, the Marut was typically used as a strike aircraft, leading it to receive an increased payload during modernization. The last Marut was withdrawn from service in the mid-80s.


Meet the main reward in the Spirit of the Tempest event that started today: India’s first domestically designed combat aircraft, the HAL HF-24 Marut! This is a subsonic strike aircraft with good acceleration, excellent controllability and strong weaponry. Let’s dive in!



The HF-24 is a twin-engine aircraft that features swept wings and a fairly long fuselage. Using a pair of Bristol Orpheus MK.703 engines, the HF-24 is unable to break the sound barrier in most instances, with the exception of using minimum fuel with no suspended weapons at a high altitude. Despite this, the HF-24 has a very high rate of climb for its rank, and can be easily controlled throughout the entire speed range — even with a maximum load of fuel and suspended ordnance. The HF-24 can also withstand significant overloads, which is very useful during dive attacks.

Let’s take a closer look at the available set of weapons for this aircraft. For guns, the HF-24 is equipped with four 30 mm ADEN cannons, which are very familiar if you’ve played the British aircraft tree. These guns have a high rate of fire, overheat slowly and come with a decent ammo capacity of 520 shells. Among the available options is an armor-piercing belt, great for destroying lightly armored vehicles and being a menace to medium tanks.




At the front of the HF-24 is a retractable bay that contains 50 small SNEB rockets. One of these rockets alone is unlikely to cause serious damage, but if you fire in salvos, there’s a chance they will be able to take out a well-protected ground vehicle. And by the way — the same rockets can be taken on underwing hardpoints in blocks of 18. There’s another type of rocket available as well — 16 of the larger T10 151, familiar if you’ve played the French aircraft tree. The icing on the cake are four Nasser 240 rockets, the Egyptian version of well-known high-caliber S-24 from the USSR.

Interesting: The HF-24 Marut model was created for the game by War Thunder player Vitaly “NovA29” Vostokov — certainly a familiar name by now. From the players, for the players!




What kind of strike aircraft would it be without any bombs? The HF-24 has access to four underwing weapon hardpoints that can accommodate regular 500 to 1000 lb bombs, as well as 1,000 lb drag bombs. This is great, however the HF-24 has no guided weapons at all, either for air or ground combat. This means you’ll have to attack the old-fashioned way and win air battles with ye olde 30 mm ADEN cannons.



That’s it for this one! The Spirit of the Tempest aircraft event started today, so don’t miss the chance to obtain this famous-first Indian combat aircraft. Check out the link below for all of the event details!

Please note that this vehicle’s characteristics may be changed before it is added to the game.

Click here to find out more details about the Spirit of the Tempest event

The French Navy has been around since the Middle Ages. It carried crusaders across the Mediterranean and was a participant in the Hundred Years’ War. In 1690, France won one of its most impressive naval victories in the Battle of Beachy Head, having sunk 10 Anglo-Dutch fleet ships without losing a single one of their own.

This boat is available for 4,880 Golden Eagles.

When: From May 22nd (11:00 GMT).
Where: France > Coastal fleet > Premium vehicles.

About this boat

• The VLT-2 is not very well protected, but has good mobility and is well armed. It has two 40 mm Bofors L/60 Mark 3 guns (one at the front and one at the back) and two 20 mm/70 Oerlikon Mk.II autocannons. This boat can also take two 550 mm torpedoes as well!

A themed decal for this day!


“Emblem of the Fusiliers marins” decal

When: From May 22nd (11:00 GMT) until May 26th (11:00 GMT).
Task: Play 3 battles using French naval vessels at rank III or higher to receive the “Emblem of the Fusiliers marins” decal!

Additional details:

• Your activity must not be below 70%.
  
• You can complete the task in random battles, except for Enduring Confrontation missions, [Assault] mode and Helicopter PVE battles.
  
• Track your progress in the hangar by clicking Nickname → Achievements → Holidays → National Sailor’s Day in France.
  
• You can find the decal in the “France → Navy” tab in the Customization menu.

Meet the modern CS/SA5 Chinese air defense system coming to War Thunder in the next major update!

