War Thunder’s Eagle’s Shadow Update Is Now Live With New Vehicles and Systems

The update adds aircraft with loadout-based Battle Ratings, new ground-vehicle damage systems, and a broad set of visual changes.

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A tank fires its main gun in a wooded battlefield in War Thunder.

War Thunder’s Eagle’s Shadow update is now live, adding a wide range of vehicles alongside new damage mechanics, aircraft Battle Rating choices, and visual upgrades. Gaijin’s full Steam announcement covers the update, whose additions span ground, air, and naval battles. Before the update went live, Gaijin had previewed its firing, smoke, and vehicle effects in visual-effects preview.

Among the headline arrivals are the Leopard 2A8 with Trophy Active Protection System, the U.S. F-15EX, the British Fulmar Mk.II with 8,000 rounds of ammunition, and the Italian AW249 Fenice helicopter. Germany also gets the H-39 battleship, while Japan receives the IJN Takao heavy cruiser. The aircraft lineup includes the Su-15TM with R-98MR and R-98MT missiles, and Sweden’s JAS39-5.

Ground forces gain new fire-control, electrical, and auxiliary-power modules, along with manual reloading for selected autoloaders. Aircraft and helicopters can use loadout-dependent Battle Ratings, extending the custom Battle Rating system from its earlier preview. Helicopters can also retarget man-in-the-loop munitions in flight, building on the update’s guided-weapon targeting changes. Aircraft also receive cluster bombs.

Sun City and American Desert have received visual overhauls while retaining their familiar layouts. Weather presets now use revised cloud formations and lighting, and the update adds changes to snow and dirt accumulation, smoke, firing effects, and reflections on water. DLSS 5 support is included for 50-series GPUs. A login-streak freeze also gives players a way to protect a streak when they miss a day.

Here is the full changelog, with Gaijin’s note items reproduced in order.

War Thunder Eagle’s Shadow Patch Notes

Location and mission updates

Sun City — the location has undergone a visual overhaul. All assets have been replaced with new ones, including rock formations (with minor geometric adjustments), ground textures, building models, and the city’s overall layout. The landscape has been refined and made more detailed. The tank mini-map has also been updated.
American Desert — the location has undergone a visual overhaul. All assets have been replaced with new ones, including rock formations (with minor geometric adjustments), ground textures, building models, and the town’s layout. The terrain has been refined and made more detailed. The tank mini-map has also been updated.
Building assets at all runways in the game have been updated.
Breslau, Flanders, Advance to the Rhine, Berlin, Black Sea Port — old used assets have been replaced with new ones.
All weather settings presets have been adjusted to improve the image quality and better suit the names of the presets.

Nuclear Escalation

The 55Zh6 and AN/TPS-59 long-range surveillance radars now detect enemy aircraft and relay data to players on the same team. The radars operate alternately, with one active per team. When hovering over an active friendly radar on the tactical map, a rotating beam and dashed lines leading to detected enemy aircraft are displayed; the radar’s tooltip also indicates its current status (on or off).
In sessions with a Battle Rating of 14.0 or higher, the OTRK “Tochka” and MGM-52 Lance have been replaced by the “Iskander-M” and MGM-140 ATACMS.
Capturing an object now gives team points to the team which captured it: 150 points for the tactical assembly area, 90 for a separate fuel or ammo depot, 45 for a strongpoint. Previously a capture resulted only in reduction of points from the team that lost the object and if it was destroyed afterwards the new owner ended up in losing points, making capturing not so advantageous in some cases.
Garrisons at strongpoints now periodically launch attacks on nearby enemy targets, moving out in a column of tanks. As before, empty spots within these garrisons can be filled by tanks arriving from columns based in the starting areas.
The models of MIM-23 Hawk SAM system vehicles, MIM-104 Patriot SAM system vehicles, S-300 SAM system vehicles, 9K37 Buk SAM, 9K37M1 Buk-M1 SAM, 9A52-2 Smerch MLRS, M270 MLRS, 9k79 Tochka TBM, M978 and M939 transport vehicles have been updated.

