War Thunder News

In this digest we would like to tell you about our continuing work on improvements and fixes in the game. You can find information about all updates that have been released in War Thunder on the website special section.



Trenches, embankments and other complex objects are sometimes no less dangerous for a tanker than enemy fire. From now on passing over them will be much safer. We found and fixed the bug where a vehicle might suddenly lose grip and hang on a fairly simple obstacle from which you didn’t expect such a trick.

To go into detail - it was due to an incorrect determination of the angle of inclination of the surface under the vehicle. We have corrected this calculation so there will be a lot less jams now. Concentrate your attention on the enemy, not on stumps.



Suspended armament on some aircraft can be so flexible that the number of available variants of equipment has long exceeded a dozen and with the advent of more and more modern and advanced vehicles in War Thunder, it only continues to grow. Because of this, even in the significantly refined menu of the suspended weaponry it is sometimes possible to get lost.

We noticed your comments about this problem and as a solution, we are adding additional filters that allow you to select for example only available weapons for your current level or display only your favorite and customary ones. Simplicity is the key to the fastest start of the next battle and reduce mistakes when equipping your battle vehicle.


No, it isn’t about the alarm clock that disturbs a peaceful night’s sleep and spoils your mood in the morning. It is a very useful alarm clock which doesn’t bother you at all but it will warn you in advance if an item in your inventory is about to expire.

Now the alarm icon will appear on items with only hours left to activate or expire.

Boosters and personal discounts will be marked with a coloured box hours before they expire.


It’s a minor fix and a great excuse to remind you of an interesting battle mode where you and a few comrades are fighting waves of AI controlled opponents attacking your base.

“Assault” is available in the game mode selection menu under the “Battle” button. And we have fixed a bug where a defeated comrade might leave a firing hanging in the air when leaving a battle earlier. This was a good symbol of the loser’s emotions but it didn’t look very realistic.

• A “Filters” option has been added to the secondary weapons menu. Now you may choose to display only “favorite” or “available” setups, as well as display the setups by modification tier.
  
• An “Alarm clock” icon has been added to warn players about expiring items in their inventory. 
  
• Boosters and personal discounts in the bottom right part of the hangar menu, as well as those in the “Store → Inventory” menu are now framed in orange or red depending on their expiration dates - in 4 or 1 hours respectively.
  

[h2]Ground vehicles[/h2]

• A bug has been fixed with passing certain obstacles, such as trenches, where the slope angle under the vehicle could be calculated incorrectly, which caused traction drop and the vehicle sticking.
  
• A bug has been fixed where an effect of fire could remain on the battlefield after the vehicle’s hull disappears. 
  
• M1128 — max engine speed has been specified from 2,600 to 2,400 rpm; max speed has been corrected from 121 to 96.5 km/h.
  
• BMP-3 — a bug has been fixed with the laser rangefinder over the gun’s barrel with the “Sodema” modification installed.
  
• Challenger 2 — a bug with the description of the front right side skirt in the x-ray mode has been fixed.
  
• Radkampfwagen 90 — a bug has been fixed where in some cases the protection of the armour fragment in the lower part of the turret was overestimated.
  
• M18 —  a bug has been fixed where in some cases the protection of the armour fragment below the gun mantlet was overestimated.
  
• The accuracy of laser and correlation rangefinders has been increased.
  

[h2]Aviation[/h2]

• Me 163B, Me 163B-0, Ki-200 — a bug has been fixed that prevented take-off from unpaved airfields (report, video).
  
• A bug has been fixed where wing spoilers may display raised in the hangar or on the reserve site.
  
• J-7E — max launch overload in 4G has been removed from the PL-5B missiles.
  
• Ki-45 Hei, Ki-45 Ko, Ki-45 Otsu, Ki-45 Tei — targeting angles of the dorsal turrets have been fixed.
  
• D4Y (all modifications) — targeting angles of the dorsal turret have been fixed.
  
• F1M2 — targeting angles of the dorsal turret have been fixed.
  
• 12,7mm Breda-SAFAT — fuze sensitivity of the HE round has been fixed from 3 to 0.1 mm (report).
  
• Saab AJ37 — the weapon setups including the RB75 missiles have been moved to the section “For armoured targets” (report).
  
• AIM-7F, Р-24Р missiles — autopilot logic at close distances to the target has been improved.
  

