Welcome back, soldier! We hope you’re feeling well-rested after a lengthy Summer recess. September saw the release of Sky Odyssey – War Thunder‘s third large-scale update of the year. And this one isn’t leaving newcomers in the dust. In fact, it’s sending them straight into the stratosphere.
Stacked with new rides, impressive map updates, intricate systems tweaks, and heartfelt UI improvements designed to make the whole onboarding experience a little less like learning to fly a jet in real life, pilots new and old will find plenty of reasons to brave the cockpit, bridge, or gunner’s seat as we ride right into Winter.
Alongside newly permanent and more easily accessed game modes like Nuclear Escalation, Naval Enduring Confrontation, and Bullet Hell – a small part of a reimagined UI preset designed to reduce the friction of getting newcomers up and into the skies – there’s a lot to talk about. An extension of the recent downed plane rewards tweak means you might just get a few extra kill credits if your high-flying opponent decides to eject from the fray, too.
Taking to the skies first, it’s time to welcome new birds to the nests of three major nations. The USA rolls out with the stoically-named F-102A Delta Dagger; a high-flying supersonic striker from the days of the Vietnam war, with the MiG-35 jetfighter swooping in to cover the USSR.
For Great Britain, the focus isn’t on matching the winged might of the other superpowers. Instead, the kingdom is sure to churn the air with the AW159 Wildcat – one of the most impressive choppers added to War Thunder in quite some time.
But you didn’t expect an air-focused update to settle for just three new additions, did you? On top of the Wildcat, Blighty unleashes the agile Hawk T1A aircraft as both a premium and researchable ride.
Elsewhere across the continents, Israel gets the chance to demonstrate its partnership with the islands of the Aegean sea, welcoming a line of Greek-made aircraft (and the Leopard 2HEL tank) to a dedicated sub-tree. China’s high-end options expand again with the J-16 multirole aircraft, with Japan, Germany, and Sweden getting their fair share of new machines to add to their already extensive hangers. You’ll find a few new propeller planes scattered throughout, too.
Still can’t take your eyes off those tanks? Neither can we. There may be a strong focus on air battles this time around, but we’d never abandon our armor crewmen. That’s why five new ground vehicles are here as well, bringing our eyeline back to the blistered lands of War Thunder’s many battlefields. After all, those shiny new bombers need some ants to squash on the update’s new maps. More on those soon.
Germany and France both hit the ground running by sharing the unique fusion of a Leclerc turret on a Leopard chassis – say hello to the EMBT. Elsewhere, the Japanese tech tree now features Indonesia’s Harimau export; an agile light tank equipped with a versatile 105mm gun. The USA climbs one class ahead with the M7, melding the power of a Sherman with the strategic prowess of the Stuart.
But if it’s high horsepower with a historical angle you’re set on, you can thank Great Britain’s partnership with India for the arrival of the Arjun Mk 1. This nimble MBT option and its impressive 120mm cannon is set to shine as a high-ranking pick down on the ground.
Things are a little quieter on the high seas this time around, but we’re making as big a splash as possible with two major additions. Great Britain’s HMS Lion cuts through the waves with ease, offering a gargantuan new battleship option for the Royal Navy alongside Italy’s iconic RN Guilio Cesare premium pick.
And it’s not all about expensive new toys. There’s a lot more going on under the hood this time, too. The entire damage model of the game’s many hundreds of bombers has been overhauled, with the semi-active AIM-7 and ARH set-and-forget family of missiles gaining a noteworthy rework for Air Odyssey as well.
Whether you’re targeting an inline piston or radial engine, fuselage, wing spars, tail, or anything else, what you hit will always matter, potentially knocking a valuable feature of an opposing craft offline. Aim true, and you can reliably take out the beating heart of a bird. Expect incredibly precise (and very personal) air altercations going forward.
All of this can be experienced in newly reworked maps on the grounds of Darwin Hill and Red Desert, with aerial battles also better than ever thanks to reworks to classics like Afghanistan Air and Falkland Islands. We’ve said it once, and we’ll say it again: no seasonal War Thunder release is complete without a new lick of paint to an old favorite battlefield. But that’s not all. Darwin Hill, a new map set on the grounds of the Falklands – is here to stay.
Offering verdant plains, open sightlines, and plenty of smaller options of cover, this airfield-equipped new locale is bound to be a signature battlefield for the rest of the year… or until another comes along to usurp its shiny brand-new “wow” factor.
Red Desert welcomes the usual host of visual tweaks and layout considerations of past maps to improve the flow and impact of battle, with both the original Falklands Islands air battle map and the Afghanistan Air Battle map enjoying meaningful visual improvement, too. It’s a great time to diversify your map selections and jet off somewhere new for the cooler months.
All that and more highlights another large-scale expansion of War Thunder’s ongoing mission to offer a historically accurate vehicular brawler you just can’t peel yourself from. Play now for free or jump back into an existing account to see what you’ve been missing out on. And with one more to go this year, we’re in for a fiery festive period.
Source: Wargamer
