War Thunder News

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We’re nearing the end of December now, which means it’s time for gifts, bright decorations, fireworks and generally a jolly festive mood. All of which await you this Christmas and New Year’s period!

You’re invited to plunge into the festive atmosphere in War Thunder this holiday season to enjoy yourself and receive excellent rewards. Take a look below at everything we’ve prepared for you!

[h2]Gifts for everyone![/h2]
Play and meet the criteria to receive each gift.

When: December 20th (11:00 GMT) until January 2nd (11:00 GMT).

[h2]Open the Christmas Chest and Snowman![/h2]
We’ve got two special chests lined up for you this festive season: the Christmas Chest that can be purchased for Golden Eagles, and the Snowman for Silver Lions.

When: From December 20th (12:00 GMT) until January 15th (12:00 GMT).

[h3]Christmas Chest[/h3]
Once opened, there’s a chance to get either a Premium Account, Silver Lions, Universal backups, Boosters, Premium vehicles as well as vehicles that have never been sold for Golden Eagles or War Bonds, and are not currently sold in the game or on the Market.

Christmas Chest terms: open spoiler
[expand]
Christmas Chest purchase price: 999 Golden Eagles
Guaranteed Prize: 1 day premium account + 120000 Silver Lions (total purchase price of 490 Golden Eagles)
Additional Guaranteed Prize:

(1) Talisman for vehicles (15% chance but at least once for every 14 chest openings); breakdown of chance by vehicle rank:


If all vehicles of the dropped rank already have a talisman the player will be refunded fully for the Christmas Chest — 999 GE.

(2) Premium vehicles including unavailable for sale (15% chance but not less than once for every 14 chest openings); breakdown of chances by vehicle ranks:



Unavailable for purchase vehicles presented in the Christmas Chest along with the usual premium vehicles:

• Lightning F.53
  
• F-86F-35
  
• J29D
  
• J35A
  
• YP-38
  
• T-2 Early
  
• MiG-17AS
  
• MiG-21 SPS-K (Germany)
  
• Milan
  
• S.O.4050 Vautour IIN
  
• A-4E (Israel)
  
• SAV 20.12.48
  
• Type 74 (G)
  
• Type 69-IIa
  
• M26E1
  
• UH-1C XM-30
  
• P-61A-11
  
• Bostwick's P-47M-1-RE Thunderbolt
  
• Lanovski's P-47M-1-RE Thunderbolt
  
• Wetmore's P-51D-10 Mustang
  
• USS Cowell
  
• Pz.Sfl.Ic
  
• Panzer IV/70(A)
  
• He 112 B-1/U2 (Germany)
  
• P-47D (Germany)
  
• La-5FN (Germany)
  
• Tempest Mk V (Germany)
  
• Sea Hawk Mk.100
  
• Z20 Karl Galster
  
• T31
  
• T-34 (1st Gv.T.Br.)
  
• МК-IX "Valentine" (USSR)
  
• KV-1E
  
• KV-2 (ZiS-6)
  
• IS-2 "Revenge"
  
• Mi-24D (USSR)
  
• Pokryshkin's P-39N-0 (USSR)
  
• Pe-2-205
  
• IL-2M "Avenger"
  
• Golovachev's Yak-9M
  
• Fw 190 D-9 (USSR)
  
• Spitfire Mk IXc (USSR)
  
• MiG-15bis ISH
  
• Stroyny
  
• Neustrashimy
  
• Achilles (65 Rg.)
  
• Boomerang Mk II
  
• D.520 (Great Britain)
  
• Typhoon Mk Ib
  
• Plagis' Spitfire LF Mk IXc
  
• Prendergast's Spitfire FR Mk XIVe
  
• Hunter FGA.9
  
• HMCS Haida
  
• J2M4 Kai
  
• IJN Kiyoshimo
  
• Т-62 №545
  
• T-69 II G
  
• P40 "G.C. Leoncello"
  
• RN Geniere
  
• F-84F IAF (France)
  

[/expand]

[h3]The Snowman[/h3]
You’re able to purchase the “Snowman” and its “Carrot” to open it. Once opened, there’s a chance to get either unique Decals, Decorations, vehicles and camouflages from past winter events in War Thunder (including in the form of coupons), as well as Silver Lions, Boosters, Universal Backups, a Profile Icon, Aerobatic Smoke and Orders.

The “Carrot” is also obtainable in the Winter Extreme event!

[h2]Winter Extreme: Earn Yourself Rewards this Festive Season![/h2]
Take part in battles, earn mission score points and receive a variety of cool rewards.

When: From December 20th (11:00 GMT) until January 9th (11:00 GMT).

Participate in the Winter Extreme event and earn rewards: ranging from Trophies, Decals, “Carrots”, 4 unique vehicles and their respective camouflages, a Player Icon and Decorations. Check it out!

[h3]J9 Early[/h3]
A Rank II Premium for Sweden. — Click here to learn more.


