Hey everyone! Today, we’ll be talking about what you can expect regarding some of the new content coming in the upcoming major update. We’ll talk specifically about some QoL UI changes coming and some anticipated player profile showcases. Let’s dive straight into the details!

Upcoming Major Update
Inventory item recycling
Let’s first take a look at one feature that was part of the Roadmap: inventory item recycling! This one has been in development for some time now and we’re finally able to show you some screenshots and describe how it works.

Currently only on internal Gaijin accounts for testing, it works by selecting items you want to recycle from your inventory, then recycling them, and then creating them into a new item at random in the ratio of 2:1. The newly created item goes into your inventory as normal.

The CM team has been testing it, recycling items and getting some random boosters, wagers, backups and orders from the process! This new feature will be available for testing on the open dev server and if there are no major problems it will be released in the major update.



Player profile showcases

Back in December, magazine2 gave details about the new player profile; the design choices and what we had planned for the future. We’re pleased to announce some new (and important!) player profile showcases are almost ready and will be deployed in the upcoming major update. Here are the ones that will be included:

• Vehicle Collector — here, you’ll show off 1 to 3 vehicles of your choice that you’ve unlocked. The number of vehicles you have unlocked per nation and the total number are also displayed. Below are some random examples:
  

• Ace of Spades — here, you’ll show off the number of spaded vehicles that you have per nation. Selected types of vehicle from selected countries are also shown so that you can see how many more vehicles you need to spade to be 100%!
  

• Medalist — here, you’ll be able to show off 1 to 10 medals of your choice that you’ve unlocked. The total number of medals that you’ve unlocked is also shown for the same reason above.
  

New shell stat cards design
Amongst the previous UI changes implemented last year, the developers have also been working on a new and improved version of stat card for shells. For this one, the aim was to display the most important aspects of a shell so that you can glance and read it quickly. The main parameters for shells are muzzle velocity, armor penetration at close-range and TNT equivalent.




What else can you expect in terms of UI changes in the future? The team are redesigning some other cards right now for all projectile stat cards in the game, including smoke grenades, ordnance and ammo belts, which will be in the same style as the one above.

UAV picture-in-picture mode for light tanks


Higher ranking light tanks can unlock a Scout UAV and launch them in game, giving a good perspective of the battlefield and act as a good way to mark enemy tanks for your teammates. There are a couple of downsides however for the player that launches the UAV — this forces you to be static in your vehicle, lose active control and have to constantly switch cameras, which is unintuitive. This is one area of the UAV where the developers wanted to improve it by adding a picture-in-picture mode when driving your ground vehicle.

Launching your Scout UAV and then switching back to your light tank will give you the option to switch your minimap between two views; the standard minimap and UAV view, which displays the live video feed of the UAV to you. This in turn will allow you to see a glimpse of the battlefield, all while driving your ground vehicle around and fighting as normal. A yellow UAV PoV marker is also shown in the game world so that you can get a sense of where your UAV is looking at. This will of course come with some new ways to play the game, and we’re excited to see what can be pulled off.


UAV view


UAV picture in picture view

We’ve faced a couple of challenges when designing this feature, especially when trying to display the terrain properly and optimization. Much like aircraft Multi-Function Displays in aircraft cockpits, we’re working to ensure that the game runs as smoothly as it can and that this new feature doesn’t hinder performance.

Improved minimap buttons
Last year we added some buttons to the in-game map in the respawn screen, allowing you to move the map around and change the map type. While it worked to some extent, the buttons came off as a bit confusing. So we’ve looked to improve it by being clear on what button pressing does: on PC, left click is to ping attention, right click is to move the map around, and middle-mouse button marks or changes a point of interest. We’ve also ensured that this is easy to use on console controllers as well.



New MFDs for some aircraft


With the arrival of more modern aircraft featuring Multifunction Displays (MFD) in their cockpit, it brings a new level of realism and functionality to our virtual cockpits. Those of you familiar with for example, Eurofighters and Rafales will have already seen this awesome feature in game already, and we are pleased to say the Rafale will soon be receiving its weapons MFD page, as well as a couple of other aircraft that are planned in the major update will receive their own MFD sets.

These types of features really bring modern aircraft to life and add an additional layer to immersion, along with tactical and gameplay comfort benefits too.



Maps graphical rework
You may remember last year, Abandoned factory saw a rework to its visuals to bring it up to date without significantly changing its gameplay. You reacted quite well to this and we can share with you today that several other maps are in progress for a visual revamp to bring some fresh life to them. Rhine, Jungle and Sinai are all currently being worked on to receive this type of visual spruce up, without changing their gameplay. Some of your old favourites have never looked so good! We hope you will enjoy them too.

Message and rewards for intercepting munitions
We’ve also been working on a new system for rewarding the interception of various munitions, destroying incoming bombs and missiles before impact. A successful interception will be shown in the feed as well as the post-battle results screen, where you can see the interceptions you’ve made and the reward gained from them.

We’ll also be adding a special achievement for intercepting a bomb over 5000kg, it can potentially be quite impactful to stop a bomb like this from self-detonating, and now you’ll get a proper reward for doing it!

Vehicle hint
Speaking of things to come. We can say that one vehicle in the next major is definitely causing a buzz. We know a great many of you will be eager to get your hands on it and leave your opponents with a real stinging sensation!

Onto other things
Talking about module and vehicle RP being lost



This bug has plagued the game for a long time now. Essentially, if you played a battle in a vehicle and left before it was finished and then went into another battle and used the same vehicle, the RP earned in the first battle could be lost if the modification you were researching was completed when the second battle finished.

It hasn’t been simple to fix this bug — it has been complex and we can say having looked at our internal report it has been looked at and worked on for quite some time now. But we’re pleased to say there is light at the end of the tunnel, and a fix is currently in testing; as of now, it looks like a fix for this bug will be made.

Incoming events
The next two event vehicles are a ship and ground vehicle respectively. The namesake of one of them is a place quite close to our German office as a bit of a clue. The other is based on a vehicle we have already but with a completely different weapons system which should change how it plays entirely, keep an eye out for them over the coming months!

Monthly decals
One from Oxy here, Monthly Decals! This was one of my favourite events from a few years ago, and I’m very happy to have been able to bring it back recently. I think it’s great to have some short-term goals in a game like this for a bit of soft-direction. Each month we’ll be including one decal for each nation, though maybe one nation will be dropped in place of a marking from a smaller nation, like Norway from this month for example. There will be 5 new markings and 5 reused markings, so new players can collect some of the previous emblems as well.

It took over a year on-and-off to find enough interesting markings we can use, currently we have several hundred options for the future but we’re open to ideas for more! I’ll be keeping an eye on the suggestion area for decals and I’m open to changing the schedule if we get some interesting examples (bonus points if sharks).



I’ll also be updating the descriptions for other decals already in the game soon as well (the extra text you get when you hover over them), currently German and British air decals have detailed descriptions on their history, symbology and placement. It’s a small thing ultimately but hopefully it’s interesting. One of my favourite things in games is when you look for extra detail somewhere and find it, so it’s always nice to get to work on this area when I have the time. I hope you like the decal events, and I’ll always be happy to hear your feedback on it!