[h2]Naval[/h2]

• USS Trenton, USS Raleigh — number of the rangefinders of the stern and central gun director rooms in the x-ray mode has been corrected.
  
• USS North Dakota — number of the gun directors in the pop-up message of the central gun director room has been corrected in the xray mode.
  
• A bug has been fixed where the azimuth scale may be hidden when changing from the bluewater ship to the coastal vessel with a radar (report).
  

[h2]Other changes[/h2]

• Display of markers in the tutorial missions has been corrected.
  

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.

Open new stages and get unique premium combat vehicles, as well as tons of prizes: decals, 3D decorations, profile icons and a unique loading screen and title!

26th January - 27th April
Battle Pass season 6

Every season there are a new set of awards. See the full list in the Battle Pass tab in the hangar, or check out our wiki. Here are the award vehicles for season 6:
[h2]M64[/h2]China, III rank, Premium


Hellcat turret with a Walker Bulldog chassis - will it blend? Oh yes! Meet the M64, the furious Chinese scout tank with a punchy gun and perfect mobility!

[h2]Su-8[/h2]USSR, IV rank, Premium


Born to kill tanks, this twin-engine highly-protected monster comes with a battery of four 45mm guns, bombs, rockets, and plenty wrath!

[h2]41.M Turán II[/h2]Italy, II rank, Premium


An exotic and well protected Hungarian medium tank equipped with a great 75mm gun.

[h2]Higgins 78 ft. HMS MTB-422[/h2]Britain, III rank, Premium


A US built Higgins boat in service with the Royal Navy. Fast and tricky, a torpedo boat with a 40mm Bofors gun.

[h2]Decals[/h2]
StG 2 "Immelmann" emblem, Emblem of No. 450 Squadron, Emblem of the 15th Attack Squadron, "Watchdog" emblem.



[h2]3D decorations [/h2]
tank decoration “UBT machine gun”, tank decoration “Bomb cassette”, ship decoration “Siege mortar”


[h2]“Attacker pilot” profile icon[/h2]

[h3]About the Battle Pass[/h3]
Battle Pass is a seasonal event during which you will earn progress points and use them to open new levels. Each opened level brings you a valuable reward, from Silver Lions and boosters to exclusive season prizes: decorations, profile icons and premium vehicles.

Open new stages and get awards at any time during the season.

You can access the “Battle Pass” window through the promo block on the right side of the hangar screen.
[h3]How to participate[/h3]
Play

• You get progress points every day for entering the game.
  
• From 1 to 5 points.
  

Complete Battle Tasks

• See Battle Task descriptions in the game and get progress points for completing them.
  
• From 2 to 5 points.
  

Complete Season Challenges

• Season Challenges are very similar to Battle Tasks. One Challenge is available at the season’s start. Every week you get another one or two challenges, three more can be unlocked by opening stages.
  
• 30 points.
  

LEARN MORE ABOUT BATTLE PASS

[h2]Welcome to the 11th War Thunder Steam Screenshot Competition![/h2]
Deacon from Waterworld would be proud! So many good screenshots! The three most popular and the three selected by us will get 300GE! We will meet again next week! Fly high, aces!

Create a stunning screenshot and submit it on the War Thunder Steam Community Hub (link for instructions) with the tag #WTscreen11. You have time until 31.01.2022 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.

[h2]Screenshot theme - Aces of the Sky[/h2]

[h3]Terms:[/h3]

• Your screenshot needs to be focused on aircraft and helicopters. If it can fly longer than 30 seconds - Bring it on!
  
• 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).
  
• 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 7 working days.
  

[h2]And now, time for the winners of the competition’s 10th edition - Waterworld![/h2]
[h3]Winners selected via community votes:[/h3]
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2728082047
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2724207253
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2722764693
[h3]Winners selected by our judges:[/h3]
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2724491923
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2723010936
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2722941320
Each winner will get 300GE! Congratulations and see you next week!

[h2]SB Enduring Confrontation missions and RB random battles with EC mission logic[/h2]
AI anti-aircraft gun presets have been changed for convoys and the Ground Battle event, where two groups of AI units fight with each other. The changes were made to lower AA calibres where possible and therefore the general setups are as follows:

• BR 1.0-2.0: calibre 7.92mm
  
• BR 2.3-3.3: calibre 12.7mm
  
• BR 3.7-4.7: calibre 20mm
  
• BR 5.0-6.3: calibre 40mm
  
• BR 6.7-7.7: calibre 30mm, autoguns
  
• BR 8+: calibre 30mm, autoguns, radars.
  

