War Thunder News

We continue to talk about the improvements in the game's appearance that will be brought by the updated graphics engine ‘Dagor Engine 6.0’ in the next major update “New Power” for War Thunder.

We recently showed new skies and visual improvements for War Thunder aircraft. Today we continue to expand on how the new graphics engine in War Thunder will change the look of the game.



War Thunder: New Power has improved the appearance and “physics” of hits on ground vehicles. Physically correct armour scars appear on ground vehicles in places where shells hit, now their shape depends on the angle of the shell's collision with the vehicle's armour. In some cases, the projectile can even get stuck in the armour! If armour is penetrated, holes of different diameters appear on the armour, depending on the calibre of the projectile. If a vehicle is on fire, you can see the flame through any holes.







In a previous update, War Thunder introduced night vision devices and thermal imagers, which completely changed the feeling of combat at night or in poor visibility conditions. However, not all vehicles in the game have such equipment, and it takes time to research the night vision modules. To make players without night vision able to combat in the dark, we are introducing illumination shells to night locations. AI artillery shoots illumination rounds from time to time over various areas .This improves visibility in combat in the most critical areas of the location. Slowly descending through the air, the illumination projectile lights for a short time, and then goes out. Thus, players without night vision devices will be able to navigate the battlefield more effectively. At the same time, players with night vision devices will be able to see targets better through devices, or not use the active IR spotlight to avoid detection by the enemy. In addition, a parachute with an illumination projectile can be shot down by machine gun or cannon fire.



We’ve increased the maximum number of dynamic lights and added dynamic shadows. Now we’re able to model reliable lighting effects from different sources, such as spotlights and streetlights!







In Dagor Engine 6.0, the physics of grass has been improved - when firing a ground vehicle cannon, you can see the effect of the shock wave on the grass.



In the new version of the game, the hulls of destroyed ground vehicles remain on the battlefield until the end of a battle. In some cases, this can be a problem for advancing tanks: for example, when a narrow passage to a capture point is blocked with wrecked vehicles. Now you can use the tow cable to drag a destroyed tank out, or even to barricade an enemy's advance! Additionally, a burned-out tank might be good cover that you can bring with you to a capture point and have cover to hide even in an open field. Experiment!



Now wings can bend in flight under the influence of turbulence. Also, visible vibrations appear on the wing during takeoff, landing, or maneuvering and at high speeds. The nature and intensity of such vibrations depends on the flight model of each aircraft.



Various materials in the game environment have a texture with a reflectance power. In previous versions of the game, all dielectrics had a reflectivity value of 0.04, like most dielectrics in the real world. However, in some cases, this may not be enough - for example, normal water reflects half as well and the painting of metal surfaces leads to a complex interaction of dielectrics and metals, and a constant value for all materials becomes insufficient. The correct reflectance on the surfaces creates accurate reflections from various light sources, which make the overall game more natural.



Thanks to the DLSS 2.0 technology (deep learning super sampling), artificial intelligence performs correct smoothing of objects in the game world for high image resolutions without overloading the computer hardware. This type of image upscaling works with the RTX series of graphics cards.



In the New Power update, we are implementing realistic hit marks on objects in the game world. Depending on the calibre and type of projectile, voluminous hit marks of different shapes remain on all surfaces. An AP shell hit on a concrete wall will leave a pothole with carbon deposits around the point of impact, and a hit of, say, an APFSDS shell leaves a hole with a small chip around the penetration point. Realistic hit marks of different diameters and types of damage also appear on unpaved and rocky surfaces.

Dagor Engine 6.0 allows us to introduce lots of improvements to War Thunder. In the following Major Updates we will present new graphical features for ground vehicles and naval vessels, stay tuned and see you soon!

To see examples of these updates, check out the article on the Official War Thunder Website here!

Battle Pass comes to War Thunder! It is a seasonal event, where you can take part any time you like. Get handy combat items, and exclusive items! Decals, titles, decorations, avatars, and even Premium vehicles!



Track your progress in the tab on the right side of the hangar screen.

In Battle Pass, you earn progress points and progress through the levels. Every level gives access to a special prize.

For more information, check out the full article here!

The Yak-38 was a Soviet strike fighter with VTOL capabilities, developed in the early 1970’s by the Yakovlev design bureau for use aboard Kiev-class aircraft carriers. Soon, two of the more widespread variants of this highly interesting aircraft will join the top ranks of the Soviet aviation tree in the next major War Thunder update. “New Power”!

In War Thunder, the Yak-38 and its later modification is the Soviet response to the Harrier jet - also arriving in the game as part of the upcoming ‘New Power’ update and covered in a previous devblog. Unlike the Harrier however, the Yak-38 incorporates even more unorthodox design choices and offers its future pilots a greater selection of secondary weapons, which when coupled with its VTOL capabilities make it a true force to be reckoned with on the battlefield!