Cheers,
the CM Team

Aircraft

• A bug that caused some air tutorial missions to be impossible to complete due to the lack of targets (balloons) has been fixed. (Report).
  
• Jammed weapons now take damage on jamming and are shown as damaged in X-ray view.
  

Ground Vehicles

• Pantsir-S1, Tor-M1, HQ17 — a bug where the camera offset from the target center was preserved when switching targets has been fixed. Now when switching targets the camera will be centered on the target.
  

Naval Vessels

• A bug where being destroyed in a ship while dropping mines would cause the mines to be dropped the next time the player respawned in battle has been fixed. (Report).
  

Graphics

• A bug where MFD reflections in the cockpit glass did not match the current image on the MFD has been fixed.
  
• A bug where water reflections could be distorted on water quality settings at “medium” and below has been fixed.
  
• Seversk-13 (winter) — a bug where the ground textures could flicker has been fixed.
  
• A bug where the HUD in the cockpit was too bright when night vision was turned on, making markings in the HUD difficult to read has been fixed.
  

Interface

• A bug where the NVD enable key could be displayed in views where NVD activating was not available has been fixed.
  

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.

Welcome to the 159th War Thunder Steam Screenshot Competition!

Thanks for sharing all of your screenshots with us last week, they looked great! This week has a simple theme, capture an explosion! The three most popular and three selected by us will get 300 GE. See the winners down below!

Let’s begin the 159th edition of our competition!

Create a stunning screenshot and submit it on the War Thunder Steam Community Hub with the tag #WTscreen159. You have time until the 21st of February 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.

Terms:

• Your screenshot must include an explosion!
  
• You must add the #WTscreen159 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.
  

And now, time for the winners of the competition’s 158th edition – Another Day at the Beach!

Winners selected via community votes:
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3423607294
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3423346937
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3423486085

Winners selected by our judges:
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3423273526
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3425257297
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3423687474

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

The BO 105 multi-role helicopter, designed by Messerschmitt-Bölkow-Blohm, made history as the first light twin-engine helicopter and the first helicopter capable of aerobatic maneuvers. Its blades were reinforced with fiberglass and its advanced rotor design proved so reliable that in the six million operating hours accumulated on all BO 105 units produced, the rotor has never failed. Today, we celebrate the anniversary of the BO 105’s first flight which occurred on February 16th 1967.

The BO 105 CB-2 is temporarily available at a 30% discount for Golden Eagles!

You can get this helicopter at a 30% discount for 5,992 Golden Eagles!

When: From today until February 17th (10:00 GMT).
Where: Germany > Helicopter > Premium vehicles.

About this helicopter

• The BO 105 CB-2 is an upgraded variant of the BO 105, primarily designed to combat tanks. It features improved optics and American BGM-71 TOW missiles. Due to its compactness and high maneuverability, the BO 105 CB-2 is able to make maximum use of the terrain to deliver surprise attacks, and its flares will help counter enemy missiles.
  

Valentine’s Day is celebrated on February 14th! Spread the love in War Thunder with a themed decal, decorations and the MK-IX “Valentine” tank that temporarily returns for the occasion.

Earn the “Neon Valentine” decal!
Get yourself this love-themed decal by completing the following task.


“Neon Valentine” decal

When: From today until February 17th (07:00 GMT).
Task: Play 3 battles using any nation at rank III or above to receive the “Neon Valentine” decal!

Additional details:

• Your activity must not be below 70%.
  
• You can complete the task in random battles, except for Enduring Confrontation missions, mode and Helicopter PVE battles.
  
• Track your progress in the hangar by clicking Nickname → Achievements → Holidays → Valentine’s Day.
  
• You can find the decal in the “Holidays” tab in the Customisation menu.
  

Valentine’s Trophy with Decorations!

When: From today until February 17th (07:00).

A trophy with themed decorations is available to purchase in the in-game Item Shop for 499 Golden Eagles! This trophy includes the “Anchor of Love” ship decoration, plus the “Teddy Bear with a Heart” and “Compound Bow” decorations for ground vehicles. When opening it, you’ll receive a decoration that you don’t yet have.




“Anchor of Love” decoration
“Compound Bow” decoration
“Teddy Bear with a Heart” decoration



The MK-IX “Valentine” is temporarily available for Golden Eagles!
For 1,000 Golden Eagles, you can get this rare tank this Valentine’s Day.

When: From today until February 17th (07:00).
Where: USSR > Army > Premium vehicles.

About this tank

• The British MK-IX “Valentine” tanks were supplied to the Soviet Union under Lend-Lease. One of the supply routes was via Iran, which is why many Valentines fought against the Wehrmacht on the North Caucasus Front. This tank can withstand hits well, quickly reloads its powerful 57 mm gun and can penetrate most enemy armor with its APCBC shell.
  

Battle Ratings

• The planned Battle Rating changes have come into effect.
  

Aircraft

• Missions on the “Moscow” location have been re-enabled in Air Realistic Battles.
  
• A-5C — has been moved to Rank VII.
  
• F-111C — GBU-15(V)1/B has been added, additional wing pylons for AIM-9L have been added.
  
• F-16A OCU — helmet mounted display has been added.
  
• Me 262 A-1/U4 — gun dispersion has been reduced.
  
• F-4C — the AIM-9B and AIM-9E modifications have been moved to tiers I and II in modification research.
  
• F-14A Early — the AIM-9D modification has been removed (Research Points and Golden Eagles will be compensated). AIM-9D missiles can now be used without researching any modifications. The AIM-9G and AIM-9H modifications have been moved to tiers I and II in modification research respectively.
  
• F-5A(G) — the modification positions in the tree have been changed. The Flares/Chaff modification has been moved to tier I in modification research.
  

Ground Vehicles

• Improved Chaparral, Antelope, Type 81 (C) — the NVD modification has been moved from tier IV to tier II in modification research.
  
• Improved Chaparral (Israel) — the MIM-72G modification has been moved from tier IV to tier III in modification research.
  

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.

When Emperor Meiji regained real power, he decided to introduce a national holiday to honor the emperors. The occasion was the accession to the throne of Jimmu, the legendary first ruler of Japan. In 1872, this day was celebrated on the first day of the Lunar year, which then fell on January 29th, but the following year Japan switched to the Gregorian calendar, and February 11th was chosen as the date. In 1966, the date was again decided to be a holiday, but instead was given the different and less imperial name of National Foundation Day.

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

From today until February 18th (11:00 GMT).

These packs are available at a 50% discount!

• Type 16 (FPS) Pack
  
• Type 90B "Fuji" Pack
  
• IJN Yamashiro Pack
  
• T-2 Early Pack (only during this sale!)
  

IJN Kiyoshimo, A6M5 Ko and J2M4 Kai are temporarily available for Golden Eagles!
The IJN Kiyoshimo is temporarily available for 4880 Golden Eagles and the A6M5 Ko and J2M4 Kai are temporarily available for 3850 Golden Eagles each!

When: From today until February 18th (11:00 GMT).
Where: Japan > Bluewater fleet / Aviation > Premium vehicles.

