War Thunder News

Last week we showed you proposed changes and additions in the mechanics of armored vehicles - and invited you to vote for each of them separately. A total of 52,325 players took part in the survey - thank you very much for your interest! After studying the voting results, we made a number of decisions about the further development of War Thunder, and now we will tell you about them.

The overwhelming majority of those surveyed were in favor of introducing new modules and mechanics for healing crews in ground vehicles. Based on this, we will begin implementing these changes. Please note that the crew healing logic is planned to be introduced in the second major update of this year or even earlier, if possible. Adding new modules will be impossible for all vehicles in the game at once and will happen gradually. With each major update, some vehicles will be improved and receive new modules, starting with the most ‘empty’ models. Any new vehicle models will already be added to the game with the additional modules.



As for the introduction of the stun mechanic, more were against introducing this mechanic than were in favor, so we will postpone its development for now. Perhaps we will discuss this further in the future after implementation of the announced changes. It is possible that the implementation of new modules and their effects will make the problem of ineffective hits unimportant.

When voting on new fire sources, both those for and against the introduction of this mechanic were almost equally divided: the difference was about 2%. Based on this, we decided not to add this mechanic in the proposed form, when any penetration in the fighting compartment leads to one fire or another that leaves the ignition source tied to various types of vehicle modules. However, some of the modules planned for addition to equipment can be (and are in reality) real sources of fire - for example, a battery or a hydraulic drive system - so they can cause a fire when hit as currently happens when the engine or fuel tanks are damaged.

We hope you'll enjoy these changes in future updates to the game. And we will continue to move further along the Roadmap, adding new mechanics and, if necessary, conducting similar surveys. See you in War Thunder!

The King Tiger is coming to Sweden! One of the best tanks of the Second World War that went to the northern country as a testing tank obtained after the war is the main prize of the brand-new 15th Battle Pass season: Northern King.

To receive Battle Pass rewards, you’ll need to regularly log into the game and complete tasks and challenges. Each level of the Battle Pass will earn you a prize, be it a player icon, loading screen, title, decals, decorations, or 3 brand-new premium vehicles!



[h3]

When: From April 24th until July 24th.

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[h2]This Season’s Rewards[/h2]

We’ve got a new set of decals, decorations, a profile icon and vehicles lined up for you this season! See the full list in the Battle Pass tab in the hangar, or check them out on our Wiki. Here’s some key rewards for Season 15:

[h2]USS Flagstaff[/h2]
A Premium US Motor Gun Boat at Rank III

This is an incredibly speedy and maneuverable boat with a interchangeable main gun — the 152 mm cannon with excellent high-explosives or a 40 mm Bofors cannon. The choice ultimately yours!



[h2]P-51C-11-NT Mustang (China)[/h2]
A Premium Fighter for China at Rank III

Thanks to the high-altitude Packard V-1650-7 Merlin engine, this Mustang is one of the fastest aircraft at its rank. Ideal for boom n’ zooming!



[h2]Kungstiger[/h2]
A Premium Heavy Tank for Sweden at Rank IV

The King Tiger is a fantastic heavy tank with good frontal hull armor, one of the best guns at its rank and very effective shells. With Sweden, it’s a true Northern King!




[h2]Decals[/h2]

4 decals!







[h2]Decorations[/h2]

3 decorations!



[h2]Profile Icon[/h2]

Valkyrie


[h2]

All Rewards and Challenges for Season 15

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[h3]About the Battle Pass[/h3]

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If you’ve got two Coupon Upgrades from stages in the previous season, then you can claim the new Battle Pass for free! Exchange them in the purchase menu of the Northern King season.

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The Battle Pass is a seasonal event where players can earn many rewards, from Silver Lions and boosters to exclusive season prizes: decorations, profile icons and premium vehicles. The rules are simple: you earn progress points and use them to unlock new stages, earning valuable prizes in the process.

You can unlock new stages and receive 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

• You can check your Battle Tasks in the game. Complete them and receive progress points.
  
• From 2 to 5 points.
  

Complete Season Challenges

• One Challenge is available at the start of the season. Every week you get a new one, while three more can become available by unlocking stages.
  
• 30 points.
  

Learn more about the Battle Pass

The April fools event only happens once a year! Your captures from the event were great. What was your favorite part of the event? The three most popular and three selected by us will get 300 GE. See the winners down below!

[h2]Let’s begin the 116th edition of our competition![/h2]

Create a stunning screenshot and submit it on the War Thunder Steam Community Hub with the tag #WTscreen116. You have time until the 26th of April 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.

[h3]Terms:[/h3]

Your screenshot must include a player vehicle and a boat or ship.
You must add the #WTscreen116 tag (title cannot have any other text in it).
Artists may only win by popular vote once per four screenshot competitions.
• 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.
  

[h2]And now, time for the winners of the competition’s 115th edition – Mad Thunder![/h2]

[h3]Winners selected via community votes:[/h3]
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3221092185
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3223406095
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3221567569

[h3]Winners selected by our judges:[/h3]
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3225015724
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3222709557
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3221899002

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

Today we’re showing you the main reward for the new season of the upcoming Battle Pass, which we’ve suitably named Northern King! Meet the famous King Tiger that was obtained by Sweden: an amazing tank with an amazing fate!

[h2]Kungstiger: A Premium Heavy Tank for Sweden at Rank IV[/h2]

Features:

• Excellent upper plate front armor!
  
• Long-barreled 88 mm gun.
  
• Decent mobility.
  

Vehicle History
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After the end of World War II, a special delegation in the Swedish Armed Forces dealt with the delivery of surviving German tanks from liberated France to the country. They were particularly interested in the delivery of the Tiger II tank to study and test at Swedish testing grounds, but attempts to find a relatively intact one were unsuccessful, as most of the hulls were heavily damaged by explosions and fire. This was until August 1947, when the French reported that they had found a suitable vehicle in Gien, south of Paris.