At a glance:

• Rapid-fire 30 mm cannon
  
• FB-10A missiles
  
• Good top speed
  
• Large in size

Vehicle History
The PLB625E is a representative of the latest generation of air defense systems for the People’s Liberation Army of China. First unveiled at the Zhuhai Air Show in 2016, after six years of demonstration tests and numerous assessments with different chassis, it was finally accepted into service in 2022. The turret is highly versatile and can be mounted onto various platforms, including standard 8x8 wheeled armored personnel carriers, specialized 6x6 chassis, as well as the ZBD04 IFV.

In real life, the PLB625E fire control is modular, from the radar to optics to the main armament and missile system — all components can be replaced or configured depending on what is needed in the field. Thanks to a fully-fledged data exchange system, even if the radar is damaged or missing, the PLB625E is able to track and hit targets using information from other systems. The export version of this vehicle is called the CS/SA-5 and is offered on the international market by the Norinco Corporation. It differs from PLA version as it features a different rotary cannon — 30 mm on the export variant compared to the 25 mm gun on the domestic one.




The next major update is going to please many players with new end of the line SAM vehicles! What better way to introduce them than with the CS/SA5 for China, which is based on a wheeled 8x8 chassis. Read on for the specifics!




The CS/SA5 is the latest air defense system developed by China. On each side of the unmanned turret are four launchers (eight in total) that feature the FB-10A anti-aircraft missile. These are all-aspect, short-range missiles that are resistant to IR countermeasures. That’s not all though, as in addition to air defense missiles, the CS/SA5 is armed with a beefy 30 mm cannon in the middle of the turret, which can be highly effective against planes and helicopters. This cannon can also take out modern MBTs from the side or rear thanks to the available armor-piercing belt!

Right, so we’ve got the weaponry covered, let’s move onto the chassis. The CS/SA5 uses an 8x8 wheeled chassis that can reach a top speed of over 90 km/h on flat roads, making it more than capable of reaching positions in a timely manner. In terms of the internal layout, it’s certainly interesting — at the front is the engine, two crew members are located in the cabin area, and two more are in the fighting compartment closer to the back. This is because the entire space in the middle of the vehicle is occupied by the ammunition stowage for the 30 mm cannon.




The CS/SA5’s armor is light and can counter shrapnel and high-caliber machine guns at longer distances and high impact angles. This vehicle is also large in size and gets even bigger when the radar antenna on the turret roof is working. Make sure to keep this in mind when playing this thing; you’re going to be spotted quite easily by tanks and aircraft.



That’s this one wrapped. The CS/SA5 is set to become China’s new air defense vehicle at rank VIII with the release of the next major update. You’ll be able to play the CS/SA5 as an air defense system to take down aircraft, helping to support your allies. Or you can also play as a quasi support tank thanks to the 30 mm cannon to be a nuisance to enemy tanks. Check out our website for more blogs coming your way!

Please note that this vehicle’s characteristics may be changed before it is added to the game.

Meet HMS Vanguard, the last battleship built, coming as a historic addition to Great Britain’s Bluewater fleet!

At a glance:

• 381mm (15”) main guns!
  
• Great anti-aircraft battery
  
• Decent speed and maneuverability
  
• Average armor

Vehicle History
The British admiralty required a stop gap to up the numbers of large British ships to counter projected German and Japanese numbers in the early part of the 1940s. While the Lion class warships were being constructed, Vanguard was to be pushed through to be a single ship of its class using guns and technology from a few other older designs.

As it turned out, HMS Vanguard wasn’t launched until the end of the Second World War due to several redesigns. She slid down the ramp in November 1944 and was finally fitted out in October of 1945 just after the surrender of Japan in August. This ultimately made HMS Vanguard the very last Battleship built as the doctrines for naval combat were changing into the new age.

She was finally commissioned in 1946 and served out her career first as a “Royal Yacht” carrying the King on tour and latterly, as the flagship of the fleet until her decommissioning in 1959. She participated in many exercises including the early joint exercises of the newly formed NATO alliance during the Cold War.




Truly BIG ships are making their way into War Thunder and will settle into a new rank for Bluewater naval trees: rank VII. Meet HMS Vanguard, the last battleship ever built! Featuring 15 inch guns, decent speed, armor and plenty of anti-aircraft firepower, this ship is modeled on how she appeared just after launching. Let’s take a closer look at the details!




