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War Thunder’s ‘World War’ Open Beta Begins Today

Gaijin Entertainment announced that the Open Beta for their highly-anticipated World War mode begins today in War Thunder. This lets players re-enact famous battles in World War II – whether you follow in history’s footsteps, or change the course of history. Battles are divided into ‘Operations’, which are based on real events and combat campaigns. This includes battles such as “Battle of El Alamein” or “Battle of Vitebsk”. Commanders of either side can move air and ground armies on a strategic map, and when those armies meet, battle sessions begin between players. Results of said battles can have significant effects on the outcome of the Operation, as the defeated side retreats and loses vehicles or even full regiments. An Operation can take up to two hours to complete, depending on the decisiveness of its battles.

The only people that can initiate the launch of a new Operation are Squadron Leaders (leaders of War Thunder’s player communities), but everyone can participate. Even if they aren’t in a squadron, they can participate in this event. The list of available vehicles in each Operation is limited by historical context, meaning it is not possible to fly a jet fighter over the skies of El Alamein or ride a Japanese tank to battle at Vitebsk. If a player participating in the Operation has vehicles fitting to the historical context, he will be able to take his specific vehicle including crew and modifications. If a player does not own any of the required vehicles, he or she can still participate by receiving a vehicle in its basic modification. This means that participation is open to both veteran players as well as war history fans that are still new to War Thunder.

Each operation will have a variety of battles with different tasks and vehicles available. The modes can be from assault, defense, convoy attacks, cover missions, and even head-on confrontations with air and ground forces. The link between battles is that map: will commanders send an air unit to assist ground forces? This could make aircraft available for one side in what was a ground-only battle. There is a wide diversity of mission types as well as asymmetry between relative team power and objectives, offering a new experience for players in War Thunder. World War is a season-based event, with the first running until June 10th. The best players will also receive additional rewards for performance.

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