War Thunder News & Announcements
What a week! April 29th is Showa Day, May 3rd is Constitution Day, May 4th is Greenery Day, and May 5th is Children’s Day. We’ve created a decal for this festive week every year, and now’s your chance to get some you might have missed through the Golden Week decal trophy!Open the “Golden Week” trophy! 
When: From April 29th (11:00 GMT) until May 6th (11:00 GMT).Task: Earn 3,000 mission points in battles where you used Japanese vehicles at rank III or higher to receive the “Golden Week” trophy!
Inside this trophy, you’ll receive one of three decals that were previously available for this event so you can complete your collection:“Golden Week 2024” decal“Koi” decal“Tokyo Tower” decalThese decals are located in the “Holiday” vehicle appearance section.If you already have all three decals, you’ll receive a trophy containing one of the following items:
  • 20-50% Research Point booster for 3-10 battles
  • 20-50% Silver Lion booster for 3-10 battles
  • 3-5 universal backups
  • 1 day of Premium account
 
Please note: After finishing the task, you need to collect the reward manually.
Additional details:
  • You can complete the task in random battles, except for \ mode.
  • Track your progress in the hangar by clicking Nickname → Achievements → Holidays → Golden Week.
Hello everyone! War Thunder Infantry Closed Beta Testing is in full swing, and today we’d like to share some information relating to the second phase of testing. We’ll be covering the new features and improvements awaiting testers in the near future, and reveal some plans for the future of the closed beta. Let’s get started!The goal is stabilityDuring the second phase of testing back in March, we encountered some technical limitations that prevented us from maintaining the 64v64 mode for an extended period without the use of bots. To address this issue, we optimized the server code and network interactions. Our primary goal of the next phase of the closed beta test will be testing the effectiveness of these improvements under real-world game loads.The network infrastructure is holding up well in the 20v20 small-sided mode with single-point control. This mode will be the first for the upcoming closed beta tests to ensure there are no regressions or errors related to the latest changes. After the small-sided mode is successfully confirmed to be operational, a switch to the 64v64 format is planned. During this phase, the server load will gradually increase, with a consistent increase in the number of participants, reaching a maximum of 128 players per session. This increase will continue as long as the servers demonstrate stable operation without critical failures.Europe and the Middle EastThe upcoming testing stage will feature two infantry battle locations, which are Granitograd and Al-Massa in Realistic. These locations have been updated and refined based on the results of previous testing sessions, with improvements affecting both gameplay and navigation.Better shootingWeapons are the foundation and most important aspect in infantry. We’ve made minor but significant improvements to the weapon control system for player comfort: by popular demand, we’ve reworked weapon inertia when turning and deflecting, and adjusted the accuracy of some weapons. For those who weren’t aware, as of the second testing phase, mouse sensitivity has been made separately available for infantry combat, allowing each player to tailor their controls to their individual preferences.We’ve also done a pass on rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs) and man-portable air defense systems (MANPADS). They’ve had their visual effects, sound effects, animations improved and minor bugs fixed. These changes aim to create a more responsive and predictable gameplay experience when using these weapons.Vehicles in combatSome changes have also been made to the UAV. The flying wing drone now carries a mine rather than a shaped-charge projectile and is more focused on anti-infantry missions, expanding the tactical arsenal of players using unmanned systems.While we’re on the subject of small vehicles, let’s also talk about the larger ones. We’re ready to test new pre-made combat vehicle lineups. The M1A2 SEP V2 and T-90M tanks are rolling out onto the streets, AH-64A Apache and Mi-28N attack helicopters are providing fire support from the air, and their flight is hampered by LAV-AD and 2S6 Tunguska anti-aircraft missile-gun systems, whose guns pose a mortal danger to infantry as well.Do you hear that?We’ve also worked to improve the combat soundscape. We’ve created a mechanism to control the playback of enemy and allied footstep sounds, ensuring they are audible to the player when within earshot. A similar mechanism controls the playback of ground vehicle and aircraft engine sounds.An important change has also been made to drone controls. Players will now be able to hear what’s happening around their soldier while controlling a drone, not the drone itself. Enemies will have a harder time catching the drone operator off guard!Smooth and beautiful lookingWe’ve also made improvements to the soldier models. We’ve implemented a new animation controller that enhances the fluidity and realism of character movements when performing various actions in combat.That’s it for now! We’re ready to launch a new closed beta test session for War Thunder infantry. Stay tuned to the news and in-game announcements and remember to apply for the CBT if you haven’t already. See you on the battlefield!Apply for the CBT
Today, we’ve rounded up and will be covering some of the fixes and improvements that we’ve made to the game today and over the past two 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.Secondary Weapons Menu CategorizationSome aircraft have such a vast array of available external ordnance that we’ve decided to categorize it for your convenience thanks to your feedback! Now, in the ordnance selection pop-up window for a specific hardpoint, ordnance is grouped into eleven categories: unguided rockets, unguided bombs, guided bombs, air-to-surface missiles, air-to-air missiles, torpedoes, naval mines, external fuel tanks, countermeasures, external pods, and cannons and machine guns.Endless Repairing FixIf a vehicle lacking the “Improved Parts” modification began repairing next to a vehicle that did have this modification, there was a chance the first vehicle would become stuck between repairing and requesting repair assistance. This was due to a bug where the button for requesting or canceling a repair assistance request didn’t need to be held down. Releasing it too early could cause the vehicle to become stuck between repair states and become immobile. This bug has been fixed.Thermal Imaging In Aircraft FixAfter the release of the Ninth Wave major update, switching to the targeting system view on aircraft began to activate the thermal sight every time, which frustrated players who didn’t need it. We’ve actioned your reports and adjusted this mechanic. The thermal sight now automatically activates the first time you switch to optics, and if you turn it off, it won’t bother you again for the rest of the match.Tank Sight Illumination FixBy default, the tank sight turning red is activated when viewing through a thermal imager or night vision device. However, due to a bug, changing or resetting a tank sight would permanently disable the sight illumination for that tank, and attempts to restore it would be unsuccessful. The bug has been fixed! The illumination should now be active when needed in any mode.Vehicle Stat Cards Are Now More ConvenientWe’re constantly working to improve the user experience of the game, eliminating rough edges and bugs and adding new features. For example, the vehicle (or weapon in infantry battles) pop-up stat cards could overlap the crew panel, preventing you from selecting another vehicle or weapon, which we’ve fixed. The vehicle pop-up window can now be closed by clicking on it. Finally, we discovered that in some cases the vehicle image wasn’t showing up in the vehicle stat card. This was due to a bug, which we’ve now corrected as well.That’s not allCheck out the full list of fixes and improvements in the update notes below! Here’s some more: based on your feedback, a numerical display of the remaining experience until achieving the “Ace” qualification has been added to the crew training screen, switching to inertial guidance for missiles with an ARH homing head no longer interferes with the display of their emissions on the RWR, and the ability to filter researched and purchased vehicles has been added to the filter menu in the Squadron vehicle window.Previous Updates:Today's Update 2.55.1.87Aircraft
