War Thunder News

On February 23rd 1918, in view of the escalating situation at the World War I front lines, the Council of People’s Commissars announced the start of a large-scale recruitment of soldiers into the ranks of the Workers’ and Peasants’ Red Army. Four years later, February 23rd became a holiday, and soon after World War II it was called the “Soviet Army and Navy Day”.

[h2]Discounts in the Gaijin.Net store and rare Soviet vehicles for Golden Eagles!
[/h2]

When: From today until February 24th (11:00 GMT).



[h3]The following bundles will also be available at a 50% discount:[/h3]
To get to the Gaijin Store through Steam, go to the in-game hangar > Shop > Online Store!

• Ka-50 + T-80U-E1
• Su-25K + T-72AV TURMS-T
• T-55AM-1 + MiG-15bis ISh
• KV-1E + T-34 (1st Guards Tank Brigade) + IL-2M “Avenger” + Pe-2-205

[h3]These rare Soviet vehicles will be available in-game for Golden Eagles for the same duration![/h3]
Where: USSR > Army/Aviation > Premium vehicles.

• KV-1E — 3,200 Golden Eagles
  
• T-34 (1st Gv.T.Br.) — 1,300 Golden Eagles
  
• Pe-2-205 Peshka — 1,500 Golden Eagles
  
• IL-2M “Avenger” — 1,300 Golden Eagles
  

[h2]Get the “Emblem of the Red Army (early)” decal and “Kuban Papakha” decoration![/h2]
You can get these Soviet-themed cosmetics by completing the tasks below.

When: From today until February 24th (11:00 GMT).
Task: Play 3 battles using USSR vehicles at rank III or above to receive the “Emblem of the Red Army (early)” decal!
Task: Win 5 battles using USSR ground vehicles at rank III or above to receive the “Kuban Papakha” decoration!

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 → Red Army Day.
  
• ● You can find the decal in the “Holidays” tab in the customization menu and the decoration in the “Helmets” section.
  

South Africa celebrates Armed Forces Day on February 21st. The South African National Defence Force was founded in its current form in 1994 after the abolition of apartheid and Nelson Mandela coming into power. At the time, compulsory conscription was abolished. Currently, the South African Armed Forces have more than 100,000 personnel including reservists, making them the combat-ready armed forces in the region.

[h2]The Rooikat 105 and Rooivalk Mk1F CSH are on a discount for Golden Eagles and are part of a discounted bundle! [/h2]
The Rooikat 105 and the Rooivalk Mk1F CSH are available at a 30% discount for 6,363 and 5,992 Golden Eagles respectively.

Both of these South African vehicles can also be purchased from the in-game hangar > Shop > Online Store as a single pack at a 50% discount!

When: From today until February 24th (10:00 GMT).
Where: Great Britain > Army / Helicopters > Premium vehicles.

About these vehicles

• The Rooikat 105 (rank VI) is a versatile and mobile light tank with a maximum speed of 120 km/h! It differs from the first variant as it features a 105 mm cannon, aided by a thermal imager and stabilizer. Use this vehicle to outflank your enemies, shoot from a distance or take daring attacks at close range — just try not to expose yourself to enemy fire!
  

• The Rooivalk Mk1F CSH (rank VI) is a combat helicopter with good flight characteristics, a thermal imager, RWR and countermeasures. It’s armed with a 20 mm GI2 cannon and has six hardpoints for weaponry, including the Mistral air-to-air missile, the ZT-6 Mokopa air-to-ground missile and FZ49 HEAT rockets.
  

[h3]South African Armed Forces Day bundle -50%[/h3]

Price: 110 54.99

• Rooikat 105 Pack;
  
• Rooivalk Pack.
  

[h2]Get the “South African Air Force Emblem” decal![/h2]
Get yourself this decal by completing the task below.

“South African Air Force Emblem” decal

When: From today until February 24th (10:00 GMT).
Task: Play 3 battles using British vehicles at rank III or above to receive the “South African Air Force Emblem” 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 → South African Armed Forces Day.
  