[h3]Mirage 2000C-S4[/h3]
A Rank VIII Event Vehicle for France. — Click here to learn more.


[h3]USS Mississippi[/h3]
A Rank VI Event Vehicle for the USA. — Click here to learn more.


[h3]Vilkas[/h3]
A Rank VII Event Vehicle for Germany. — Click here to learn more.


[h2]In-game Discounts![/h2]
Wanted a vehicle for a while now? Treat yourself to a nice bargain!

When: From December 20th (11:00 GMT) until December 26th (11:00 GMT).

• 50% off all vehicles in the game*
  
• 50% off talismans, back-ups, and modifications.*
  
• 50% off a Premium account for 90 or 365 days in the game store, and 180 days in the Gaijin.Net online store.
  

*Discounts apply to vehicles for Silver Lions and Golden Eagles, except those added in the “Air Superiority” and “Kings of Battle” major updates, as well as Squadron Vehicles.


[h2]Take the THUNDER Quiz![/h2]

How well do you know War Thunder? Take our special quiz using the link to find out for sure.

When: From December 20th (11:00 GMT) until December 26th (11:00 GMT).

True experts will be in for a little surprise!

[h3]Take the Quiz[/h3]

[h2]Sale in the Gaijin.Net Store![/h2]
We’ll tell you about discounts in the Gaijin.Net store in a separate news article on December 26th.

[hr][/hr]

[h2]Ground Vehicles[/h2]

• Challenger 2 (all variants) — jerking when turning with a locked track has been fixed. (Report)
  
• M1A1, M1A1HC, M1A1 Click-Bait, M1A1 AIM, M1A2, M1A2 SEP, M1A2 SEP V2 — rate of fire when using first-stage ammunition has been increased from 10 to 12 rounds per minute.
  
• Leclerc (all variants) — horizontal (from 30 to 40 degrees per second) and vertical (from 36 to 30 degrees per second) guidance speeds have been changed. (Report)
  

[h2]Aircraft[/h2]

• Mirage 4000 — engine thrust and rate of climb at supersonic speed at altitudes of 6...15 km have been increased.
  
• JAS39 — a bug that caused the fire extinguisher system on this aircraft not to work has been fixed.
  
• BI — a bug that made this aircraft unable to take off has been fixed. (Report)
  

[h2]Other[/h2]

• PT-812 — a bug that caused freezing when using this boat on MacOS has been fixed.
  
• Pirate flags for ships have been moved to a separate group.
  

[h2]Graphics[/h2]

• A bug where radars did not visually change when changing the scale has been fixed.
  
• A bug that could cause the camera angle to reset in simulator battles when showing tooltips has been fixed.
  

[h2]Sound[/h2]

• A bug where Allied aircraft would make howling sounds when rotating the camera on the runway and in spectator mode has been fixed.
  
• A sound layer has been added to the M61 cannon, giving it a characteristic crack and howl at a distance.
  

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 main aircraft prize of the "Winter Extreme" event is the French Mirage 2000C-S4 jet fighter, featuring excellent acceleration and impressive armament!

[h2]Mirage 2000C-S4: A French Rank VIII Jet Fighter as an Event Vehicle[/h2]

Features:

• Superior acceleration characteristics
  
• Effective air-to-air missiles
  
• Good maneuverability at low speeds
  
• Limited countermeasures
  

[h2]Meet the Mirage 2000C-S4![/h2]

This close relative of France's top fighter will be the main air prize of the grand "Winter Extreme" event in War Thunder! Featuring amazing acceleration, very high top speed, effective air-to-air missiles, and nine hardpoints for mounting ordinance, the Mirage 2000C-S4 is truly a worthy prize worth fighting for!



Mirage 2000 fighters are already well known to French pilots. This compact delta wing aircraft is equipped with the excellent SNECMA M53-P2 engine, providing some of the best acceleration in the game! Due to its design, the Mirage 2000 is great at maneuvering at low speeds but tends to lose energy quickly during active maneuvers. However, its powerful engine quickly restores speed, and the Mirage 2000 swiftly transitions from prey back to predator. The Mirage 2000 reaches its top speed at high altitudes, but at low altitude due to the rapid acceleration, the aircraft can disintegrate due to flutter at transonic speeds - pilots should be especially cautious in this environment.



The Mirage 2000C-S4, like the S5 version, is an interceptor. Its primary armament consists of the standard 30 mm DEFA 554 cannons and, of course, missiles! Including the all-aspect Matra R.550 Magic 2 and the fantastic Matra Super R530D. However, the Mirage 2000C-S4 also has a lot to offer in mixed battles too - on the remaining hardpoints, pilots can place conventional and drag bombs, as well as SNEB Type 23 rockets.

Unlike the S5 version the Mirage 2000C-S4 carries fewer countermeasures, which ends up being its main gameplay difference. However, 54 charges of flares and chaff should be enough to fend off several missile threats and overall shouldn’t be too detrimental.