  • A bug that caused thermals to activate each time the player switched to the targeting optics view has been fixed. Now the thermals only activate the first time the player switches to the targeting optics view and does not reactivate if the player turns them off. (Report).
  • A bug that prevented the RWR from displaying irradiation from missiles with an ARH seeker when they switched to inertial guidance has been fixed. (Report).
  • A bug where the spawn point cost for aircraft without the ability to select belts and without anti-ground ordnance equipped could increase after respawning with another “air defense aircraft” and would not match the value in the interface has been fixed. Aircraft without the ability to change payloads are now correctly categorized based on their payloads. (Report).
  • F-16CM PoBIT — a map page has been added to the MFD. (Report).
  • G-Lynx, Lynx AH.Mk. 1 — a bug where it was still possible to fire countermeasures when the skids were torn off has been fixed. (Report).
  • B-66B — a bug where the ability to fire from the rear turret was retained even after the tail was torn off has been fixed. (Report).
  • Fw 190 F-8 (Italy) — a bug where information about the 30 mm Mk 103 cannons was missing from the X-ray view has been fixed.
  • F-15C (all variants) — a bug where it was possible to use only one drop tank under the left wing has been fixed. (Report).
  • F-15I Ra’am — a bug where installing air-to-air missiles on conformal fuel tanks prevented them from being filled with fuel has been fixed. (Report).
  • F-15E, F-15I Ra’am — the ability to combine air-to-air missiles with other ammunition on conformal fuel tanks has been added. (Report, Report).
  • F/A-18E Block 2 — a bug where the 1000 lb GBU-32 JDAM bombs had different icons on different hardpoints has been fixed.
 Ground Vehicles
  • A bug where the point of fragment formation could sometimes be shifted away from the penetration point if the target was moving at the moment of penetration has been fixed. (Report).
  • A bug where the sight illumination stopped working after changing or resetting a tank sight has been fixed. (Report).
  • A bug where ground vehicles without the Improved Parts modification could become stuck in the repair assistance request state has been fixed.
  • A bug where the “Next Shell Type” action would not allow you to select a shell type if the last used belt or magazine of that shell type was completely empty has been fixed. (Report).
  • Pantsir SM-SV — a bug that caused missile launch containers to flicker when switching between different missile types has been fixed.
 Interface
  • When creating custom weapon loadouts, the selection pop-up for individual hardpoints now groups available ammunition into clear categories (e.g., bombs, rockets, missiles), making it easier to find what you need.
  • The ability to filter researched and purchased vehicles has been added to the filter menu in the Squadron vehicle window.
  • A numerical display of the remaining experience until achieving the “Ace” qualification has been added to the crew training screen. (Report).
  • A bug where the crew training screen would not show the progress of accumulated experience for the Ace qualification if the crew level was insufficient to purchase the qualification has been fixed.
  • The vehicle pop-up stat card no longer overlaps the crew panel to avoid interfering with vehicle selection in the hangar and in battle.
  • The ability to close a vehicle stat card by clicking on it has been added.
  • A bug that sometimes prevented a vehicle’s image from being displayed on the vehicle stat card has been fixed.
  • The icon for the button that pins the visual weapon selector window has been replaced.
  • A bug where the event log icon was highlighted even when there were no new notifications has been fixed. (Report).
  • A bug where the first squad invite notification was not displayed in chat has been fixed.
  • A bug where the characteristics for Arcade difficulty were always shown in vehicle stat cards in “Ground Strike” missions in Custom Battles, regardless of the difficulty selected in the room settings has been fixed. (Report).
  • A bug that caused Xbox controller buttons to appear in the control settings instead of joystick button names has been fixed. (Report, Report).
  • A bug that prevented returning to the Squadron vehicle research point distribution window after opening multiple Secondary weapon windows for the featured Squadron vehicles has been fixed.
  • A bug where the button for viewing the replay from another player’s perspective could become inactive in server replays has been fixed.
  • A bug where a player’s squad panel might display a nation different from the one they are using in battle has been fixed.
  • A bug where the “To Hangar” button would not appear in the spawn window if the player did not have enough Silver Lions to respawn in a vehicle has been fixed.
  • A bug where navigation between profile tabs with the right stick on a controller would stop working after closing the player icon selection window has been fixed.
  • A bug where the crew selection in all countries except the current one was reset after a battle, and the first crew in the list was selected has been fixed.
  • A bug which could in rare cases cause a the order of the current vehicle preset to be reset, and other vehicle presets to be overwritten with the current preset has been fixed.
  • In the Custom Missions window, the link to custom missions on the portal now opens in an external browser so that the selected missions can be downloaded.
  • A bug where the default control settings for Push-to-Talk on consoles were assigning a keyboard button has been fixed.
 Locations and Missions
  • A bug where artillery markers in the “Assault. Air Arcade” mode were only displayed close to the target has been fixed. (Report).
 Graphics
  • Ghosting from objects moving in front of water has been significantly reduced.
 Other
  • A bug where the “Leave wrecks of destroyed vehicles” setting in Custom Battles did not affect the wrecks of the auxiliary vehicles of Multi-Vehicle SAM Systems has been fixed.
Battle Ratings Ground Vehicles
  • A bug where switching from a UAV back to a tank would disable cruise control has been fixed. (Report).
 Interface
  • A bug that caused an extra cell element to display in the skill progress bars in the crew training window when on 67% interface scale 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 221st War Thunder Steam Screenshot Competition!