• You can find the decal in the “Holidays” tab in the Customisation menu.
  

[h2]Locations[/h2]

• Airfields have been replaced with new types in all missions on the “Moscow” location.
  
• North Holland — the vehicle spawn directions at the eastern spawn point for the southern team in the [Domination #2], [Battle], [Conquest #1], [Conquest #2] missions have been adjusted so that player paths don’t intersect immediately after spawning in and players don’t have to give way to each other, thus spending more time at the spawn point.
  

Patch notes reflect only key changes, meaning they may not include a complete list of all improvements made. Additionally, War Thunder is constantly being updated and some changes may not require an update. Changes reflected in patch notes are formed by taking reactions and requests of the community from the bug reporting service, forums and other official platforms into account. Bug fixes and changes are implemented in order of importance, for example a game-breaking bug will be worked on and implemented sooner.

HMS Warspite is a British battleship and is known as one of the most decorated warships in history.

[h2]HMS Warspite: A Battleship for Great Britain at Rank VI[/h2]
At a glance:

• 381 mm (15 inch) caliber guns!
  
• New armor-piercing shell!
  
• Air defense weaponry.
  
• Reconnaissance aircraft. 
  

Vehicle History
[expand]
HMS Warspite was one of the five Queen Elizabeth-class battleships built during the “battleship race” between Great Britain and Germany and was commissioned into the fleet in March 1915. During World War I, Warspite participated in the Battle of Jutland, entering into the thick of the battle, receiving heavy damage. In the interwar period, Warspite became the flagship of the Mediterranean Fleet. Before the start of World War II, Warspite underwent two major modernizations, receiving a new power plant, significantly strengthened armor and a large battery of automatic anti-aircraft guns.

During the first months of the Second World War, HMS Warspite began active operations, playing a key role in the Second Battle of Narvik and in the Mediterranean during the Battle of Cape Matapan and the Battle of Calabria. Warspite also served as a floating air defense battery, providing evacuation cover for the British in Crete, before going across the Pacific Ocean to the Indian Ocean after having repairs and new-anti aircraft weapons installed. From here, Warspite operated until the spring of 1943 and then went back again to the Mediterranean to support the Allied landing in Italy. This is where the ship received severe damage from a direct hit by a Fritz X guided aerial bomb. Finally, the last major operation that Warspite participated in was the Normandy landings.

At the end of the war, Warspite’s mechanisms and guns were significantly worn out and in 1946 the ship was sold for scrap. HMS Warspite became the Royal Navy record holder for the number of awards received by a ship.
[/expand]



[h2]Introducing HMS Warspite![/h2]

A new representative of the Queen Elizabeth-class super-dreadnoughts and a sister ship of HMS Barham is going to delight naval fans with her incinerating 381 mm salvos, new armor-piercing shells for Great Britain, reinforced armor and many anti-aircraft weapons. Meet a legend and veteran of two World Wars — HMS Warspite, a new top battleship for Great Britain’s Bluewater fleet!



The signature power of the British 15 inch guns is further enhanced by the introduction of the late Mark XVIIb shell. This new armor-piercing shell contains 22 kg of shellite explosive mass and has up to 650 mm armor penetration against flat armor, meaning it’s capable of penetrating the armor of most enemy ships even at very distant combat ranges. This same shell will also be added to some other British battleships in the next major update — HMS Renown, HMS Repulse and HMS Hood! 

Interesting: During the battle near Calabria, HMS Warspite hit the Italian Giulio Cesare battleship while it was moving with a main caliber shell from an incredible distance of 24 km! 



HMS Warspite comes to the game in her 1942 upgrade, featuring improved horizontal armor and good anti-aircraft weaponry. This includes four 40 mm 8-barrel pom-pom guns in the superstructure as well as 15 20 mm autocannons, which is a rare setup for a dreadnought! Additionally, Warspite features some four and six inch guns on both the port and starboard side.

Did you know? Warspite was given the nickname of “Grand Old Lady” in 1943 by her commander Admiral Andrew Cunningham. A fitting name!



