War Thunder’s WTCS Challenger League Playoffs Will Begin Oct. 3 With 8 Teams
The 4v4 Ground tournament spans October 3-4 and October 10-11, with broadcasts starting at 14:40 GMT each day.
War Thunder’s WTCS Challenger League Major III playoffs begin October 3, bringing 8 teams into a 4v4 Ground competition spread across two weekends. Matches will also run October 10-11, with league points and rewards at stake.
Gaijin’s Steam announcement profiles the qualified teams, including newcomers and returning rosters. Four teams advanced from each Open Qualifier, as outlined in the Challenger League Major III qualifying schedule.
The first playoff weekend runs October 3-4, followed by the final matches on October 10-11. Broadcasts begin at 14:40 GMT each day on the English War Thunder Esports Twitch channel and the Russian Twitch channel. The event will also stream on the War Thunder Esports YouTube channel, which will host highlights and replays.
Several team profiles bring a clear history into the bracket. EnyoProxy formed through tournament connections before adding players to build a full WTCS roster. VAN reunites longtime friends who returned to competition after their previous team disbanded in 2025, while SteelGuard placed fourth in the qualifiers after building its lineup through tournament play.
NEXUS has qualified for all 3 Challenger League Majors this season and is aiming to turn that consistency into a Thunder Cup 2026 win. Team Warning enters as the reigning Major II champion, after taking first place with 139 points.
Other profiles cover a roster rebuilt after its original lineup broke up following Air Superiority 2025, a team combining former LEET players with new additions that include a former stream admin, and a squad of experienced players assembled to compete at the top of the league.
The Major III prize pool exceeds 500,000 Golden Eagles, with rewards for finishes from first through eighth place. Teams have 10 days after the tournament ends to select their prize coupons, according to the earlier Major III announcement details. Gaijin is also promoting giveaways tied to the WTCS Trophy VI through an Instagram giveaway post.
Can Team Warning defend its Major II title against this field? Follow the two-weekend playoff race through X, Bluesky, YouTube, Instagram, Steam, and Telegram.
War Thunder
Developed by Gaijin Entertainment
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.
- Genre Shooter, Simulator, Tactical
- Platforms Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4, Linux, PC (Microsoft Windows), PlayStation 5, Mac, Xbox One
- Perspective First person, Third person, Virtual Reality
- Modes Single player, Multiplayer, Co-operative, Massively Multiplayer Online (MMO)
- Release January 28, 2013
- Publisher Gaijin Entertainment
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