HMS Vanguard sports traditional armoring and the standard British naval 15” (381 mm) guns that those who play Great Britain will already be used to. They are mounted in pairs in four turrets, 2 fore and 2 aft and come with the standard Mark17b APC as the main shell. The eight turreted twin 133 mm guns (16 in total) are able to fire HE, SAP and HE-VT. Overall, a wee bit low on hitting power, but punchy none the less.

She does have fantastic air defenses, air recon radar and a pretty good array of hard hitting guns 10x6 barreled, 1 twin barreled and 11x single 40 mm Bofors! This will give attacking aircraft food for thought and keep the smaller attack boats at distance.



Interesting: Vanguard was the first British warship with Remote Power Control for her many guns, which meant that the aim of the guns could be controlled from within the armored fire control center. For the first time, no one was needed to operate the guns in their turrets. The firing of naval guns had become safer though crew still had to provide manual loading.

Due to an initial Admiralty requirement in design, HMS Vanguard was built flush-decked to allow all forward turrets to fire at a 3-degree depression across all firing arcs. Final design choices addressed the issue of insufficient freeboard at the bows, which caused excessive wetness in rough seas and occasionally hampered the effectiveness of the forward turrets. She can reach speeds of over 31 knots (57 km/h) in a straight line and turns adequately dependent on speed.



Did you know? Vanguard was one of eleven British ships to use the name. From a 31 gun Galleon in 1586 to the latest iteration in the nuclear powered ballistic missile submarine still in use today.

HMS Vanguard will be a nice little all rounder in the game and is capable of acting both alone using her speed to move out of trouble but will be best put to use in a flotilla, providing excellent air defense for her less well protected compatriots whilst jabbing effectively at the enemy attacking force. She is not outstanding in any particular area but is quite capable of providing a viable account of herself, and let’s face it, as historically the last Battleship ever built, is top of the list for any budding Captain.



That’s it for now! HMS Vanguard will be appearing in the game at Rank VII and be available in the researchable British Bluewater tree with the release of the next major update. Keep an eye out for more dev blogs coming your way!

Please note that this vehicle’s characteristics may be changed before it is added to the game.

Last Sunday, the TITAN 5x5 Tournament, the first major WTCS event, came to an end. After qualifying on the first weekend, AVReS showed us a remarkable performance in the play-off phase, going undefeated and beating the team DODEC 3-2 in an intense final on the Sinai map. Team AVReS leads the WTCS overall standings with a total of 127 points!

Congratulations to the AVReS team on their victory in the TITAN 2025 event.






Info : All teams in TITAN fought valiantly and showed some of the best action ever in tournaments. We congratulate and thank them for their participation!


Congratulations to Leozander, one of the leading French players from team ForFeet for being crowned MVP of Titan 2025!

Their dominance in the skies, impeccable teamplay, and brilliant strategic moves left a lasting impression on the jury. This well-deserved recognition as MVP of the first Major of the season marks a powerful start, and we can't wait to see who will the next MVP for Armored Apex!We also want to congratulate Banujek and Tonyolo for their respective 2nd and 3rd place in the jury votes. It’s impossible to forget the amazing air kill Banujek showed to us!





In the coming weeks, you'll be able to train every weekend and get ready for the WTCS Major II, which will be in a 4x4 tank format - Armored Apex.

• Open Qualifier I : 14th-15th June
  
• Open Qualifier II : 21st - 22nd June
  
• Playoff: 28th June - 29th June - 5th July
  
• FINAL: 6th July

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All first matches of the tournament will start at 15:00 GMT and Twitch live streamed at 14:40 GMT.

You can start practicing now! Good luck to you all!

Join the Tournament!

• Unique decal: "Thunder Tactiks"
  
  
• Unique camouflage: Bf 109 F-4 "Thunder Tactics"
  
  
• Unique camouflage: Sd.Kfz.234/2 "Thunder Tactics"
  
  
• 300 Golden Eagles

To get to the Gaijin Store through Steam, go to the in-game hangar > Shop > Online Store.

The fight against cheaters continues tirelessly, and today we’re ready to provide you with a list of rule breakers who have been banned over the past month. Thank you very much for your active participation in identifying rule breakers and submitting reports! You can use the battle replay function on our website to report players who you suspect have violated the game’s Terms of Service and the License Agreement. Instructions on how to do this can be found here.