HMS Warspite is going to become one of the best ships in the game and is capable of acting both alone, surviving for a long time under concentrated fire from the enemy, and together with teammates. This ship has no obvious weaknesses except perhaps for its relatively average mobility and a fairly slow turret rotation speed. She has many advantages, the main ones being great firepower and good armor protection, plus the anti-aircraft protection and a reconnaissance aircraft, which is useful! HMS Warspite will give you absolute freedom in choosing tactics and will show itself excellently both in attack and in defense. 



That’s it for this one! HMS Warspite will be appearing in the game 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, Thunder CUP 2025 came to an end. After three weeks of intense battles and three different kinds of tournaments, a 4v4 tank format, then a 4v4 jet format and to end a 5v5 mixed format, Team Hide became the Grand Champion of 2024 after winning Thunder CUP 2025!

Congratulations to Team Hide! Their victory was very impressive — they secured first place in the tournament even before the last week finished!


[h2]The Thunder CUP Podium[/h2]


In the overall ranking, Team Hide ended first when AVReS and BoisInHell finished with the same total points. However, AVReS officially takes second place thanks to their two victories over BoisInHell, while BoisInHell won just one match against AVReS. Congratulations to them!

[h2]Looking back at Thunder CUP 2025...[/h2]


[h3]Week 1 — 4v4 Ground[/h3]
Thunder CUP kicked off on January 31st with 4v4 tank battles! The matches were full of surprises and pure action, with some unexpected twists along the way. Teams BoisInHell and Hide made it further than many anticipated, while DODEC was eliminated sooner than expected by AVReS and LEET. In an incredible double final, AVReS managed to secure victory against BoisInHell. Hide reached 3rd place after coming back from the loser bracket.

[h3]Week 2 — 4v4 Air[/h3]
The second week of Thunder CUP came with 4v4 jet battles and was absolutely thrilling, with intense dogfights pushing every team to their limits! Team Restart surprised everyone by winning against Hide. But Hide didn’t lose their confidence — they took first place with an outstanding performance, winning 4 matches in a row in one day! Their captain, Shark, dominated the skies. Despite giving it their all, BoisInHell once again finished in second place this week. Only 5 points separated teams Hide and BoisInHell on the leaderboard!

[h3]Week 3 — 5v5 Combined[/h3]
The final phase, 5v5 mixed (tanks & jets) of Thunder CUP 2025 delivered an incredible showdown, with fierce matches until the very last round. By the end of Saturday, Hide had already secured at least 4th place, which was enough to guarantee their Thunder Cup victory even before the grand final. The fight for first place in this final tournament came down to AVReS vs. DODEC. Even though the overall ranking was already locked (AVReS in second and DODEC in fourth), DODEC gave it their all. After a first loss against AVReS, DODEC fought their way through to the victory of the 5v5 mixed tournament!

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

[h2]The team packs are still available for a limited time![/h2]
The bundle is available until February 28th in the Gaijin store, and until March 13th for consoles (you asked for it, we made it for you!). Get them before they’re definitely gone!

[h3]Team pack bundle at -20%[/h3]

You can also buy a discounted bundle containing all the packs at -20%.
$23.92 $19.14

This bundle includes:

• Team DODEC Pack
  
• Team Hide Pack
  
• Team Restart Pack
  
• Team RAWR Pack
  
• Team BIH Pack
  
• Team AVReS Pack
  
• Team Leet Pack
  
• Team LetsGo Pack
  

[h2]The War Thunder Esports YouTube Channel[/h2]
Missed the live broadcast of Thunder CUP 2025? Want to rewatch your favorite match? From now on, you’ll be able to watch all replays of Thunder CUP 2025 and much more soon on our brand new YouTube channel!

[h2]YOUTUBE[/h2]

But there’s more to come! An Esports 2025 roadmap is scheduled for March, with the announcement of a turning point for the War Thunder competition scene!

The Thunder Championships Series is coming... #TCS