We loved getting to see all of your captures from last week! We’ve had quite a few themes in a row, so this week your submission only has to include a vehicle that you enjoy playing, whether that is a plane, tank, or ship. The three most popular and three selected by us will get 300 GE. See the winners down below!

Let’s begin the 221st edition of our competition!

Create a stunning screenshot and submit it on the War Thunder Steam Community Hub with the tag #WTscreen221. You have time until the 1st of May 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.

How to Participate!

Terms:

  • Your screenshot can feature any vehicle that you enjoy playing.
  • You must add the #WTscreen221 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 220th edition – Silent Approach!

Winners selected via community votes:
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3705589446
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3709057120
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3710074026

Winners selected by our judges:
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3713001486
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3709516667
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3711173495

Each winner will get 300GE! Congratulations and see you next week!
We keep fighting cheaters using your reports and the BattlEye anti-cheat system, and as usual, today we’re sharing a bit of info on bans that we’ve distributed over the past month. If you’d like to help keep War Thunder free from cheating, you can find out how to file a report and how our anti-cheat system works on our Wiki.Banned accountsSince our last fair play update, we have banned 5,320 accounts that were found to have violated the rules, specifically paragraph 3.2.3 of the EULA, namely the automation of gameplay (use of bots) and cheat software.Additionally, 210 temporary bans (up to four months) and 19 permanent bans were issued for breaching paragraph 3.2.4 of the EULA. These violations involved collusion with the opposing team to facilitate repetitive zone capturing and/or benefiting from mutual damage without the intent to engage in combat. These cases were identified in Tank Simulator Battles (in some instances involving the use of multiple accounts) and among Xbox accounts with cross-platform play disabled.Furthermore, 287 accounts have been banned for a week or longer for intentional teamkilling and griefing, including 32 permanent bans.We have also issued 18 bans (16 permanent) for abuse of the referral system, including creating and progressing multiple referral accounts through automation, staging sessions to gain unfair advantages, and/or sharing accounts with players involved in such activities. In addition, 33,749 accounts involved in referral system fraud have been permanently banned, the majority of which were preemptively identified.Finally, a total of 1,405,060,000 Silver Lions has been deducted from 950 accounts as a result of fraudulent referral activity.For complete transparency, we will publish the full list of permanently banned players. This list will be available for two weeks following the publication of this article.RecommendationsWe recommend that you set a strong password for your account and enable two-step authentication in your profile security settings. We have the following 2FA options available: email, SMS, TOTP (Gaijin Pass/Google Authenticator).We’d also suggest that you turn on 2FA for the email that is linked to your Gaijin account for additional security, as this will protect your account from fraudsters. And remember, don’t use prohibited client modifications and never share your account information with anyone.The War Thunder Team
Every year on April 25th, Italy celebrates Liberation Day in memory of the 1945 uprising that led to German forces leaving the country, the collapse of the fascist regime of the Republic of Salò, and the end of the civil war that had been raging since 1943. Let’s join in the congratulations and sing Bella Ciao! Open the “Italian Liberation Day” trophy! 
When: From April 24th (11:00 GMT) until April 27th (11:00 GMT)Task: Earn 3,000 mission points in battles where you used Italian vehicles at rank III or higher to receive the “Italian Liberation Day” trophy!
Inside this trophy, you’ll receive one of three decals that were previously available for this event so you can complete your collection:"W L'Italia libera" decal“Italy liberation day 2024” decal“Italy Liberation Day 2025” decalThese decals are located in the “Holiday” vehicle appearance section. If you already have all three decals, you’ll receive a trophy and get one of the following items when opening it:
  • 20-50% Research Point booster for 3-10 battles
  • 20-50% Silver Lion booster for 3-10 battles
  • 3-5 universal backups
  • 1 day of Premium account
 
