Today, Gajin Entertainment revealed a boatload of information on what is next for its hit free-to-play vehicular combat title, War Thunder, in 2026.
One of the biggest changes involves crew slots and skills. The 11th crew slot will now be purchasable with Golden Eagles instead of unlockable via the referral system, and the Crew Skill window will now show crew members and their locations within the vehicle.
Naval Additions coming to War Thunder include Torpedo Lines on the mini-map, hit icons, and crew displays that show the actual number instead of percentages. Cockpits are undergoing highly detailed makeovers, including those for the Ka-29, AH-56 Cheyenne, and B-24.
Various naval vessel additions are also in the works, with the majority of the additions being destroyers. Ground vehicles will receive a unique self-propelled howitzer, some light IFVs, and other interesting vehicles, while planes will add the long-awaited Hungarian aircraft and some modernized jets.
Current jets receiving updates include the J-10C, which adds the PL-12A missile, providing a longer range than the standard PL-12. American aviation will be the AIM-120D, which will provide the USA with a needed boost over the current AIM-120C-5, which will also be on a new aircraft variant coming in the next update.
On the map front, White Rock Fortress will return after four years, with visual overhauls to meet 2026 standards and some areas reworked to improve gameplay, but it still retains its features.
The next current aircraft event in War Thunder will feature the Dutch F-16A and is set to start this week. A naval event for a US battleship is set to start in March, which will run parallell to the anual football event, with both running until just before April.
War Thunder is currently available on PC, PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, and Xbox One as a free-to-play title, though add-ons are available for an extra cost.