Since our last fair play, we’ve banned 4,781 accounts that were found to have violated the rules. Specifically 3.2.3 of the EULA namely in the automation of gameplay (using bots) and cheat software. For complete transparency, we’re publishing the full list of these banned players. This list will be available for two weeks after the publication of this article.

557 more accounts have been banned for a week or more for intentional teamkills.

We recommend that you set a strong password for your account and enable two-step authentication in your profile security settings. We have the following 2FA options available: email, SMS, TOTP (Gaijin Pass/Google Authenticator), and Telegram bot, which we suggest trying if SMS 2FA messages are not reaching you.

We’d also suggest that you turn on 2FA for the email that is linked to your Gaijin account for additional security, as this will protect your account from fraudsters. And remember, don’t use prohibited client modifications and never share your account information with anyone.

The War Thunder Team

From 1934 to 1939, the United Kingdom hosted annual air shows and open days at air bases. This event was called “Empire Air Day” and its intention was to show the general public the work of the Royal Air Force. The last air show in this event took place on May 20th 1939, where many aircraft took part, including the Supermarine Spitfire, which amazed the audience with its speed.

This Spitfire is back for good and is available for 4,880 Golden Eagles.

• Spitfires were widely used both in the Second World War and after it. In 1948 during the Israeli War of Independence, they were used by both sides of the conflict. This Spitfire LF Mk.IXe was flown by Ezer Weizman, the future commander of the Air Force and later the President of Israel. Featuring an excellent rate of climb, this Spitfire is very maneuverable and is great at low altitudes. It’s armed with two 20 mm Hispano Mk.II cannons and two 12.7 mm M2 Browning machine guns. For use against ground targets, it can carry two 250 lb bombs and 16 8-cm Flz.-Rakete Oerlikon rockets. Just make sure to hit the target!

Today we’ll be taking a look at the EldE 98, an advanced SAM system with all-aspect IRIS-T missiles for the top of the Swedish ground forces line!

At a glance:

• IRIS-T missiles, but just four of them
  
• Long range detection
  
• Unique layout, as the missiles are located on a trailer

Vehicle History
Sweden was involved in the IRIS short and medium range missile development program, which were to be chosen to replace the aging RBS 70. The air defense system consisted of several vehicles and command stations, including the Eldenhet 98 SAM, featuring a command module with radar and a towed trailer with a launcher for IRIS-T SL surface-to-air missiles.

The prototype of the Eldenhet 98 SAM was first demonstrated to the public in August 2016 at Malmö Air Base on the 90th anniversary of the Swedish Air Force.


Sweden’s new end of the line anti-aircraft missile system featuring the long-awaited IRIS-T missile is coming to the game in the next major update! This vehicle has excellent maneuverable missiles and is rather unusual in its unconventional layout. Specifics, here we come!




Let’s first talk about the most important thing on this new vehicle, which are the missiles. The EldE 98 is equipped with a phased array radar, with the IRIS-T missiles themselves having a launch range of about 10-12 km with an altitude reach of about 5 km. Ultimately, the EldE 98 will be your team’s go-to for countering airborne threats at short and medium ranges. There are those who will be on the receiving end though! If you’re going up against the EldE 98 while playing as CAS, you’ll need to use advanced precision-guided weapons to avoid encounters with the maneuverable missiles themselves.

It’s not all glory though, as the EldE 98 only has four missiles, so when playing this thing you’ll need to stay close to capture points or use the ammo box feature to replenish missiles in a timely manner.




You may have noticed that the layout of this vehicle is quite unique and interesting. This is because the EldE 98 is built on the basis of the Bv410, where the front vehicle houses the radar, crew and engine, while the rear trailer contains the launcher for the IRIS-T missiles. In some cases this unusual layout can increase the EldE 98’s chances of survival when hit, but overall survivability is very low, as the armor only protects against rifle caliber. Besides this, all three crew members are located right next to each other and there’s nothing they can do to defend themselves against enemy tanks, since there’s no machine guns or anti-tank capability at all.



That’s this one wrapped! You’ll be able to research the EldE 98 in the next major update when it’s added to the game. See you there and don’t forget to keep an eye on the news for more dev blogs coming your way!

Please note that this vehicle’s characteristics may be changed before it is added to the game.