Please note: After finishing the task, you need to collect the reward manually.
Additional details:
  • You can complete the task in random battles, except for \ mode.
  • Track your progress in the hangar by clicking Nickname → Achievements → Holidays → Italian Liberation Day.
Aircraft
  • PL-12, PL-12A, SD-10A — missile autopilot parameters have been adjusted, the missiles are now more stable on the trajectory.
  • PL-12A — missile mass has been increased from 198 to 214 kg, thrust and engine burn time has been increased. (Report).
  • SD-10A — the maximum missile speed in the stat card has been increased from 4.0 M to 5.0 M. (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.
Happy St. George’s Day!April 23rd marks St. George’s Day, a big day in English culture, celebrating patron saint St George. This day is celebrated with street food, music, dances and activities in Trafalgar Square in London and all across the country.England’s flag decal is temporarily available to purchase for Golden Eagles! 
This flag is available for 500 Golden Eagles over the next three days.When: From April 23rd (10:00 GMT) until April 27th (10:00 GMT).Where: You can find this decal by going to Nickname → Decals → Common → World Flags.
“England” flag decal
Aircraft
  • A bug that prevented threat names from being displayed on RWR indicators that identify radars while playing on the minimal client has been fixed. (Report).
  • MiG-25PD — a bug that caused the aircraft to constantly roll to the right has been fixed. (Report).
  • Z.1007 bis serie 3, Z.1007 bis serie 5 — a bug that caused the torn off wings to incorrectly impact the flight model has been fixed. (Report).
  • A bug that caused the cockpit view switch button on the aircraft with the gunner 3rd person view to first switch to the gunner view instead of the cockpit view has been fixed. (Report).
  • F-4J Phantom II, F-4S Phantom II, Phantom FGR.2, Phantom FG.1, F-4J(UK) Phantom II — a bug that caused the AN/APG-59/60/61 radars to lack the ground clutter on the radar indicator in the SRC PDV mode has been fixed.
 Locations and Missions
  • \ Kamchatka — a bug that caused the bombers spawn point of the northern team to be shifted a lot to the north-east has been fixed.
Interface
  • A bug that caused the overlapping threats on the RWR indicator to not flash has been fixed.
Graphics
  • A bug that caused water in the distance to be covered in thin stripes has been fixed.
  • A bug that caused the wheels of ground vehicles to not get covered in mud has been fixed. (Report).
 Sound
  • A bug that occurred in the kill camera and caused the engine sound of the ground vehicle that destroyed the player to not play if the vehicle was outside the hearing range has been fixed.
Other
  • The simultaneous activation of two buttons bound to max and min input values in the same axis now results in the input being canceled out. For example, when simultaneously pressing the buttons bound to the left and right roll, the plane now stops rolling, while previously it would have rolled to the right.
  • The vehicles in the crew training window are now outlined, like in the X-ray view.
  • The content needed for the second stage of infantry CBT has been updated or added. You can apply for the CBT here.
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.
Season 23 of the Battle Pass celebrates Greece! Get decals featuring Air Force unit emblems, the Royal Hellenic Navy flag, decorations featuring an ancient Greek sword and helmet, and a profile icon of Steve Pisanos, a Greek pilot who flew Spitfires in the Second World War with the American Volunteer Squadron. The main vehicle reward is a premium Spitfire LF Mk IXc with a clipped wing in the Royal Hellenic Air Force livery, along with the Japanese destroyer Suzutsuki. As always, the Battle Pass offers War Bonds, boosters, Silver Lions, Premium account days, wagers, and much more.The Canadian Ram II tank in the British ground forces tree is now available in the Warbonds shop for the first time. The Warbond shop also offers a trophy with the Occult collection of decals and a new Nekomata decal.
Beginning on: April 22nd (12:00 GMT)Ending on: July 22nd (12:00 GMT)

What is the Battle Pass?
The Battle Pass is an event that lasts for 90 days where players can earn rewards for completing challenges and earning progress points. Rewards range from Silver Lions and boosters to season-exclusive decals, decorations, vehicles and more. Completing the Battle Pass is simple: you earn progress points that unlock levels, earning valuable things along the way!Leveling up the Battle Pass & Challenges Leveling up is simple! Gather progress points to unlock more levels. One level is 10 progress points. Points can be obtained through logging into the game, completing Daily Tasks and completing specific Challenges. New Battle Pass Challenges unlock once a week and another three can be obtained through reaching specific levels.
  • Login to the game! Get 1 to 5 progress points for doing this.
  • Complete Daily Tasks! Get 2 to 5 progress points for each of these.
  • Complete Battle Pass Challenges! Get 30 points for each of these.