About these vehicles

• IJN Kiyoshimo (rank III) is one of the last destroyers built by Japan during World War II. This destroyer features three main turrets with 127 mm guns for fire at enemy ships. Additionally it is agile and has an excellent amount of anti-aircraft weaponry, capable of protecting allies from attacks by enemy aircraft. It also features destructive 16 x 610 mm torpedoes!
  

• The A6M5 Ko (rank IV) is based on the A6M5 with more ammunition, raising the amount from 200 to 250 shells. This is an ideal aircraft for turn fighting against enemies, or bombing enemy tanks with 250 kg or two 60 kg bombs if needed!
  

• J2M4 Kai (rank IV) is a variant of the Mitsubishi J2M4 Raiden with a more powerful engine, characterized by increased speed and rate of climb. As for guns, the J2M4 features four 20 mm cannons with a combined total of 680 rounds, more than enough for taking out several enemies.
  

Earn the “Symbols of Japan” decal!
Get yourself this cool decal by completing the below task.


“Symbols of Japan” decal

When: From today until February 18th (11:00 GMT).
Task: Play 3 battles using Japanese vehicles at rank III or above to receive the “Symbols of Japan” decal!

Additional details:

• Your activity must not be below 70%.
  
• You can complete the task in random battles, except for Enduring Confrontation missions, mode and Helicopter PVE battles.
  
• Track your progress in the hangar by clicking Nickname → Achievements → Holidays → Founding Day of the State in Japan.
  
• You can find the decal in the “Holidays” tab in the customization menu.
  

We’ve also prepared something interesting for you on our social media channels. Be sure to pay them a visit!



X
Facebook
Instagram



After activating the key, you’ll find the following tasks in the Achievements > Holidays > National Foundation Day in Japan section. From today until February 18th (11:00 GMT):

• Earn a total of 20,000 mission points while playing with Japanese vehicles at rank III or higher in Ground Battles to get the Omaneko dakimakura (normal edition) decoration.
  
• Earn a total of 40,000 mission points while playing with Japanese vehicles at rank III or higher in Ground Battles to get the Omaneko dakimakura (limited edition) decoration.
  

Aircraft

• F-15 (all variants) — a bug where it was impossible to apply a decal to one part of the air intakes has been fixed.
  
• Su-25, Su-25K — a bug where the armor penetration values of the Kh-25, S-25OF and S-25OFM rockets was not indicated has been fixed.
  

Ground Vehicles

• Osa-AKM, ItO 90M — a bug where the radar search angles did not match in the X-ray menu and in battle has been fixed.
  
• Khrizantema-S — a bug where only the second missile fired, not the first guided to the target after capturing an enemy vehicle has been fixed. (Report).
  
• A bug where smoke from the engine could continue to come out of the exhaust pipes when a vehicle was destroyed has been fixed.
  
• Display of targeting tracking angles in the radar interface has been fixed.
  
• A bug where using a custom scope would cause the new range to show instantly without delay has been fixed. (Report).
  

Graphics

• Clouds being too low in aircraft missions, leading to problems with landing or attacking vehicles in cloudy conditions has been fixed.
  
• Reflections in water in rainy and foggy weather with RT enabled in the graphics settings has been fixed.
  

Interface

• A bug that caused the “Processing operation” message to repeatedly appear after clicking on a vehicle in the convertible research points window that had been removed from research has been fixed. (Report).
  

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.

Welcome to the 158th War Thunder Steam Screenshot Competition!

We loved seeing all of your screenshots that you captured and shared with us last week, thank you! This week we return to the beach! You can capture a screenshot with any vehicle of your choice as long as there is a shoreline. The three most popular and three selected by us will get 300 GE. See the winners down below!

Let’s begin the 158th edition of our competition!

Create a stunning screenshot and submit it on the War Thunder Steam Community Hub with the tag #WTscreen158. You have time until the 14th of February 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.

Terms:

• Your screenshot must include a player vehicle, and a shoreline.
  
• You must add the #WTscreen158 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.
  

And now, time for the winners of the competition’s 157th edition – Your Favorite!

Winners selected via community votes:
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3418904866
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3420224774
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3418736546

Winners selected by our judges:
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3418585985
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3421630667
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3418980601

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

Hello everyone! Today we’re very happy to be able to present a new series of historical decals for you to unlock. We’ve been working on returning these decals for a while now, and this series will have a few changes compared to the previous run. This initial post will be a bit longer, bear with us!

The Format
This time around, we’ll aim to add a set of historical markings once a month instead, and there’s a few reasons for this. Chiefly, it gives everyone interested in the decals a longer amount of time to unlock them, as previously many players weren’t able to get the markings. This also ensures that we don’t actually run out of possible additions. Some nations do indeed have a huge amount of options, others however have a very small amount. To make sure that we can keep adding emblems across the board for everyone for the foreseeable future, we’ll have 10 per month — 5 new emblems and 5 emblems from previous events, that way new players will be able to unlock some old emblems they wouldn’t have been able to get previously as well.

Unlock Requirements
We’ve made the unlock requirements slightly longer this time around to compensate for the extended duration, though not by a huge amount. The unlock requirements will be simple: frags, missions played, score earned, things that are universally achievable. Some special markings will be a little more challenging such as finishing at a certain position on the leaderboard, but in general the requirements will be simple and able to be achieved gradually as you play normally. 

Open to ideas!
While we have many months worth of decals created and planned, you’re welcome to leave your own suggestions on the forum here. For a marking to be considered, we’ll need clear historical references (clear enough to be able to accurately make the decal) along with as many sources and references as possible. Going forward we want to avoid any divisional or formal markings belonging to currently active units. Though personal markings, modern insignia of deactivated units, or older versions of emblems used by active units will generally be fine. No promises of course, but if you can find some interesting examples (especially for nations that have fewer options in general) we can potentially include some down the line.

The following decals will be available from February 7th at 11:00 GMT until March 7th 09:00 GMT.

You can track the progress of completing tasks for these decals by going to your Player Profile > Decals > Monthly Decals. From here, click the “Track progress” button on each decal to track from the hangar.




“Enemy Planes If You Can Read This You’re Too Close” Inscription, USA
“61st Keibitai Insignia, Japan
“Kör Asz” Emblem, Hungary


Defeat 70 players using American aircraft at rank III and above
Defeat 50 players using Japanese light tanks at rank III and above
Finish in position 1-3 five times while flying Italian or Hungarian Aircraft at rank III and above






6ème Escadrille GC III/6 Emblem, France
3. SFltl Emblem “Tiefseefisch”, Germany
Guards Armoured Division Emblem, Britain
269th Mechanized Infantry Brigade Emblem, China


Play 20 battles while using French aircraft with a minimum of 60% Battle Activity at rank III and above
Can be purchased for 200 Golden Eagles
Defeat 50 players using British Heavy Tanks at rank III and above
Defeat 50 players using Chinese Light Tanks at rank III and above






“Bear Bomber” Personal Marking, USSR
Brigade Nord Emblem, Norway
319th Division Emblem, Israel


Earn 10,000 score while flying Soviet Bombers at rank III and above
Play 20 battles while using Swedish Ground Vehicles with a minimum of 60% Battle Activity at rank III and above
Play 20 battles while using Israeli Ground Vehicles with a minimum of 60% Battle Activity at rank III and above



Monthly markings can be found in a special tab in the customization menu, (Monthly Decals) after a month, they’ll be moved to their corresponding category.