The top Mirage 2000C-S4 can be yours for completing the "Winter Extreme" missions. Do your best and get yourself a nice gift for the New Year holidays!

Today we’re going to be talking about and showcasing two brand-new Premium Battleships that have been added to the Air Superiority major update — the French Courbet and the Italian Leonardo da Vinci.

[h2]Meet the Courbet![/h2]
Vehicle History

The Battleship Courbet became the lead ship in a series of the first French Battleships that were built shortly before the outbreak of the First World War. Courbet saw action in two World Wars, but was grounded during the Allied landings in Normandy and used as a breakwater and stationary air defense battery. This ship is the sistership of one of the best French ships already in War Thunder, Battleship Paris.



Courbet is ambiguous but that makes this ship an even more interesting dreadnought! Featuring 6 turrets that house 305 mm main caliber guns, they’re arranged in such a way that only five can fire from the port or starboard side at one time. In addition to this if you want to be cheeky, the Courbet can fire four of the six main turrets directly from front, instead of two like on most other Battleships. Like most early Battleships, Courbet has mediocre defense against aircraft, however the auxiliary weapons consist of 22 x 138 mm guns, with 11 of them having the capability to fire simultaneously from one side which is excellent!




Now present in the game after being added in the recent Air Superiority major update, the Courbet is a premium Rank V Premium Battleship for France’s Bluewater fleet tree, purchasable for Golden Eagles. An overall excellent reason to start researching the tree.


[h2]Meet the Leonardo da Vinci![/h2]
Vehicle History

The Battleship Leonardo da Vinci was laid down in 1910 as one of the ships of the Conte di Cavour class. This ship did not have a chance to take part in combat, as in 1916 while stationed in Taranto, its ammunition detonated with the explosion claiming the lives of 248 sailors. The rescue operation to raise Leondardo da Vinci took two years, however it was later decided to abandon further use of the ship due to the high cost of restoration.



Leonardo da Vinci has arrived to War Thunder in the Air Superiority major update as a Premium Rank V Battleship. Featuring 305 mm main guns that were originally installed on the Conte di Cavour class of ships, these guns can fire two types of main caliber shells — a Semi-armor piercing shell (SAP) that has a large explosive mass of 31 kg of TNT and fairly good armor penetration, and a Armor-piercing capped ballistic capped shell (APCBC) that has excellent armor penetration but a small explosive mass. This gives you options and allows you to pick and choose which shell is best for each combat situation.

Something to keep in mind are the dangerous 9 x torpedoes present on this ship can be useful against cruisers and Battleships at close ranges, and in addition to this, alongside the port and starboard side are a total of 18 x 120 mm auxiliary caliber gun turrets which are good against small boats. This ship also features some anti-aircraft weaponry in the form of 13 x 76 mm guns that are located on top of the main caliber turrets — these guns lack a good rate of fire, but are still fatal to any aircraft that gets in their way!



You can get the formidable Leonardo da Vinci right now in War Thunder for Golden Eagles. Overall this Battleship will be useful for researching Italy’s Bluewater fleet tree thanks to its Premium bonuses!

[h2]Ground Vehicles[/h2]

• The incorrect (less than calculated) amount of secondary fragments when penetrating the armor of ground vehicles has been fixed.
  
• A bug that caused a collapsed radar icon to be displayed on the interface in-game for vehicles with a target tracker has been fixed.
  
• A bug that caused the azimuth scale to be missing while not tracking a target for ground vehicles that have the target tracker but lack detection radar has been fixed.
  

[h2]Aircraft[/h2]

• Air combat tips for modern aircraft have been improved. Information about engaging ground targets have been added.
  
• AMX — absence of target tracking ability for the targeting pod has been fixed. Absence of saving the tracked aiming point when returning the pod optics to the area with the previously tracked point has been fixed.
  
• MiG-23ML, MiG-23MLA, MiG-23MLD — a bug that caused the visual absence of the countermeasure pod under the fuselage when installing it through the Secondary weapon menu has been fixed.
  
• JAS39A, JAS39C — angular speed of a steady turn has been reduced by 2-3°/s (~21.0...21.5°/s at 800km/h with 50% fueling). Maximum speed at sea level has been increased to M1.2, and maximum speed at 12000 meter altitude has been reduced to M2.0.
  
• Su-27 — display of stars on the wings has been corrected.
  

[h2]Other[/h2]

• A bug that caused vehicles in the vehicle selection menu to not be added into a crewslot when selected has been fixed.
  
• A bug that might cause rivers to flow in the wrong direction in the Tunisia and Jungle locations has been fixed.
  
• A control preset for the HORI HPC-045U HOTAS Flight Control System & Mount has been added.
  
• The readability of text hints in loading screens has been improved.
  

[h2]PlayStation and Xbox[/h2]

• The missing “Select special weapon or ATGM” button for the BMP-2 on consoles 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.