Click here for all of the Challenges

Rewards in Season 23Purchasing the Battle Pass for 2,000 Golden Eagles will allow you to access every level. Purchasing the improved version for 2,500 Golden Eagles comes with an extra 150 progress points (15 levels from the get go). Not got enough time to complete the Battle Pass? You can purchase progress points for Golden Eagles 28 days after the season begins.
The Battle Pass can be accessed on the right side of the screen while in the hangar

Click here for all of the Rewards
Check out all of the rewards in the season below.
Decals, Decorations, a Ship flag and a Profile Icon “Emblem of the Hellenic Air Force” decal“335th Squadron Emblem” decal“113th Air Wing Emblem” decal“The Greek Guerilla”  decal “Kopis” decoration“Corinthian Helmet” decoration“Flag of the Royal Hellenic Navy” ship flag“Steve Pisanos”
profile icon 
New vehicles this seasonIJN Suzutsuki (Japan)A Premium Destroyer for Japan at Rank IIIIJN Suzutsuki, a destroyer and the third ship in the Akizuki class, was commissioned into the Imperial Japanese Navy in 1943 and immediately entered combat. The ship suffered serious battle damage several times and participated in several major military operations, including the final voyage of the Yamato, where she suffered a direct hit to the bow by a bomb. Repairs were deemed hopeless for the ship.In the game, IJN Suzutsuki is coming as a premium rank III Destroyer. While somewhat less maneuverable than many of her classmates, she is armed with eight 100 mm main guns, carries powerful 610 mm torpedoes, and boasts a large arsenal of anti-aircraft guns and radars to repel air attacks. Spitfire LF Mk.IXc (CW) (Israel)A Premium Fighter for Israel at Rank IVMeet this premium Spitfire Mk 9 from the Royal Hellenic Air Force, flown by Lieutenant Georgios Smyrniotopoulos. This aircraft boasts the inscription “MYSTRAS”, which is the name of Georgios’ birthplace. The Greek Spitfire LF Mk IXc (CW) is a modification of the legendary British Spitfire with a shortened wing (CW stands for Clipped Wing), which significantly increases the roll rate, while a special engine tuning allows it to reach maximum speeds as early as 15,000 ft! This plane is also excellently armed, with two cannons and four machine guns, plus 250 and 500 lb bombs and a 500 lb AP bomb for use against ships.In the game, the Spitfire LF Mk IXc (CW) comes in as a premium at rank IV in the Israel aircraft research tree. This Spitfire is an easy and enjoyable start to learning Israeli aviation and a wonderful addition to your collection of vehicles for any mode! Battle Trophy with Past VehiclesMissed out on previous Battle Pass vehicles? The Battle Trophy has you covered, featuring four vehicles from past Battle Passes or events. Opening this trophy will give you one vehicle from the list. If you have them all, you’ll instead receive Silver Lions and the special “Golden Battles Wager”, allowing you to earn up to 1,000 Golden Eagles.HMS Gay Archer (Great Britain)Le Triomphant (France)USS Flagstaff (USA)IJN Hayanami (Japan)
Get Silver Lions, Consumables, Premium Account Time and More in the Battle Pass!The Battle Pass doesn’t just feature decals, decorations and vehicles, it also contains a lot of other useful items. This includes a large amount of Silver Lions, Warbonds to spend in the Warbond shop, Orders, Wagers and Backups for use in battles, a Test Drive for one of the new vehicles before you get it, 10 days of Premium Account time, unique camouflages for the two new vehicles and a title and loading screen to remember your accomplishments. Get the next Battle Pass for free with Upgrade Coupons!Two “Upgrade Coupons” are at levels 105 and 125 in the Battle Pass and are both needed to get the next Battle Pass for free. They also make the two new vehicles tradable on the Gaijin Market if you prefer.
To purchase a Battle Pass using the “Upgrade Coupon”, you need to wait until the current season ends and the new season begins. You’ll then be able to exchange two Upgrade Coupons in the Battle Pass purchase window. Upgrade Coupons must be available in your inventory to do this.

The Warbond Shop in Season 23!Check out some of the main Warbond shop items in Season 23! You can view the full list of items available as well as the conditions for receiving them in-game.
The Warbond shop can be accessed by clicking on Shop > Warbond Shop from the hangar or from the Battle Pass window by clicking “Shop”

What is the Warbond Shop?
The Warbond shop is connected with and runs in tandem with the Battle Pass. Items in the Warbond shop can be purchased with a currency called Warbonds that are earned in the Battle Pass. There are a total of 6 shop levels and each one can be unlocked by reaching specific levels in the Battle Pass. In addition to purchasing with Warbonds, each item from shop level 3 requires a certain number of medals to purchase. Medals can be obtained through completing Special Tasks.

