War Thunder

2013Gaijin EntertainmentXbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4, Linux, PC (Microsoft Windows), PlayStation 5, Mac, Xbox One

War Thunder is a free-to-play vehicular combat MMO featuring aircraft, ground vehicles, and naval craft spanning from the early 20th century to the modern era. Players progress through technology trees across multiple nations, unlocking increasingly advanced military vehicles. The game offers three realism tiers for each vehicle type: arcade, realistic, and simulator modes. Originally developed as a flight simulator under the name "World of Planes," the game expanded to include tanks in 2014 and naval forces later, becoming a combined-arms experience. A mobile version was released in 2023.

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What it's about

Armed forces, warfare, and military vehicles from the early 20th century to modern era frame the entire setting and narrative. The game is grounded in real historical military vehicles, nations, and combat scenarios spanning major 20th–21st century conflicts. While grounded in historical vehicles, fictional matchmaking and nation pairings occasionally create counterfactual scenarios.

Military & War85%

Historical75%

Alternate History25%

How it plays

Piloting and controlling aircraft, tanks, and naval vessels is the canonical core of the entire game experience. Aiming and firing weapons (aircraft guns, tank cannons, naval artillery) with tactical feedback is central to combat across all three vehicle types. Aircraft and guided weapons feature targeting systems and lock-on mechanics that manage combat spacing and focus.

Vehicular Control95%

Gunplay85%

Lock-On Targeting55%

Class System50%

Grid Tactics Combat50%

Loadout Customization48%

How it looks and sounds

The game aims for high-fidelity rendering of historical military vehicles and authentic battle environments. While first-person cockpit view exists, the default arcade and realistic modes use third-person camera perspectives on vehicles.

Photorealistic50%

Third-Person45%

How it's structured

War Thunder is explicitly described as an MMO with hundreds of players in shared persistent battles across multiple game modes and nations. Players progress by unlocking increasingly advanced military vehicles through a research tree across multiple nations. Major battles pit players directly against each other in team-based vehicular combat as the core gameplay loop.

MMO95%

Tech Tree80%

Competitive PvP75%

Long-Haul Scope65%

Team-Based65%

Persistent World60%

Meta-Progression55%

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