All of the emblems will come with a detailed description. This will generally consist of the history of the marking, its design, which vehicles used it, and where it was often placed on vehicles historically if applicable (some emblems are taken from badges, which weren’t always applied). This way you can more easily recreate the original positioning if you’d like. In addition to tasks, all markings can be purchased for 200 Golden Eagles as well.

Thank you for reading, enjoy and let us know your thoughts!

Meet the protagonist in the Freedom Fighter event: the Norwegian F-5A(G) multi-role jet fighter!

F-5A(G): An Event Vehicle Jet Fighter for Sweden at Rank VII
At a glance:

• AIM-9L Sidewinders!
  
• Penguin Mk.3 guided missile.
  
• Countermeasures.
  
• RWR.
  
• Unique camouflage on the missiles!
  

Vehicle History

The first foreign operator of the F-5A jet fighter was the Royal Norwegian Air Force. At request from the Norwegians, an export modification was developed for operation from Arctic airfields. Deliveries of the aircraft began in 1966, and several air squadrons were equipped with the F-5A and two-seat F-5B. During upgrades, this Norwegian variant received an updated cockpit, a new sighting system with the ability to control advanced weaponry such as the AIM-9L Sidewinder air-to-air missiles and Penguin anti-ship missiles, an RWR and countermeasure pods. The F-5A was in service with the Norwegian Air Force until December 31st 2007 and also took part in the Eye of the Tiger (EoT) program, where the aircraft tested anti-ship guided missiles.




Introducing the F-5A(G)!

The Norwegian F-5A(G) has arrived to War Thunder in the Freedom Fighter event! This is a very special variant of the F-5 with new combat capabilities and a cool unique camouflage. Let’s take a look at the details!




The F-5A(G) is an export modification of the American Northrop F-5A jet fighter, developed for the Norwegian Air Force and represented in its latest modification when it participated in testing anti-ship missiles. This Norwegian variant differs from the American one both externally and internally — the shape of the nose cone has changed, the pods for launching countermeasures are located on the vertical stabilizer, and a tail hook was added! There’s also a new cockpit with additional displays, HUD, a new radar and a radar warning receiver (RWR).




There has been some improvements in the weaponry department as well. Instead of the early rear-aspect AIM-9E air-to-air missile, the F-5A(G) is capable of carrying two all-aspect AIM-9L missiles with an increased launch range and a much higher maximum overload. In addition to this, the central pylon under the fuselage can hold the new Penguin anti-ship missile with IR+IOG guidance. Despite ships being the intended target, this heavy missile with a large explosive load can combat tanks in Ground Battles — capture a target from a long distance and then fire the missile, which will then operate in “fire and forget” mode. The destructive power is enough to destroy any tank upon impact!




For flight performance, the F-5A(G) retains all the great features of the F-5 series. That’s excellent maneuverability, high resistance to overloads, a good rate of climb and fast-firing 20 mm cannons. In addition to the guided weaponry mentioned above, the F-5A(G) can also carry regular and incendiary bombs, plus Zuni and Mighty Mouse rockets.

That’s it for this one! The Norwegian F-5A(G) is the main reward in the Freedom Fighter event that started today, featuring a special Eye of the Tiger camouflage, with a grinning tiger on the vertical stabilizer and tiger stripes on the fuselage, external fuel tanks and even Sidewinder missiles!

Please note that this vehicle’s characteristics may be changed before it is added to the game.

Click here to find out more details about the Freedom Fighter event

Today, we’ve rounded up and will be going over some of the bug fixes and improvements that we’ve made to the game today and over the past few weeks. If you’d like to catch up on every fixed bug, then be sure to check out the changelog section on our website.

If you’ve found a bug that you’d like to report, you can do so on our community bug reporting platform.

Helicopters that had magic tricks


Helicopters are pretty fragile vehicles, but a couple of bugs that crept into the game made them much more durable. One of these bugs allowed bombs to pass through helicopters without causing any damage. Another gave helicopters the ability to deflect bombs with its rotor blades, with the slower the bomb fell, the more chances the blades had to deflect it. Both of these bugs have been fixed.

Crew incorrect voices after firing


You aim your gun, fire and hit your target and smile — however, your crew said that it was a miss and to adjust your aim. What kind of shenanigans were going on here? There was a bug where the crew called out a hit a miss when the discarding sabot part of an APFSDS shell flew past the enemy vehicle, even though the armor-piercing part of the shell itself hit the target. We’ve fixed this bug!

Missile launch line displaying at all times


When launching air-to-surface guided missiles, the launch zone is outlined with a green line for clarity. But a bug caused this line to remain on the screen if you were destroyed and respawned in another aircraft, even if you left the battle and went into another. This bug has been fixed!

Stuck bomb bay


Aircraft capable of carrying different bombs either externally on hardpoints or internally in the bomb bay were found to have strange behavior. If you opened the bomb bay and then selected bombs on the external hardpoints, the bomb bay closed by itself and did not open again until either selecting the bombs in it or deselecting the external weapons. We’ve fixed this bug too.

That’s not all
You’ll find the full list of improvements in separate update notes. The display of water near the shore has been improved, the voice announcer no longer reports the direction of the previous missile, and the hit analysis no longer shows shells that are not in the feed.


Today's update: Update 2.43.0.87

Aircraft

• Tu-2S-44, Tu-2S-44 (China), Tu-2S-59 — the M44 bombs have been replaced with the M43, with more explosives.
  
• Mirage 2000-5F — Mirage 2000-5F — a bug where the HMD wasn’t being displayed when the pilot’s head was turned away from the sights at small angles has been fixed. (Report).
  
• F-8E, F-8E(FN) — EEGS (unsynchronized shooting) has been added.
  
• Matra R550 Magic 2 — engine operating time and total thrust have been clarified. Operating time has been reduced from 2.2 to 2s, total thrust has been increased from 55,000 N to 55,900 N. Source: Solid propellant rocket motor manufacturer website www.bayernchemie-protac.com
  

Ground Vehicles

• MIM-146 — the burn time has been changed from 2s to 3.17s while maintaining total thrust impulse. (Report).
  
• MIM-146 — missile autopilot has been updated, trajectory sway has been reduced. Rocket dynamics have been updated.
  

Naval Vessels

• RN Duilio — the thickness of aft casemate armor belt has been increased from 20 to 70 mm.
  
• Nurnberg — the display of main caliber ammunition in the ship’s X-ray has been fixed.
  
• HMS Spey — elevation angles of the 40 mm Bofors 90 mounts have been reduced to 85 degrees.
  
• A bug where on some vehicles it was possible to buy and accordingly take into battle fewer shells than were in the ammunition has been fixed.
  
