While we’re getting ready to celebrate our second Anniversary on Steam, there is something we need to tell you, Commanders. Or should we say... Contractors? From May 11 through May 22, your armored combat skills are needed off-world—
on Mars. Recently, our orbiters registered a powerful signal coming from the surface of the planet. Regarding its source, we refer to it as the
Object. We know it‘s alien-made and ancient but little else. And that’s where you come in: Get near the Object in your shiny Mars Rover, scan it from Research Zones, and accrue Points to receive your rewards!
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[h3]
Call to Mars[/h3]
EU: From May 11 at 15:00 CEST through May 22 at 3:00 CEST
NA: From May 11 at 06:00 PT | 08:00 CT | 09:00 ET through May 22 at 01:00 PT | 03:00 CT | 04:00 ET
ASIA: From May 11 at 17:00 UTC+8 through May 21 at 23:59 UTC+8
Expect some competition from other Contractors—
everyone is on their own, no-holds-barred. You cannot destroy your competitors directly, but the Impulse Gun of your Mars Rover can do wonders when you need to dispose of other vehicles. All in all, there’s plenty of high-tech gimmicks in your arsenal, plus some good old ramming. (Don’t worry, every operator is safe in the Martian orbit, and their Mars Rovers are remotely controlled from above.)
So welcome to the
Project! You can respond to the Call to Mars via the artifact in your Garage, the mode selector, or the event banner.
[h2]Encounter Area[/h2]
The Object is hovering above the
Encounter Area, an old crater with very peculiar terrain. Along with red dust, there are deep chasms, complex rock formations that create natural bridges, and several magnificent
pools of highly corrosive acid. The edges of the area offer breathtaking views, so it‘s easy to lose focus and fall off the cliffs—even without someone else‘s help. Overall, the scene is fascinating!
[h2]Mars Rover[/h2]
Your six-wheeled research vehicle is fast, elegant, and bristling with innovation.
[h3]
Default Abilities[/h3]
Impulse: A shot that explodes on impact, knocking opponents away.
Boost: Accelerates the vehicle to gain ramming force or escape dangerous situations.
Mass Shield: Anchors your vehicle to the ground, protecting you from ramming or attacks by rival mercenaries.
In case your Mars Rover gets destroyed while you are competing, you’ll get a new one within five seconds in a random spot of the Encounter Area. The number of respawns is unlimited.
[h2]Powerups[/h2]
30 seconds after the encounter starts and every 30 seconds thereafter, Powerups (manifestations of advanced alien technology) will pop up in various places across the Encounter Area. Here’s what to look out for:
- Overcharge Shot makes your Impulse Gun reload much faster and increases the velocity and power of its shots. The power is drawn from the drive unit, so your vehicle cannot move while Overcharge Shot is active.
- Force Field surrounds your Mars Rover with a pulsing energy wall, pushing other vehicles away and protecting yours from the effects of ramming (but not from the shots of other Impulse Guns).
- Supernova creates a space-time anomaly that takes some time to form, after which nearby vehicles will get sucked into it, only to be forcefully ejected in random directions seconds later.
Powerups tend to appear in dangerous spots, like near acid pools or cliff edges. Exercise extreme caution when trying to pick up a Powerup, but don’t ignore them—they can help you deal with the competition quickly and in a most spectacular fashion.
You can only pick up one Powerup at a time. Once you activate it and its special ability expires, you can pick up another Powerup.
[h2]Objectives[/h2]
Your contributions to the Project are measured in Points, which are awarded for the following activities:
- Scanning the Object per the instructions given below (20 Points per second, divided by the number of Mars Rovers in the Research Zone)
- Hitting other vehicles with Impulse Gun shots (5 Points) and ramming them (5 Points)
- Obtaining Powerups (10 Points) and using them against other Mars Rovers (5 Points per hit vehicle)
- Prevailing over the competition by dispatching others’ Mars Rovers (50 Points per vehicle)
While it’s certainly satisfying to watch a rival’s vehicle drown in acid, your primary goal is to scan the Object by parking your Mars Rover in Research Zones:
- Research Zones spawn three times per encounter: at the 1:00, 3:00, and 5:00 marks. Just before a Research Zone appears, players get a warning with a countdown on the tops of their screens.
- The first and the second Research Zones are smaller and last for 20 seconds each, and the third Research Zone is larger and lasts for one minute. When the third Research Zone expires, the encounter ends.
- While active, Research Zones yield 20 Points per second, divided evenly between all vehicles inside them.
The fewer vehicles there are in a Research Zone, the more points each player will earn. So do your best to prevent other Mars Rovers from getting into the Zone. Be active, play boldly, experiment, and take risks!
All the Points for disposing of a competitor‘s Mars Rover are credited to the Contractor who was the last to interact with it.
[h2]Progression[/h2]
The Points you score for every session of competitive research contribute to the overall Progression. It has 10 Stages, each with its own rewards, including bonds, Experimental Equipment, Personal Reserves, and a ton of new Mars-themed customizations to deck out your tanks. Moreover, at Stages 5 and 9, you get special Martian Containers, which have a chance to drop rare vehicles, days of WoT Premium Account, customization items, and more.
Among the rewards, you’ll also find the new
Starship Squad 2D style.
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[h2]Battle Missions[/h2]
Over the course of the Project, special battle missions will be available daily. Answer the call to Mars and complete them to earn lots of Points and credits. Every day, two missions will be the same, and the third one will be unique, prompting you to try out different tricks during your intense exploration of the Object.
Call to Mars sessions don’t cost or yield you any resources by themselves, but completing special battle missions will be very lucrative, giving you a lot of Points and credits. (After you complete the Progression, the missions will stop bringing you Points but will score you the same number of credits.)
[h2]Martian Containers[/h2]
If you are a full-on space enthusiast and just can’t get enough of space-themed vehicle customizations, extra Martian Containers can sate your appetite! These containers can give you days of WoT Premium Account, the brand-new Zero Gravity 2D style, Personal Reserves, Crew Books, credits, astronaut crew skins, and more. Martian Containers can also hold rare Premium vehicles (including a brand-new one), with a guaranteed drop once per 50 openings.
Call to Mars is all about competition and great rewards. If you want more of both,
join one of the rivaling Contractor teams. There’s much to win—and nothing to lose!
Set your Impulse Guns for full power, Contractors: Mars awaits!