Among the most notable differences which distinguish the Soviet Yak-38M from the Harrier is the fact that the Yak-38M is powered by up to three jet engines, compared to the Harrier’s one. The main engine is a Tumansky R-28-300 turbofan engine, generating 7,300 kgf of thrust and powering the aircraft’s two rear thrust nozzles. The other two engines are a pair of Kolesov RD-38 turbojet engines, mounted vertically behind the cockpit and generating 3,250 kgf of thrust each.

The latter engines are used by the aircraft solely for VTOL maneuvering, whereas the Tumansky engine is used both for VTOL as well as generating thrust for forward movement. Pilots can easily observe this engineering symphony during VTOL maneuvers as large hatches open up on both the ventral and dorsal side of the aircraft allowing air to flow through the two vertically mounted engines, while the rear thrust nozzles get pointed downward, enabling hovering. Overall, the Yak-38M can reach a top speed of around 1,150 km/h in normal flight while also being able to get up to 450 km/h in hover mode.



Having established that the Yak-38M is no slouch when it comes to its flight characteristics, it’s also worth noting that the aircraft has access to a fairly powerful weapons arsenal too! The aircraft can be equipped with a range of unguided bombs and rockets, additional gunpods as well as guided munitions in the shape of the infamous R-60 AAM and Kh-23M AGM. This allows it to tackle a wide range of combat missions, from ground support to combat air patrol, with relative ease.



While the Yak-38M will be available to all pilots as the new top aircraft of the Yakovlev line in the Soviet aviation tree, the earlier Yak-38 modification will be exclusive to a special bundle available in our online store. Although the differences between the two aircraft are minimal, the Yak-38 most notably offers its prospective owners additional rewards thanks to its premium status as well as instant access to the new VTOL mechanics for pilots particularly eager to try them out!

The Yak-38 and Yak-38M are arriving in War Thunder as part of the upcoming update ‘New Power’ and will soon find their place at the top ranks of the Soviet aviation tree. In the meantime, be sure to stay tuned to the news as we continue unveiling what other exciting new additions await you in the update ‘New Power’ - coming very soon! We’ll see you in the next one, pilots.

Imperatritsa Mariya was one of the first dreadnought battleships that entered service with the Russian Empire before the outbreak of the First World War. Meet the top ship in the Russian Navy line in the War Thunder "New Power" update!

The battleship Imperatritsa Mariya will appear in our game with the release of the New Power update at rank V of the USSR Navy research tree. In terms of the approach to the composition of artillery and armor, the battleship is a classic dreadnought, but the layout with a flat deck, four three-gun turrets on a longitudinal axis and an almost complete absence of superstructures significantly distinguish the Mariya from her peers.

The main caliber on the ship is four three-gun turrets with 305mm cannons, all the turrets can fire simultaneously at one target from the left or right side. In addition to a massive one-second salvo, the Russian battleship is distinguished by the truly devastating semi-armor-piercing shells for the main caliber with a mass of 471 kg and an explosive mass over 55 kg! Imperatritsa Mariya has an impressive secondary caliber - 20 130mm cannons, 10 on each side. The main armament of the battleship is supplemented by four single-tube torpedo tubes with a supply of torpedoes. But the anti-aircraft armament of the Imperatritsa Mariya leaves much to be desired - you will have only four 75mm unitary loading cannons, one on the roof of each gun turret. Of course, such a battery is not capable of effectively fighting enemy aircraft.





Meet the Imperatritsa Mariya in the upcoming War Thunder update “New Power” along with battleships from other gaming nations - the big ships are coming!

Check out the full Dev Blog article here!

The Celere Sahariano was a late war experimental Italian medium tank, developed in response to the highly mobile British cruiser tanks encountered in the deserts of North Africa. Although the war ended before the Celere Sahariano could enter production, it will soon reinforce the lower ranks of the Italian ground forces tree in the upcoming “New Power” War Thunder update!

In War Thunder, the Celere Sahariano will be a new premium medium tank arriving to the lower ranks of the Italian ground forces tree with the release of the upcoming major update. Unlike most other Italian tracked fighting vehicles found at this rank, the Celere Sahariano combines superb mobility with a small profile and quick firing cannon, making for an excellent low rank scout and representing a good alternative to some of the heavier frontline fighters found at the same rank.





The Celere Sahariano will soon be arriving in War Thunder and will reinforce the Italian ground forces tree as a new medium tank of the lower ranks, available to tankers with the release of the upcoming update. In the meantime, be sure to stay tuned to the news to catch all the latest developments in the next major update “New Power”, coming to the game in the near future. Until then, happy hunting tankers!

Check out the full Dev Blog article here!