• For playability reasons, the following naval weapons have been stabilized:
  
  
  
  • “Plamya” 30 mm automatic grenade launcher
    
  • 57 mm Type 97 mod. 1937 gun
    
  • 75 mm anti-aircraft Type 88 gun
    
  • 76 mm/40 F-34 gun
    
  • 85 mm/54.6 ZIS-S-53 gun
    

Interface

• A bug where the hit analysis could show shells that were not in the feed has been fixed.
  

Other

• The delay for sending messages to the in-game chat has been reduced: for unique messages the delay is 2 seconds, for repeating messages the delay is 5 seconds.
  

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.

Aircraft

• A bug that caused the sight in the cockpit to display incorrectly and move when the player’s camera moved in aircraft with gyro sights that were turned off has been fixed. (Report).
  
• A bug where a line from the missile launch zone was sometimes displayed in another battle on another aircraft has been fixed. (Report).
  
• A bug where collisions with friendly AI aircraft would in most cases not result in damage to the player’s aircraft has been fixed.
  
• A bug where opening the bomb bay and then selecting bombs on the external hardpoint would cause the bomb bay to close and then not be possible to open until the bombs in the bomb bay were selected or until the external hardpoint selector was disabled has been fixed. (Report).
  
• A bug where helicopter blades could deflect bombs without taking damage has been fixed.
  
• A bug where bombs could fly through helicopters without causing damage has been fixed.
  
• A bug where the voice announcer announced the incorrect launch direction and instead reported the direction of the previously fired missile has been fixed.
  

Ground Vehicles

• A bug where the crew would voice a notification about a missed shot due to the discarding sabot flying past the target even though the armor-piercing part of the APFSDS shell hit the target has been fixed.
  
• A bug where it was possible to attach the tow cable to an enemy vehicle that was still alive after they had respawned for the second time has been fixed.
  

Naval Vessels

• Arkhangelsk — a bug where the last two gun indicators did not show the reload time has been fixed.
  

Locations

• Water display near the shores has been improved, making the boundary between calm and turbulent currents less noticeable.
  
• Green Mountains Gulf, Palau Islands — these Coastal only missions have been removed from the rotation in all game modes. This has been done due to the large distance between the spawn points and taking 4 minutes on average to make it to the first capture point. We plan to change and reintroduce them in the future.
  

Other

• A bug where Market camouflages might have not been displayed to other players even if the “Show content in the battle” setting was selected as “Any” in the settings has been fixed. (Report).
  

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.

The auction is a new way to distribute player-created content. In addition to trophies, we’ll now select a few more pieces of work from those not included in them and release them to the auction in limited edition.

How does the auction work?

Trading is carried out using a special currency called Gaijin Coin, the same currency already used on the Gaijin Marketplace.

“Lots” with a minimum bid are put up for auction, which will open for bids at a set time and date. Bidding lasts for a certain amount of time so that everyone who wants to can make their bids.

There is a starting price for each item, so to make a bid you’ll need at least that amount of GJN on your account. The amount you bid is frozen until the end of the bidding or until you make a new bid. Be careful, as you cannot cancel the bid. If you win, you receive the item and the amount is debited from your account, otherwise the amount you bid is returned to your account.

If you’re outbid, (or in the case of multi-item auctions, if your bid is no longer high enough to win the item), you’ll receive a notification about this. At the end of the auction, you’ll also receive a notification of the auction result.

An auction may contain several identical items in the form of many lots — one item per lot. If this happens, they’ll be received by the players who made the highest bids, and the number of winners will be equal to the number of auction lots. For example, if there are 1,000 participants in an auction for 100 lots, the item will be received by 100 players who had the highest bids at the end of the auction.

If players with the same bid compete for the remaining item, then the first bidder will have the advantage since they bid first. One player can only buy one lot from an auction.

In the auction interface, you’ll see the values ​​of the current leading bids.

Auction Rules

• After the auction ends, items that are not declared as coupons will be automatically activated on your account. Camouflage coupons will be added to your inventory.
  
• Players who purchased camouflage coupons will not be able to sell them on the Market immediately, but after at least 180 days.
  
• Items that are put up for auction cannot appear there again for a year.
  

Testing the Auction
To test out the new auction system, we’re offering the first lots dedicated to the Lunar New Year:



Lot #1 “Spring Festival” avatar frame
Quantity: 100 pieces
Starting price: 0.50 GJN
Bid Increment: 0.50 GJN



Lot #2: Coupon for the VT4A1 “Year of the Snake” camouflage
Quantity: 100 pieces
Starting price: 1 GJN
Bid Increment: 1 GJN

Possible to sell on the Market from August 11th 2025.



Lot #3: Coupon for the J-10A “Year of the Snake” camouflage
Quantity: 100 pieces
Starting price: 1 GJN
Bid Increment: 1 GJN

Possible to sell on the Market from August 11th 2025.

Click here to go to the Auction

Bids on these lots will be accepted until February 10th (15:30 GMT).

Players who purchase at least one of these lots will also receive the “Inverted Jenny” decal. This is a 1918 U.S. postage stamp, where the Curtiss JN-4 airplane was mistakenly depicted upside down. This stamp has become especially rare and valuable among philatelists.


“Inverted Jenny” decal

Today, we’d like to give you a heads up regarding the removal of the R2Y2 V1, V2 and V3 for research so that you can get them before they’re gone.

In War Thunder, we want to include vehicles that were complete and built; either in full, in the prototype phase or in the experimental phase. Much like the removed German ground vehicles in 2019, the three R2Y2 aircraft are unhistorical “paper” vehicles that were never built in any capacity, added in 2014 to fill a gap due to the severe lack of possible aircraft available for Japan at the time.

Detailed history and context of the R2Y2

The Yokosuka R2Y was an unarmed Japanese reconnaissance aircraft prototype that flew in the very late months of the Second World War in May 1945. This version (R2Y1 Keiun) was a piston engined version of the aircraft that featured twin coupled engines. Naturally the war stopped before its development could be taken any further and of the 3 prototypes, just one was completed. However, plans were made for a jet engined version of this aircraft, featuring twin Ne-330 engines in an attacker configuration. It is this version (R2Y2) that we decided to introduce in 2014 to the game, as it most closely matched the existing or planned jet bombers / attackers for other nations at the time. For example, the Canberra, B-57, Ar 234 and IL-28.
As the R2Y1 was destroyed and its development was not taken further, the R2Y2 was very much a mystery. There were only estimations of its performance, based on a combination of known R2Y1 details and the performance of the Ne-330 engines. Its overall design was very much speculative in terms of the “V2” and “V3” configurations and it’s questionable if they were even part of the original design plans to begin with. Back in 2014, we worked with what resources there were on the aircraft and brought it to some form of reality, being virtual reality, in War Thunder.


Our stance on the R2Y2 series is that they would be removed when functional replacements became available. Fast-forward to 2025, the Japanese aircraft tree now features many new aircraft, including Thai aircraft that fill enough spots and cover various Battle Ratings so that this can happen. We know that many players will want to obtain these vehicles before they are removed from being able to be researched, so there are just under 3 months to research them before they’re gone.

On April 30th 2025, the following three will be removed from research from the Japanese aircraft tree:

• R2Y2 Kai V1
  
  
• R2Y2 Kai V2
  
  
• R2Y2 Kai V3
  
  

Key information:

• These vehicles will no longer be available for research after the above removal date and will become collectable vehicles to everyone that currently owns them. They will not be hidden from anyone who already owns them.
  
