War Thunder News

Thank you once again for your incredible submissions! This coming week, we’ll be focusing on the quiet moments before the storm! You’ll be capturing missions set at sunrise, where soft morning light and long shadows set the stage for the battle to come. Any vehicle type is welcome—just be sure it’s ready to roll out under a golden sky. The three most popular and three selected by us will get 300 GE. See the winners down below!

[h2]Let’s begin the 176th edition of our competition![/h2]

Create a stunning screenshot and submit it on the War Thunder Steam Community Hub with the tag #WTscreen176. You have time until the 20th of June 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 should be taken in morning light and can include any vehicle.
You must add the #WTscreen176 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 175th edition – Tactical Canvas![/h2]

[h3]Winners selected via community votes:[/h3]
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3496521333
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3494914941
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3494789417

[h3]Winners selected by our judges:[/h3]
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3495061925
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3494630490
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3495915459

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

On June 15th 1936, the Vickers Wellington made its maiden flight. This was the most widely produced British bomber and was used throughout the Second World War, with more than 11,000 units being built. Wellingtons were used for night bombing, submarine hunting, mine clearing and as carriers of airborne radio detection and guidance systems.

[h2]The Wellington Mk Ic (Germany) is temporarily available for Golden Eagles![/h2]
This Wellington (rank II) is available for 1,000 Golden Eagles.

When: From June 13th (13:00 GMT) until June 16th (13:00 GMT).
Where: Germany > Aviation > Premium vehicles.

About this aircraft

• The Wellington Mk Ic was captured and tested by the Luftwaffe. This bomber is great at high altitudes and can take eighteen 250 lb or nine 500 lb bombs into battle. For defensive weaponry, it has 7.7 mm machine guns in the nose, at the sides and at the back of the plane.
  

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The first attempt to create a unified German fleet was made on June 14th 1848 against the backdrop of the Danish-German War. The attempt was not very successful, and Germany lost the war. After the dissolution of the fleet, some of the ships went to Prussia, and on the basis of the Prussian Navy, the naval forces of the German Empire were formed in 1871. The modern German Navy continues to celebrate this day on June 14th.

[h2]The Т31 and Z20 Karl Galster are temporarily available for Golden Eagles at a 30% Discount![/h2]
Both are available at a 30% discount: the T31 (rank III) costs 3528 Golden Eagles and the Z20 Karl Galster (rank III) costs 4263 Golden Eagles!

When: From June 13th (11:00 GMT) until June 16th (11:00).
Where: Germany > Bluewater fleet > Premium vehicles.

[h3]About the T31[/h3]

• The T31 was built in Elbing, East Prussia and commissioned in 1944. In June of that year, she covered Finnish forces during the Soviet offensive in Karelia but was sunk in a skirmish with Soviet boats. The T31 is equipped with 37 mm anti-aircraft guns to combat air attacks, and her main armament consists of rapid-fire 105 mm guns in four turrets.
  

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[h3]About the Z20[/h3]

• The Z20 Karl Galster is named after Lieutenant Commander Karl Galster, who commanded the S-22 destroyer during the First World War. Z20 was used extensively throughout the Second World War and survived until the end, where it was then transferred to the USSR, receiving the name “Prochny”. This is a very speedy ship, its secondary caliber is represented by 37 mm automatic guns — ready to take on both enemy aircraft and fast boats. Larger ships can be taken care of with the powerful 128 mm main guns.
  

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[h2]Get the “Emblem of the German Navy Engineering School” decal![/h2]
This decal is available for German Navy Day.

“Emblem of the German Navy Engineering School” decal

When: From June 13th (11:00 GMT) until June 16th (11:00).
Task: Play 3 battles using German ships at rank III or higher to receive the “Emblem of the German Navy Engineering School” decal.

Additional details:

• Your activity must not be below 70%.
  
• You can complete the task in random battles, except for Enduring Confrontation missions, and [Assault] mode.
  
• Track your progress in the hangar by clicking Nickname → Achievements → Holidays → German Navy Day.
  
• You can find the decal in the “Germany → Navy” tab in the Customization menu.
  

Today we have three new premium packs to show you, each containing three vehicles.

These packs offer a versatile selection of ground vehicles, all similar to existing tech tree vehicles but with some interesting cosmetic variations. They don’t intend to represent one single vehicle and are instead more of a collective inspiration drawn from elements of several historical photos. Let’s start!