VehiclesKM-5 (Germany)IAR-81C (Italy)Grant I (USA)IJN Yubari (Japan)P-47D-27 (USSR)Ram II (Great Britain) — first time in the Warbond shop!More about the new rewards: Ram II (Great Britain) — first time in the Warbond shop!The Canadian Ram II medium tank boasts an unusual armor scheme and the ability to deploy smoke screens. Its 57 mm gun is fairly reliable, fires quickly and is capable of penetrating the armor of many opponents at its rank.DecalsSeason 23 introduces the final Nekomata decal in the Occult series. Getting all decals in the collection will earn you the exclusive Baroness Saturday decal! The remaining decals can be found in a new special trophy available in the Warbond Shop. “Nekomata” decal“Baroness Saturday” decalTrophiesLike decorating your ground vehicles? For fans of decorations, we’re pleased to offer the camouflage trophy this time, and the profile icon trophy features portraits of US tankers!ConsumablesAlongside trophies, vehicles and decals are a bunch of useful consumable items, including boosters, universal backups, wagers & orders, premium vehicle rentals and talismans — all perfect for helping you through the game.Get out there and get yourself some goodies!


Welcome to the 220th War Thunder Steam Screenshot Competition!

Thanks for all of your great submissions last week! For this weeks competition, you can capture any engagements from the battlefield. Your screenshots can capture the action as it begins, or as the battle is in full swing. The three most popular and three selected by us will get 300 GE. See the winners down below!

Let’s begin the 220th edition of our competition!

Create a stunning screenshot and submit it on the War Thunder Steam Community Hub with the tag #WTscreen220. You have time until the 24th of April 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.

How to Participate!

Terms:

  • Your screenshot must capture active combat.
  • You must add the #WTscreen220 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 219th edition – Coordinated Advance!

Winners selected via community votes:
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3704746285
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3704948838
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3706301269

Winners selected by our judges:
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3705107833
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3704370048
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3706049791