• If you’ve put at least 1 RP into one of these vehicles (through RP earned or converting RP), you’ll be able to fully finish the research even after the removal date. Remember, there are three in the game — if you want to keep all three, you’ll need to put research into each individually. Since they are in a group, this would require researching V1 and V2 fully to be able to put research into V3.
  
• We currently have no plans to ever return the R2Y2’s to the game to be researched or obtained after the removal.
  

Welcome to the 157th War Thunder Steam Screenshot Competition!

Your screenshots from last week looked great, thanks for sharing! This week is simple - Take a picture of whichever vehicle is your favorite! The three most popular and three selected by us will get 300 GE. See the winners down below!

Let’s begin the 157th edition of our competition!

Create a stunning screenshot and submit it on the War Thunder Steam Community Hub with the tag #WTscreen157. You have time until the 7th of February 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.

Terms:

• Your screenshot must feature a player vehicle.
  
• You must add the #WTscreen157 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.
  

And now, time for the winners of the competition’s 156th edition – Helping Hands!

Winners selected via community votes:
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3414573737
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3414638622
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3414660915

Winners selected by our judges:
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3414520930
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3416001386
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3414983328

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

In this next aviation event, we’re celebrating the Norwegian Air Force. Take part in air battles to get unique decals as well as this special version of the F-5A fighter, nicknamed the “Freedom Fighter”, designed for export to Norway!

From February 6th (11:00 GMT) until February 24th (11:00 GMT), earn mission points in Air Battles, unlock stages and receive rewards!

F-5A(G) — An Event Vehicle Jet Fighter for Sweden at Rank VII
The F-5A(G) is a Royal Norwegian Air Force multi-role fighter jet. This modification is equipped with a new sighting system, all-aspect AIM-9L Sidewinder air-to-air missiles, and the Penguin guided anti-ship missile with a thermal imaging homing head, which will prove itself in battles against tanks. The F-5A(G) is the first Norwegian aircraft in War Thunder and also has a unique “tiger” camouflage!




“Emblem of the Royal Norwegian Air Force” decal
“Emblem of the 332nd squadron” decal
“Emblem of the 336th squadron” decal



Special camouflage

Among the rewards in the event is also this chest, where, when opened, brings the chance to receive one of the following items:

• 50,000 - 100,000 Silver Lions
  
• Silver Lion and Research Point boosters
  
• Random Wagers and Orders
  
• Universal Backups (1 - 3)
  
• A random camouflage for a vehicle you own
  
• 1 day of Premium Account
  

How to get all rewards
Each stage is unlocked for 45,000 mission points and brings a new reward.

Please note: Once the stage is unlocked, you will need to claim your reward manually. To do this, click on your profile, select the Freedom Fighter category, and click Claim Prize.

You’re able to earn mission points in Air Battles at Rank III or above in Arcade, Realistic and Simulator Battles. The number of mission points to complete a stage depends on the game mode and the maximum Rank of the vehicle that you use in battle. There’s a multiplier for earning mission points, which is shown in the task description in-game.

You can also earn mission points by using event vehicles that are Rank I and II. Event vehicles that can be used have the name of the event that they were obtainable in on their stat card.

Stages change every two days at 11:00 GMT: February 8th, 10th, 12th, 14th, 16th, 18th, 20th and 22nd.

Rewards are given when you complete a specific number of stages

• For 1 Stage: trophy with a random reward
  
• For 2 Stages: one of the decal rewards
  
• For 3 Stages: a silver chest “Snake Box”
  
• For 4 Stages: one of the decal rewards
  
• For 5 Stages: trophy with a random reward
  
• For 6 Stages: “Emblem of the 336th squadron” decal
  
• For 7 Stages: a silver chest “Snake Box”
  
• For 8 Stages: a non-tradable coupon for the F-5A(G)
  
• For 9 Stages: unique camouflage and four random modifications for the F-5A(G)
  

Discounts on purchasing stages using Golden Eagles
Unfinished stages can be purchased for Golden Eagles, but if you’re significantly close to completing a stage, its price will now be significantly reduced.

Let’s say you have earned 85% of the required mission points to complete a stage, then the price of purchasing this stage will be halved. If you’re near the finish line for a stage and are at 95% progress, then the price will be reduced by five times. For example, if you’ve scored 39,000 mission points, then the price for unlocking this stage will be 499 Golden Eagles. If you’ve scored 43,000 mission points, then you’ll only need to pay 199 Golden Eagles. Remember to keep this in mind if you cannot complete a stage on time!

The Upgrade for coupon
When you complete 8 stages, you’ll receive a non-tradable coupon for the F-5A(G) where using it will immediately activate the vehicle onto your account. If you don’t want the vehicle and would like to sell the coupon on the Market, you’ll need the “Upgrade for coupon” item.

The “Upgrade for coupon” item can be earned in parallel with the stages throughout the event from February 6th (11:00 GMT ) until February 24th (11:00 GMT) for 750,000 mission points.

After receiving the “Upgrade for coupon” item, you can convert a non-tradable coupon for the vehicle into a tradable one and sell it on the Market. The tradable coupon can be sold after 5 days from the moment it’s created.

The “Upgrade for coupon” item is valid until February 27th (11:00 GMT). Until this time, you can use it or exchange it for War Bonds. Afterwards, it’ll disappear from your inventory.

To make a tradable coupon, select the “Coupon F-5A(G) (Sweden)” in your inventory and click the “Modify” button.

You can track the progress of completing stages and receiving the “Upgrade for coupon” by clicking on your Nickname > Achievements > Freedom Fighter. If you don’t manage to complete a stage on time or would like to purchase a stage, until February 27th from the Achievements window, you can purchase each stage with Golden Eagles which will give you the corresponding rewards.

2024 was an incredible year — we held several major Esports events that were high-intensity, with many teams taking part and coming out with success, victory and lots of emotion. Now it’s time to find out who will take home the Grand Champion title of 2024!

What better way to do this than to bring together the 8 best teams of the 2024 season and have them battle it out in a unique tournament featuring a variety of new game modes? Will the DODEC Team continue their success story with 3 major wins out of 4? That’s what we’ll find out in Thunder CUP 2025.


All about the Thunder CUP 2025 tournament
This year, we’ve decided to make the teams compete in a variety of formats that are representative of the Esports 2024 season.



Each team will consist of a roster of 8 players.

We’ll start with the first weekend in 4v4 tank format for our tank commanders.

During the second weekend we’ll feature a 4v4 jet format with 4-point maps that include the much sought-after “D” point.

During the last weekend, the final of this event will take place in a format most known and loved by Esports players, the 5v5 mixed format. Teams will clash on the beloved Advance to the Rhine map, which has been reworked to make gameplay truly epic!



Check out the Qualifier Team Packs & Bundle!
To purchase, go to the Gaijin Store through the hangar > Shop > Online Store.

From January 31st until February 28th, these packs dedicated to the 8 participating teams will be available in the store. Make sure to check them out!