To get to the Gaijin Store through Steam, go to the in-game hangar > Shop > Online Store!

[h2]Pre-order - Hell on Wheels Pack[/h2]
34.99

• Sherman (Hell) (Rank III, USA)
  
• Hellcat (Hell) (Rank III, USA)
  
• Skink (Hell) (Rank III, USA)
  
• Premium account for 15 days
  
• 1000 Golden Eagles
  
• Pre-order bonus: unique title “Hell on Wheels”
  
• Pre-order bonus: unique “67th Armor Regiment Insignia” decal
  

[h3]M4A3E8 (76) W Sherman[/h3]
Headlining the American pack is one of the most versatile tanks of the war, the Sherman 76 Easy Eight! This variant features a camo netting, constructed by weaving fabric through barbed wire. Under this netting is an array of jerry cans and sandbags, both offering a very small amount of extra protection. 

[h3]M18 Hellcat [/h3]
One of America’s most capable light vehicles, the Hellcat will be joining the pack! This variant contains some light camo netting and is covered in satchels and canisters, along with an additional light machinegun on the turret. This M18 was inspired by late-war Hellcats, which often carried many storage elements on the exterior. A small sign is also included on the turret, this was attached to an M18 when the tank was delivered to the front, in order to quickly get crews accustomed to this new vehicle.

[h3]Skink[/h3]
Rounding off the lineup is the ever capable Skink wielding four fast-firing 20 mm guns! Complete with additional track armor and wooden planks on the sides, often applied to Shermans. Featuring a totally enclosed turret, the Skink excels in the anti-air role as it can avoid being strafed by the vast majority of aircraft.

To get to the Gaijin Store through Steam, go to the in-game hangar > Shop > Online Store!
[h2]Pre-order - In May 45 Pack[/h2]
34.99

• IS-1 ('45) (Rank III, USSR)
  
• T-34-85 ('45) (Rank III, USSR)
  
• Hanomag ('45) (Rank III, USSR)
  
• Premium account for 15 days
  
• 1000 Golden Eagles
  
• Pre-order bonus: unique title “Born to win”
  
• Pre-order bonus: unique “In May 45” decal
  

[h3]T-34-85[/h3]
Kicking off the USSR pack is the T-34-85, in very unique attire. This T-34 is protected by light anti-HEAT shields salvaged from German tanks. While these field modifications were rare, several examples of T-34s fielding skirt armor from destroyed StuGs and similar tank destroyers could be seen in the latter stages of the war. 

[h3]IS-1[/h3]
This IS-1 comes complete with extra track armor on the sides of the turret as well as the lower plate — often a common weak spot. One of the main highlights of this tank is a camo netting fitted on the front of the hull and sides, plus on the gun barrel. There is also a Soviet army helmet ontop of the headlight at the front!

[h3]Hanomag[/h3]
Supporting the lineup is a captured Sd.Kfz 251/21. This trophy vehicle is new to the game, swapping out the standard 15 mm guns with three 20 mm cannons instead. These trade off some velocity and penetration power with significantly higher damage for the HE round to aircraft, making it a fairly special edition for the USSR.

To get to the Gaijin Store through Steam, go to the in-game hangar > Shop > Online Store!
[h2]Pre-order - Echoes of Overlord Pack[/h2]
34.99

• Firefly (Overlord) (Rank III, Great Britain)
  
• Avenger (Overlord) (Rank III, Great Britain)
  
• Crusader AA (Overlord) (Rank III, Great Britain)
  
• Premium account for 15 days
  
• 1000 Golden Eagles
  
• Pre-order bonus: unique title “Fear Naught”
  
• Pre-order bonus: unique “Echoes of Overlord” decal
  

[h3]Sherman Firefly[/h3]
The spearhead of the British lineup is the classic Sherman VC Firefly. This variant features additional track armor, including tracks from the destroyed German tanks, on the hull along with many extra cosmetic elements, complete with two-tone camo netting covering the hull and turret, perfect for concealed sniping and defensive positions. One of the crew members has left his glasses on the gun mantlet, hopefully it wasn’t the gunner!