Each winner will get 300GE! Congratulations and see you next week!
The Grumman A-6 Intruder first flew on April 19th 1960, and served in the U.S. Navy for over 35 years. It participated in most conflicts of its time, including the Vietnam and Persian Gulf Wars. In 1979, the aircraft received a major upgrade — the TRAM Target Recognition/Attack Multi-sensor system, significantly expanding its arsenal and increasing its accuracy. The A-6E Intruder is temporarily available to purchase at a 30% discount for 6,489 Golden Eagles, and will remain available after the promotion at the regular price! 
When: From April 17th (11:00 GMT) until April 20th (11:00 GMT).Where: USA > Aviation > Premium vehicles. 
  • The A-6E Intruder will return to being available to purchase at full price for 9,270 Golden Eagles after the promotion ends.
 About this aircraft
  • The A-6E TRAM Intruder relies solely on its hardpoints, but the variety is astounding! AIM-9G and AIM-9L air-to-air missiles, Zuni Mk32 Mod 0 ATAP and Mighty Mouse FFAR rockets, AGM-123 Skipper anti-ship guided missiles, incendiary tanks, and guided and assault bombs of all types and calibers, making it suitable for any mission. Choose your weaponry and crush your enemies wherever they may be!
Brazil celebrates Army Day on April 19th, the anniversary of the First Battle of Guararapes, where in 1648 the Portuguese repelled a Dutch force twice their size. The modern Brazilian army has over 200,000 active personnel, with over a million in reserve. The AMX A-1A is temporarily available to purchase at a 30% discount for 6,615 Golden Eagles, and will remain available after the promotion at the regular price! 
When: From April 17th (09:00 GMT) until April 20th (09:00 GMT).Where: Italy > Aviation > Premium vehicles.
  • The AMX A-1A will return to being available to purchase at full price for 9,450 Golden Eagles after the promotion ends.
 About this aircraft
  • The Brazilian version of the Italian AMX International attack aircraft is armed with two 30 mm cannons and can carry a variety of bombs, including incendiary and guided bombs, Skyfire-70 AC/AP rockets, and MAA-1 Piranha air-to-air missiles. With a payload of up to 3,800 kg, enemy tanks will be in for a rough ride!
Ready to become a War Thunder Esports player, with style, precision and flair?Whether you’re a seasoned veteran or a true ace in the skies, the WTCS Season 2026 packs are here to take you to the next level.Step into the arena, forge your identity, and dominate the battlefield like never before.The War Thunder Championship Series: Your rise starts now.Winter Warrior Esports Pack - Season 2026To get to our online Store through Steam, go to the in-game hangar > Shop > Online Store.This pack includes:
  • Unique decal: "Winter Warrior" Snail
  • Unique camouflage: Su-30SM2 "Winter Warrior"
  • Profile frame: "Winter Warrior"
  • Unique title: "Winter Warrior"
  • Profile background: "Winter Warrior"
  • 300 Golden Eagles
7.99A message from the legendary Winter Warrior PilotI’ve flown the Sukhoi Su-30SM2 for far too long… and now I seek a successor.Years. That’s how long it took me to shape this aircraft into something more than a machine. Every detail refined, every adjustment deliberate, until it became a true predator of the skies.I never wanted just another aircraft. It had to be different. Recognizable. And feared. When enemies caught a glimpse of it on the horizon, I wanted doubt to creep in… and fear to follow.That’s why I forged a camouflage in my own image — a mark of identity, a signature of dominance. Now, the time has come to pass it on.So the question is… are you worthy enough to carry its legacy?Esports Veteran Pack - Season 2026To get to our online Store through Steam, go to the in-game hangar > Shop > Online Store.This pack includes:
  • Unique decal: "Battle Veteran" Snail
  • Unique camouflage: Tiger II "Battle Veteran"
  • Profile frame: "Battle Veteran"
  • Unique title: "Battle Veteran"
  • Profile background: "Battle Veteran"
  • 300 Golden Eagles
7.99War Thunder Esports has been around for years, which is now represented with this Esports veteran pack!Since 2015, competitions have forged true legends. And since 2025, with the arrival of the WTCS, a new generation of Esports players has begun to rise.So even if you’re new to the Esports scene, you can represent those who built Esports from the very beginning, and even soon become a veteran yourself!To every player who shaped War Thunder Esports, who pushed its competitive scene to new heights, and who left a lasting mark on its history: we’ll never forget you!Esports Bundle - 2026 SeasonTo get to our online Store through Steam, go to the in-game hangar > Shop > Online Store.This bundle includes:
  • Esports Veteran Pack - Season 2026
  • Winter Warrior Esports Pack - Season 2026
13.58
Note! These packs are also available in the Microsoft Store and Playstation Store.
Esports Discord Screenshot ContestFrom April 20th to April 30th, a screenshot contest will take place on the War Thunder Esports Discord, celebrating the release of these two exclusive packs.
  • The top 5 screenshots, chosen by the community, will each win 1,000 Golden Eagle!
 Create Your Best Clips!The best clip and action moments featuring the Sukhoi Su-30SM2 with its Winter Warrior camouflage, or the Tiger II with its Battle Veteran camouflage, will be rewarded with 5,000 Golden Eagles!To participate, create your most stunning clip, post it on Instagram, and tag War Thunder Esports.Good luck to everyone and may the Snail be with you!We’ll see you soon on the War Thunder Esports streams, and don’t miss it: May 9th marks the start of the second Major Pro League!
Locations and Missions
  • \ Kuban — a bug that caused the airfield of the eastern team to be outside of the playable area has been fixed. (Report).
  • \ Mozdok — a bug that caused the enemies to enter the bridge from its vertical side 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.
Congratulations to Team EnyoProxy on their victory in the Major I!Last weekend saw the finals of the WTCS Challenger League Major I, marking the start of the competition in the Challenger War Thunder Championships Series. In the end, EnyoProxy claimed first place and got off to a strong start in the standings with 130 points.Right behind them, NEXUS secured second place with 101 points, while OlySt completed the podium in third place with 88 points.The first Major has already set the tone for the season, with EnyoProxy taking an early lead and NEXUS and OlySt close behind as the competition begins.Overall Rankings for the WTCS Challenger Major IWho is the MVP?Big congratulations to __Ｎｅｍｅツ from team EnyoProxy for being named MVP of the WTCS Challenger League Major I!With an outstanding performance throughout the tournament, Neme stood out as the most impactful player and rightfully earned the MVP title. A special shoutout as well to _Kumamon__ from team VEX, who secured 2nd place in the MVP votes, and to Aktron from team EnyoProxy, who completed the Top 3 in 3rd place.This first Major already showcased some incredible individual talent, and these three players clearly made their mark on the competition.See you in early May for the WTCS Pro League Major II!Pro League Major II: Tournament Date After each Open Qualifier, four teams will advance to the Playoff stage. For full details about the competitive structure and what to expect this season, make sure to read the War Thunder Championship Series 2026 Plans news, which breaks everything down. 
  • Open Qualifier I: May 9th to 10th 
  • Open Qualifier II: May 16th to 17th 
  • Playoffs: May 23rd to 24th and May 30th to 31st 