At the end of November, the found tank arrived by sea to Stockholm, where it was placed in the yard of a repair facility which was entrusted with restoring the vehicle. Finally in 1948, a year after a long layover, work on the tank begun. The first thing that mechanics saw when they opened the engine-transmission compartment lid was a cocked hand grenade in the engine compartment. Apparently the crew intended to destroy the King Tiger’s engine before abandoning it. After the grenade was dispatched of, the tank was prepared for testing.

Due to the large mass of the tank and the unprepared Swedish road infrastructure for driving a 69 ton tank on, the delivery of the Tiger II between the test sites in Skövde and Karlsborg became a real test, in which railway, automobile equipment and even a Sherman tank took part in. The last stage was fire tests, where the tank was fired at by different types of artillery shells and hand-held anti-tank weapons. Finally in 1951, the tank’s hull was scrapped, and the turret was used for some time as a target for the new Strv 81 (Centurion) tank.
[/expand]

[h2]Meet the Kungstiger![/h2]

The Kungstiger is a German Tiger II heavy tank that will be part of the Swedish ground research tree! This beast is the main reward for the upcoming Northern King Battle Pass season, starting on 24th April. Let’s take a closer look!



All-in-all, the Tiger II can be rightfully considered one of the best heavy tanks at its rank, with this reward also coming with the added benefits of having premium bonuses too. First off, let’s take a look at its armor. The upper front hull provides good enough protection against several types of shells, where the only ones that have a chance to penetrate are APDS or HEAT rounds. In terms of turret armor, the mantlet is that of the earlier production models, meaning it’s not as good as the later Tiger II variant. The most vulnerable areas are considered to be the weakly protected lower front full, where hits here usually lead to internal damage, the turret cheeks that can lead to a ricochet into the hull, as well as the rear part of the turret. Shells stored in this area are susceptible to being easily hit, leading to the entire tank exploding!



A gun that many of you are familiar with is the formidable 88 mm KwK43 cannon, which can be considered one of the best at its rank. Huge shell casings and a long barrel ensure shells have a higher velocity, making it relatively easy to hit targets at longer distances. Traditionally, the most effective shell to use with this gun is the PzGr 39/43 APCBC round as it has excellent armor penetration and good post-pen explosive effects. Also available is a HE shell, good for use against light vehicles wherever needed.



When it arrives to the game, the Kungstiger will be the first rank IV premium ground vehicle in the Swedish tree, where it’ll also help to add some diversity to vehicle lineups at this rank. Plus, it’ll also be a great vehicle to start researching this tree in general.



That’s it for today, be sure to keep an eye out for the general Battle Pass news article with the rest of the details that we’re planning to publish on April 22nd. See you soon!

The Mustang is a legendary American propeller fighter aircraft, and the one we’re presenting today was in service with the Chinese Air Force. It’s going to be the aircraft reward for the upcoming Battle Pass season!

[h2]P-51C-11-NT Mustang: A Premium Fighter for China at Rank III[/h2]

Features:

• High speed!
  
• Good rate of climb.
  
• Possibility of using bombs.
  
• Mediocre weaponry.
  

Vehicle History
[expand]
American Mustang fighters began appearing in China in 1944, flown by pilots of the Chinese-American Composite Wing (CACW), which was under the direction of the ROC Air Force. The first P-51s that China received were the B and C modifications, and towards the end of the war more modern modifications appeared. Later on, American Mustangs became part of the PLA Air Force, but in 1953 they were finally written off due to wear and tear of parts and for being obsolete. P-51s remained in service the longest at Flight School No.7, where future pilots practiced taxiing them off of takeoff airfields.
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[h2]Meet the P-51C-11-NT![/h2]

When it arrives to the game, the P-51C-11-NT Mustang is going to be a fighter for China and the aircraft reward for the new Battle Pass season that’s starting on April 24th. All-in-all this premium World War II propeller-driven aircraft will be a great addition to the early ranks of the Chinese aircraft tree when it arrives. Let’s take a look!



In-game, the Chinese P-51C-11-NT Mustang is a transitional modification from earlier variants to the more advanced ones. Let’s take a look at the details. This variant has received a high-altitude Packard V-1650-7 Merlin engine, which significantly exceeds the earlier variants of the Mustang that had Alison engines in almost all aspects; most importantly it increases the altitude ceiling that this plane can fly. In battles at its rank, the P-51C-11-NT will be one of the fastest aircraft thanks to its high rate of climb and ability to conserve energy, perfect to attack from higher altitudes and then fly back up using the boom-and-zoom tactic. This new fighter differs from the Japanese P-51C-11-NT premium by its dorsal fin design, which helps solve the problem of insufficient stability of the aircraft in full control mode.

In terms of weapons, unlike later variants of the P-51, the armament of the P-51C-11-NT is only 4 x 12.7 mm machine guns. While these weapons are good enough in air duels, destroying bombers and even attack aircraft will most likely require multiple attacks and extra precision while shooting. Regardless, despite taking a bit to destroy, enemy tail gunners won’t be happy to see you — be sure to aim well against them to show who’s boss! Additionally, there’s good news if you enjoy ground battles, as this aircraft can separately carry either 2 x 100, 250 or 500 lb bombs!



At the time of release, the P-51C-11-NT will be the second premium aircraft at rank III in the Chinese aviation tree. With this reward, you’re going to have an excellent plane to learn the ropes of aircraft and of course research the lower and mid-ranks of the Chinese aviation tree faster.



That’s today’s blog done! Keep an eye out tomorrow, as we’re planning to tell you about the tank reward for the upcoming Battle Pass season. Until then, have fun flying!