[h3]Avenger [/h3]
Supporting the Firefly is the versatile Avenger, which also includes a similar type of camo netting. This variant has many additional cosmetic features inspired by several photos of British tanks. And guess what, there’s even a kettle — all the more reason to play this tank!

[h3]Crusader AA Mk II[/h3]
The anti-air vehicle of the group is the Crusader AA Mk.II, very mobile and reactive and fairly well protected from most aircraft as well thanks to its enclosed turret. This variant is also nicely camouflaged and customized, and was inspired by the many Crusader SPAA units operational in Normandy.

[hr][/hr]
That’s all for today, thank you very much for reading! These packs can be pre-ordered starting today from the Gaijin store. Stay tuned for even more news, and we’ll see you very soon!

[p]
The War Thunder Championships Series (WTCS) continues! After TITAN and the victory for AVReS, it’s time for you to take part in the second Major Event of the year: Armored Apex! Here, you’ll use legendary vehicles like the M1A2 Abrams or the T-80BVM on famous maps like Normandy or Advance to the Rhine. Armored Apex, the second major event, is a qualifying tournament, which allows you to score points for the 2025 WTCS season in a 4v4 RB Tank format!

Without further ado, let’s check out the lineup, maps, date and prizes for this second Major!

[/p][h2]Tournament Dates[/h2][p]After each Open qualifier, four teams will qualify for the Play-Off phases. For more information, be sure to check out the War Thunder Esports in 2025: The Beginning Of A New Era news that describes everything in detail.

[/p]

• [p] Open Qualifier I: June 14th-15th at 15:00 GMT
  [/p]
• [p] Open Qualifier II: June 21st-22nd at 15:00 GMT
  [/p]
• [p] Play-Offs: June 28th-29th & July 5th-6th at 15:00 GMT
  [/p]

[p]
[/p][h2]Register NOW! [/h2][p]
[/p][h2]The Line-Up & Map Pools[/h2][p]Here’s the line-up that will be used for Open Qualifier I & II. It will be exactly the same for the Play-off phases.

[/p]

[p]Please note that there will be no map bans during the Open Qualifiers. All maps will be selected randomly. However, for the 8 Qualified teams, a map ban will be set up for the Play-offs.[/p]

[p]
[/p][h2]The Maps:[/h2][p]
[/p][h2]The Lineups:[/h2][p]
[/p][h2]Tournament Prizes[/h2][p]For each Open Qualifier, there’s a total of 86,400 Golden Eagles, plus Research Point & Silver Lion boosters and Premium Account time!

Here’s a detailed list of the Major’s prizes: [/p][p]
[/p][h2]Live Streams with Twitch Drops![/h2]

[p]When: Each stream will start from 14:45 GMT[/p]

[p]
Open Qualifier I Stream: June 14th-15th
Open Qualifier II Stream: June 21st-22nd

During the live broadcasts throughout the two weekends of the Open Qualifier matches, you can receive boosters and premium account time from Twitch Drops. Make sure to stay tuned for the Twitch drops prizes during the Finals!

There’s a variety of broadcasts in different languages to give you the best experience in English, Russian, German, Polish and French.

[/p][h2]Follow [/h2][p]
[/p]

[p]Login to your Twitch account → link your Gaijin account → click “Allow” to be able to receive Twitch Drops![/p]

[p]
[/p][h2]Giveaways on the Official Esports Discord![/h2][p]During the WTCS Armored Apex Major, join the Official War Thunder Esports Discord server to hang out with like-minded competitive players and take part in major giveaways that include the following packs:

[/p]

• [p] Leopard 2 (OTCo) Pack
  [/p]
• [p] RAH-66 Comanche Pack
  [/p]
• [p] F-2A ADTW Pack
  [/p]
• [p] Leopard 2A4 Pack
  [/p]

[p]
The Esports team wishes you the best of luck for the qualification phases. May the force be with you!

[/p][h2]War Thunder - Thunder Tactiks Pack[/h2][p][/p]

• [p] Unique decal: "Thunder Tactiks"
  
  [/p]
• [p] Unique camouflage: Bf 109 F-4 "Thunder Tactics"
  [/p]
• [p] Unique camouflage: Sd.Kfz.234/2 "Thunder Tactics"
  [/p]
• [p] 300 Golden Eagles
  [/p]

[p]
To get to the Gaijin Store through Steam, go to the in-game hangar > Shop > Online Store.[/p]