 Registration for Open Qualifier I will be live on April 20th.Stay ConnectedMake sure to follow us on our social media channels to stay updated with match schedules, highlights, exclusive content, and future events on X and Instagram. Join the community, support your favorite team, and be part of the action throughout the entire 2026 season!
Meet the export version of the Chinese J-6 fighter for the Pakistan Air Force with new equipment and weapons!F-6C: An Event Vehicle Jet Fighter for China at Rank VIAt a glance:
  • Excellent acceleration and good maneuverability!
  • External fuel tanks
  • Ground attack weaponry and AIM-9P Sidewinder air-to-air missiles
  • No countermeasures
 Vehicle HistoryThe Chinese J-6 fighter (export designation F-6), is a licensed copy of the Soviet MiG-19, and was one of the primary aircraft types of the Pakistan Air Force. Pakistan was the largest foreign customer for this aircraft, purchasing a total of approximately 260 units. A key aspect of cooperation between the countries was the construction of an aircraft repair facility in Kamra near Peshawar with technical assistance from China. At this facility, Pakistani F-6s underwent major overhauls and extensive modernization. During this work, the Soviet ejection seats were replaced with British ones, and the aircraft were adapted to fire American AIM-9 Sidewinder air-to-air missiles. In addition, the fighters were equipped with new Western avionics.The first 12 fighters were delivered in December 1965, and deliveries continued until 1980. The F-6s remained in service for nearly four decades; the last aircraft were decommissioned in 2002.Introducing the F-6C!The star of the Lion of Peshawar air event is the F-6C fighter jet, the Pakistani export version of the Chinese J-6! This aircraft not only retains all the key advantages of the base model but also features drop tanks and new NATO weapons, opening up exciting combat options for pilots. The event started today, so let’s dive into the details of this plane!Like other fighters in the MiG-19 family — the world’s first supersonic production fighter — the new F-6C boasts excellent flight and speed characteristics. The fighter climbs rapidly and reaches supersonic speeds while maintaining good controllability across virtually the entire speed range, except at the very highest speeds. Its speed and maneuverability make it a versatile tool for successful air combat and ground attack missions, especially when combined with the new weapons and equipment the aircraft received during its service with the Pakistan Air Force.The standard armament consists of three 30 mm cannons with a combined ammunition load of 210 rounds, which is decent but still a tad limited. The Pakistani F-6C can be equipped with external fuel tanks, significantly extending its flight time. You can choose between two wing-mounted fuel tanks, each holding 760 liters, as well as a conformal fuselage tank with a capacity of 1,140 liters, which does not interfere with mounting weapons on the underwing hardpoints. For air combat, the F-6C carries a pair of AIM-9P missiles, the export version of the American AIM-9J Sidewinder with a rear-aspect IR seeker. For ground attack missions, the F-6C carries 100 and 250 kg bombs, and S-5KP rockets.At its tier, the F-6C will be a highly competitive all-purpose fighter suitable for any game mode. The only drawbacks of this model are the lack of countermeasures and its tendency to lock up at high speed. The event F-6C will only be available during the Lion of Peshawar event, so don’t miss your chance to collect it!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 Lion of Peshawar event
Today, we’ve rounded up and will be covering some of the fixes and improvements that we’ve made to the game today and over the past two 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.Track all of your fired ordnance!An ordnance tracking camera has been in the game for a long time, but previously was only able to track the last munition that was launched/dropped. While this was fine for unguided weapons in most cases, it’s a different situation with guided weapons, especially those operating on a “fire and forget” principle. Let’s be honest, you’ve often wanted to see what all the missiles fired at different targets were doing! And guess what, now you can! In a recent update, we added icons for fired weapons to the tactical map in Air Battles, as well as the ability to select the weapon you want to track by simply clicking on it on the map and pressing the assigned tracking button. So be sure to double your situational awareness and take advantage of this new feature!Bombs not dropping fixPlayers flying high-ranking aircraft might have occasionally encountered a problem when pressing the bomb release button. It didn’t work! Additionally, some message about the drop point appeared. If you’ve played the game for a long time, you know what the CCRP (Continuously Computed Release Point) is and how to use it, but it may cause confusion for less experienced pilots, especially considering that some aircraft automatically set target points points due to onboard system peculiarities. We’ll explain what this means and what we’ve done to prevent players from finding themselves in this situation. Setting a target point (also known as a point of interest) activates navigational bombing mode. By default, this also activates automatic bomb release. Simply put, when flying over the desired point on the trajectory and holding the bomb release button, the aircraft will automatically release bombs at the appropriate time. Manual bomb release at other targets is unavailable during this time — you must either deactivate the aiming point or disable automatic bomb release with a dedicated keybind. To avoid confusion for players encountering advanced systems for the first time, we’ve added a hint informing them that manual bomb release is not possible and offer to disable the aiming point. New players will no longer encounter this situation, as the setting that regulates automatic bomb release at the start of the mission is now disabled by default. If you don’t use this feature, you can disable its automatic activation in the menu “Settings > Air Battle Settings > Activation of automatic bomb release in CCRP mode at mission start”. Also, don’t forget that you can turn it on and off whenever you like by using the key combination assigned to the “Automatic Bomb Release in CCRP Mode” setting.Players missing in server replays fixThere was a compression error that caused some data to be lost when replays were played back. The position of a player’s vehicle was completely lost, resulting in a message saying “Player’s position is temporarily unknown”, which became increasingly common after the release of the Ninth Wave major update. This error was fixed in Update 2.55.1.39, released on April 7th. All players should be visible in server replays made after that date.That’s not allCheck out the full list of fixes and improvements in the update notes below! For your convenience, marker filters have been added to the tactical map, stat cards of ground vehicles now display the correct armor type, and air defense missiles at airfields no longer run out of missiles.Previous Updates:
Naval Vessels
  • A bug that caused the ship’s rudder to retain its last position when launching a scout plane has been fixed. The rudder now returns to the neutral position.
 Sound
  • Aircraft machine guns LKk/42, Akan m/39, Akan m/39a — the firing sounds have been replaced to more closely match the fire rate of the guns. (Report, Report).
 Other
  • The ability to designate a target for the squad from the weapon tracking camera view has been removed.
  • A bug that caused the progress of some players to be rolled back some time after purchasing modifications has been fixed.
  • Rewards for inviting players to the game can now only be received a maximum of 3 times.
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.