Team DODEC Pack

• Rafale C F3 DODEC Esports Team camouflage
  
• "DODEC Team Fan" title
  
• "DODEC Team" decal
  
• 300 Golden Eagles
  

Team Hide Pack

• Su-27SM Hide Esports Team camouflage
  
• "Hide Team Fan" title
  
• "Hide Team" decal
  
• 300 Golden Eagles
  

Team Restart Pack

• Leclerc AZUR Restart Esports Team camouflage
  
• "Restart Team Fan" title
  
• "Restart Team" decal
  
• 300 Golden Eagles
  

Team RAWR Pack

• F-15E RAWR Esports Team camouflage
  
• "RAWR Team Fan" title
  
• "RAWR Team" decal
  
• 300 Golden Eagles
  

Team BIH Pack

• ◄EF-2000 BIH Esports Team camouflage
  
• "BIH Team Fan" title
  
• "BIH Team" decal
  
• 300 Golden Eagles
  

Team AVReS Pack

• F-2000A AVReS Esports Team camouflage
  
• "AVReS Team Fan" title
  
• "AVReS Team" decal
  
• 300 Golden Eagles
  

Team Leet Pack

• Typhoon FGR.4 Leet Esports Team camouflage
  
• "Leet Team Fan" title
  
• "Leet Team" decal
  
• 300 Golden Eagles
  

Team LetsGo Pack

• TKX LetsGo Esports Team camouflage
  
• "LetsGo Team Fan" title
  
• "LetsGo Team" decal
  
• 300 Golden Eagles
  

About the teams

Team DODEC
Clearly the favorite team of the tournament, will they succeed in continuing their legendary rise and end up as the team that imposed their supremacy in 2024?
Team Hide
Will the team that won the last Air Superiority tournament, shaking their opponents in the air, be able to do the same on the ground?
Team Restart
Cocoricoo! The only full French-speaking team in the event, with ever-increasing results, this group of friends is aiming for greatness in this one!
Team RAWR
A team accustomed to podium finishes and a complete, varied team that has every chance of making history!
Team BIH
Finishing at the top level of all the air tournaments this year, this international team is made up of exceptional pilots who never give up. They’ve been training hard for Thunder CUP 2025!
Team AVReS
With a roster made up of mainly the MRCLS Esports team, this season AVReS spiced up the competition with their unique style of play.
Team Leet
One of today’s oldest Esports teams. Equipped with a new roster, Team Leet is back with vengeance and is ready to take on the world! Their goal? Victory!
Team LetsGo
They impressed everyone in the Armored Apex Major tournament and did well in the Air Superiority Major tournament, let’s see what they’ve prepared for in Thunder CUP 2025.


Team pack bundle at -20%

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
  

Match & Livestream Dates with Twitch Drops!
There will be a total of 9 days of events broadcast on multi-language Esports channels! Watch the tournament and claim your Twitch Drops on the official English, German, French and Russian and our new Polish War Thunder Esports channels!

FOLLOW ON TWITCH



Watch Thunder CUP 2025 and receive through Twitch Drops:

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

“Thunder CUP” avatar frame
“Team mountain” decal
“Unexploded Bomb” decoration









“Tale of Fenrir” camouflage for the Rafale C F3
“Night Sword” camouflage for the PzH 2000
“Nocturne” camouflage for the Yak-3U



First weekend — January 31st from 17:00 GMT and February 1st-2nd from 15:00 GMT

• 1 day of Premium
  
• 50% Silver Lion Booster
  
• 50% Research Point Booster
  
• “Thunder CUP” avatar frame
  
• Snake Box
  
• “Night Sword” camouflage for the PzH 2000
  

Second weekend — February 7th from 17:00 GMT and February 8th-9th from 15:00 GMT

• 1 day of Premium
  
• 50% Silver Lion Booster
  
• 50% Research Point Booster
  
• “Team mountain” decal
  
• Snake Box
  
• “Tale of Fenrir” camouflage for the Rafale C F3
  

Third weekend — February 14th from 17:00 GMT and February 15th-16th from 15:00 GMT

• 1 day of Premium
  
• 50% Silver Lion Booster
  
• 50% Research Point Booster
  
• “Unexploded Bomb” decoration
  
  
  
  
• Snake Box
  
• “Nocturne” camouflage for the Yak-3U
  

War Thunder Esports Discord Giveaway!
To keep up with all the happenings in the world of Esports in War Thunder, join our community on Discord! Starting today, we’ll be giving away premium bundles there:

• RDF/LT Pack
  
• AH-64D (Netherlands) Pack
  
• BMD-4M Pack
  
• PzH 2000 Pack
  
• Mirage F1C-200 Pack
  

In this month’s Pages of History, you’ll be at the center of events that took place in different theaters of war. The Philippines and Burma, the Strait of Dover and the Ruhr River: take part in battles with the vehicles corresponding to these historic battles and receive prizes. 

From February 1st until February 28th, you’ll be offered 8 tasks consecutively. Completing each will reward you with a trophy, and completing all of them will earn you a unique player icon!

Douglas MacArthur
Douglas MacArthur is among the most renowned American military generals. During World War I, he achieved the rank of Brigadier General, and in 1925 at just 44 years old, he became the youngest major general in the U.S. Army before serving as Army Chief of Staff. In World War II, MacArthur commanded U.S. Army Forces in the Far East, leading successful counteroffensives in Papua, New Guinea, and the Philippines. He later accepted Japan’s surrender and was appointed Supreme Commander of the Allied Powers.

You can immediately purchase this profile icon for Golden Eagles until March 3rd, 11:30 GMT without completing tasks. To find it, go to your Nickname → Achievements → Pages of History.

Trophy reward for each task

Completing each individual task will give you a trophy with one of the following rewards:

• 20-50% RP booster for 3-10 battles;
  
• 20-50% SL booster for 3-10 battles;
  
• 3-5 universal backups;
  
• Premium account for 1 day;
  
• A random camouflage for ground vehicles (out of the selection of camouflages currently obtainable in game for completing tasks, or purchasing with Golden Eagles).
  

Other terms

• Tasks are available from 11:00 GMT until 11:30 GMT on the final day of each task.
  
• Tasks can be completed in random battles except for “Assault” mode.
  

February 1st — February 4th
Battle of Manila
On February 3rd 1945, the largest urban battle of the Pacific theater began. U.S. troops led by General MacArthur began storming the capital of the Philippines. Within a month, the “Asian Stalingrad” was reduced to ruins, and the entire Japanese garrison in Manila was destroyed.

February 4th — February 7th
Battle of the Admin Box
In 1942, the Japanese army was able to occupy almost all of Burma, often bypassing British troops along routes that were considered impassable. The same thing happened to the 7th Division of the Indian Army on February 5th 1944. Surrounded by Japanese troops, they decided not to retreat but instead fortify their administrative area. For two and a half weeks, the defenders of the “Admin Box” managed to hold off the enemy advance, largely thanks to tanks that the Japanese had no means to counter. Both sides suffered heavy losses, but due to a shortage of food and ammunition, Japanese forces were forced to retreat.