Example of the a US setup:
Before:

• BR 1.0-2.0: M15 CGMC
  
• BR 2.3-3.3: M19A1
  
• BR 3.7-4.7: M19A1
  
• BR 5.0-6.3: M163
  
• BR 6.7-7.7: M247
  
• BR 8+: M247
  

After:

• BR 1.0-2.0: Light AA Mk I
  
• BR 2.3-3.3: M16 MGMC
  
• BR 3.7-4.7: AEC AA
  
• BR 5.0-6.3: M19A1
  
• BR 6.7-7.7: M163
  
• BR 8+: M247
  

[hr][/hr]
The current provided changelog reflects the major changes within the game as part of this Update. Some updates, additions and fixes may not be listed in the provided notes. War Thunder is constantly improving and specific fixes may be implemented without the client being updated.

The Su-8 twin-engine attack aircraft will be the most heavily armed cannon aircraft in the game at launch!

Features

• Four 45 mm guns
  
• AP rounds
  
• Large payload
  
• Mediocre maneuverability when using suspended weapons
  

[h3]History[/h3]
[expand]The team at the Sukhoi Design Bureau submitted to the 1940 competition for for the Red Army Air Force a project of a single-seat twin-engine aircraft with the promising M-71 engines, which were supposed to provide good flight characteristics even when using a large payload weight. After the initial approval of the idea and the first recommendations received from military authorities, the production facilities of aviation plant No. 289 were hastily evacuated to the city of Molotov, since the German army was approaching Moscow. Despite the turmoil and confusion associated with the relocation of production facilities,work on the aircraft’s design continued and went on until the end of the war.

While development was in progress, the aircraft became a two-seater, the engines received an afterburner mode, armor was significantly increased, and firepower increased drastically. The final factory tests on the Su-8 took place only in the spring of 1945, when the attack aviation niche was occupied by Ilyushin aircraft and the latest IL-10 was already in service, the components and assembly of which had been mastered in production. The Su-8 attack aircraft was not submitted for state testing and the project was closed in 1945.
[/expand]

The main prize in the new Battle Pass season, the Soviet Su-8 attack aircraft, seems to have been created for War Thunder mixed battles. Unprecedentedly powerful guns, significant payload, good survivability, and a Premium status makes the Su-8 one of the best mid-tier aircraft for attacking ground targets in mixed air battles.

The main caliber of the Su-8 is a battery of four 45mm NS-45 guns with an ammunition load of 50 rounds per barrel. The guns are located under the fuselage along the axis of the aircraft that makes it possible to conduct accurate fire even at longer distances. When using armor-piercing shells, cannon fire becomes dangerous for any ground vehicles, including the most heavily armored SPGs and heavy tanks. Cannons can fire bursts, but in this mode the dispersion increases. We recommend firing single shots or short bursts, aim at the side, turret roof and engine compartment roof of enemy vehicles and destroy any enemy with just a few successful salvos!

In addition to cannon armament, the Su-8 carries a large payload of bombs and rockets of various calibers. Up to 10 unguided HE or AP rockets of 82 and 132 mm calibers are installed under the wing, pylons for 100kg, 250kg and 500kg bombs are located under the fuselage - up to 1600 kg in total, if some of the bombs are also mounted on the wings . The pilot will have a choice of various combinations of bombs and rockets of various calibers, however, it should be remembered that the speed and maneuverability of the already heavy Su-8 fall even lower if the attack aircraft carries external weapons. It is most advisable to use the bombs during the initial fly-overs of targets in order to maintain speed and maneuverability for aimed firing from cannons and avoiding a chase.

The Su-8 is noticeably more durable in combat compared to many other attack aircraft. Two air-cooled engines, very strong windshield armored properties, as well as two turrets give the Su-8 a good chance to get to its airfield in one piece even after taking significant damage from anti-aircraft guns or under fire from fighter machine guns. However, successfully landing a clumsy and damaged Su-8 is as difficult as getting away from the chase.

The Su-8 will be yours for completing the stages of the new season of the War Thunder Battle Pass! We will announce the full terms and conditions and other prizes of the season very soon. Follow the news and get ready for battle!