February 8th — February 11th
Lam Son 719
On February 8th 1971, South Vietnamese forces, backed by the United States, invaded Laos to cut off supplies and troops from North Vietnam along the Ho Chi Minh Trail through Laos. The operation was named after the village of Lam Son, the birthplace of Vietnamese national hero Le Loi. The South Vietnamese army was unprepared for the large-scale operation. After suffering heavy losses, it withdrew from Laos in late March and the Ho Chi Minh Trail was reopened shortly after.

February 11th — February 14th
Operation Cerberus
The operation to redeploy battleships Scharnhorst and Gneisenau and heavy cruiser Prinz Eugen from Brest in western France to German ports was successfully carried out from February 11th to February 13th 1942. The operation took place without preparation to ensure Great Britain could not learn of the plans and bomb the ships before they sailed. The German fleet made a daring dash across the Strait of Dover and successfully fought off attacks from the Royal Air Force, inflicting significant losses.

February 15th — February 18th
Narva offensive
Narva, an Estonian city on the border with Russia, was of great strategic importance. By taking it, Soviet troops could advance to Tallinn and drive the Wehrmacht out of Estonia, freeing the Baltic Fleet and opening the possibility of an attack on Finland from the sea. Stalin ordered that Narva be taken by February 17th 1944 at all costs, but the offensive faltered and Germany continued to hold the city for another six months.

February 19th — February 22nd
Battle of Kasserine Pass
On February 19th 1943, American troops first engaged Axis forces in Tunisia. Due to their relative inexperience, they suffered a crushing defeat. Despite their numerical superiority, they retreated 80 km and lost about 10,000 soldiers and a thousand vehicles. As a result, the Battle of Tunisia dragged on for several more months.

February 22nd — February 25th
Operation Grenade
The Allied crossing of the Ruhr began on February 23rd 1945. A week earlier, as the Allies approached, the Germans had opened the floodgates on the dams upstream to hinder their advance. After crossing the Ruhr, the Allies routed the inferior Wehrmacht forces, capturing some 30,000 prisoners.

February 25th — February 28th
Battle of Norfolk
During the Gulf War, U.S. forces named a major Iraqi supply depot in the south of the country “Norfolk”. Nearby on February 27th 1991, the largest tank battle of the war — and the second largest in American history after the Battle of the Bulge — took place. U.S. and British forces destroyed more than a thousand Iraqi vehicles while suffering minimal losses. A ceasefire was agreed upon the following day.

January 29th marks the Lunar New Year, and we at War Thunder have traditionally prepared a ton of activities and discounts for you to celebrate it properly!

Earn the “Red envelope” decal!
Get this Year of the Snake related decal!


“Red envelope” decal

When: From today until February 5th (12:00 GMT).
Task: Play 3 battles using Chinese vehicles to receive the “Red envelope” decal!

Additional details:

• You must use a minimum of rank III.
  
• Your activity must not be below 70%.
  
• You can complete the task in random battles, except for Enduring Confrontation missions, mode and Helicopter PVE battles.
  
• Track your progress in the hangar by clicking Nickname → Achievements → Holidays → Lunar New Year.
  
• You can find the decal in the “Holidays” tab in the Customisation menu.
  

The ZTZ96A (P) and A-5C are back for good for Golden Eagles!
These two vehicles are back on sale and will not be going away. Each cost 9,270 Golden Eagles.

When: From January 29 (12:00 GMT).
Where: China > Aviation / Army > Premium vehicles.

About these vehicles

• The ZTZ96A (P) is an MBT that features a unique turret armor layout and the JD-3 optical-electronic suppression system. This tank can fire 125mm HEAT-FS, or a heavy hitting APFSDS shell with over 450 mm of armor penetration. Additionally, the ZTZ99A (P) can find enemies with a thermal imager, and fire these rounds accurately with its laser rangefinder, making it a strong tank at rank VII!
  
  
  
• The A-5C is a rank VI export variant of the Q-5, created at the request of the Pakistan Air Force. This attack aircraft features two 23 mm cannons, countermeasures and powerful Matra Magic air-to-air missiles. For ground targets, it features large high-explosive rockets as well as bombs, which can be aimed accurately with the ballistic computer.
  

The Type 69-IIa and Т-62 №545 are temporarily available for Golden Eagles!
These two tanks are temporarily available for 8,380 and 8,730 Golden Eagles respectively.

When: From January 29th (12:00 GMT) until February 5th (11:00 GMT).
Where: China > Army > Premium vehicles.

About these tanks

• The Type 69-IIa is an export variant of the Type 69, created for the Iraqi Army. This tank is better protected and equipped with a laser rangefinder and smoke grenades. Thanks to its 100 mm rifled gun found on the Type 59, the Type 69-IIA is great in the sniper role at rank V!
  
  
  
• The Т-62 №545 is a Soviet tank that was captured by the Chinese Army. It has everything needed for a good MBT — mobility, a two-plane stabilizer that allows you to maintain accuracy, good frontal armor and powerful shells. This tank can be found at rank VI in the Chinese ground forces tree.
  

Gaijin.net Store discounts in honor of the Lunar New Year!

When: From January 29th (11:00 GMT) until February 5th (11:00 GMT).

Special bundles and starter packs are temporarily available at a discount for the Lunar New Year!

• USA Starter Pack -50%
  
• Chinese Starter Pack -50%
  
• USSR Starter Pack -50%
  
• Swedish Starter Pack -50%
  
• Japanese Starter Pack -50%
  
• Italian Starter Pack -50%
  
• French Starter Pack -50%
  
• German Beginner’s Pack -50%
  
• British Starter Pack -50%
  

To purchase, go to the Gaijin Store through the hangar > Shop > Online Store.

“Snake Charmer” Bundle -50%

Price: 125 62.49

• A-5C Pack
  
• Type 96A Prototype Pack
  
• Unique title: “Snake Charmer”
  
• Unique decal: “Beauty rat snake”
  
  

“Serpent Rising” Bundle -50%

Price: 140 69.99

• Al-Khalid Pack
  
• J-7D Pack
  
• Unique title: “Serpent Rising”
  
• Unique decal: “Horned pit viper”
  
  

Players on all platforms who already own the A-5C and ZTZ96A (P) can earn the “Snake Charmer” title and the “Beauty rat snake” decal by playing 3 battles with either vehicle before February 5th.

Players on all platforms who already own the Al-Khalid and J-7D can earn the “Serpent Rising” title and the “Horned pit viper” decal by playing 3 battles with either vehicle before February 5th.

Note! This offer is valid for PC, Mac and Linux users only. PlayStation and Xbox users will be able to purchase the “Snake Charmer” Bundle and the “Serpent Rising” Bundle in their respective stores.

Participate in the ongoing Enter the Serpent event!

When: From January 17th (11:00 GMT) until February 4th (11:00 GMT).

This event is dedicated to the Lunar New Year where you can get fantastic snake decals and the awesome British FV4030/3 Shir 2 tank!

Check out the details of this event here


The Snake Box

When: From January 29th (11:00 GMT) until February 28th (11:00 GMT).

You can purchase the Snake Box from the in-game Item Shop for 60,000 Silver Lions. This box contains vehicles and items from past events and doesn’t need a key to be opened!

Check out the Snake Box details here