Ground Vehicle model, damage model, characteristic and weaponry changes:

T-90 (all variants), T-80 (all variants), T-72 (all variants), T-64 (all variants), Object 775, Object 279, Object 292, Object 120, IS-7, PT-76-57, BMP-3, BMD-4M2, 2S25 (all variants), ZTZ99 (all variants), ZTZ96 (all variants), ZBD04A, WZ1001(E) LCT, VT5, VT4 (all variants), PTZ89, MBT-2000, Al-Khalid-I, Strf 9040 (all variants), CT-CV 105HP, AMV (BMP-3), CV90120-T, CV 90105, Type 89, Type 90, TKX (all variants), Type 10, BM Oplot-T, Harimau, MSC, Leclerc (all variants), EMBT (all variants), PT-16/T14 mod., Boxer MGS, Begleitpanzer 57, VCC-80/60, OTOMATIC, Centauro II (P), Sholef — a manual loading mechanic has been added for cases where the autoloader is depleted and/or disabled.
Challenger Mk.2, Challenger DS, Challenger Mk.3, Chieftain 900, FV4030/3, T-90M (all variants), BMPT (all variants), Palmaria, Leopard 2RI, Type 25 RCV (P), STB-2, TKX (all variants), Type 10, Type 16 (P), Type 87, Chieftain 900, Chieftain Mk 10, Chieftain Mk 5, Black Night, Challenger 2 (2F), Challenger 2 OES, Challenger 2 OES (SM), Challenger 2 TES, Khalid, Challenger 3 TD, Challenger 2, Chieftain Mk.3, OTOMATIC, ItPsV Leopard, Chieftain Marksman, Leopard 2A8 (all variants), Leopard 2A7 (all variants), Leopard 2A6HEL, EMBT (all variants), Merkava Mk.4M, M1A2 Abrams, M1A1 HC, M1A1 SA, M1A1 Click-Bait, M1A1 HC (SM), M1A1 SA (Great Britain), M1A2 SEPv3, M1A2 (Great Britain), M1A2T — an auxiliary power unit (APU) mechanic has been added. The APU provides power in the event that an engine is shut down or disabled.
M1 Abrams (all variants), XM1 (Chrysler), HSTV-L, T-80 (all variants with turboshaft engines), Object 292 — the full throttle performance curve (the relationship between torque and engine RPM) for gas turbine engines has been revised. Additionally, the intermediate gear stages, previously used to emulate more correct engine and transmission behavior on tanks with torque converters and turboshaft engines, have been removed.
AMX-30 (all variants and vehicles on this platform), AMX-32 (all variants), Chi-Ha (all variants and vehicles on this platform), STB-2, Type 74 (all variants and vehicles on this platform), Stingray (all variants) — the full throttle performance curve (the relationship between torque and engine RPM) for some diesel engines has been revised.
Object 122MT “MC”, PGZ88, QN506, Type 59, ZTZ59D1, Type 69-IIa, T-69 II G, Type 69, WZ305, ZTZ59A, ZTZ88 (all variants), BMP-1 (all variants), BMP-2 (all variants), IS-3, IT-1, SU-122-54, T-54 (all variants), T-55 (all variants), T-62 (all variants), ZTZ96 (all variants), 2S1, 2S3M, Strela-10M2, Shturm-S, ASU-85, IS-1, IS-2 (all variants), IS-6, IS-7, ISU-152, Object 140, Object 248, ZSU-23-4 (all variants), ZSU-57-2, IS-4M, Object 268, Object 279, T-10 (all variants), Chi-Nu II, Chi-To, Chi-To Late, Chi-Ri, Chi-Nu, Ho-Ro, Ho-Ni I, Ho-Ni III, Chi-Ha LG, Chi-Ha Short Gun, Chi-Ha Kai, Chi-Ha, Chi-He, Chi-He (5th Regiment), Ho-I, I-Go Ko, Ka-Chi, SUB-I-II, Type 61, ST-A3, Type 61 (B), Type 60, Type 60 ATM, Type 75 MLRS — planetary (epicyclic) steering mechanism has been added.
AMX-30 (1972), AMX-30, AMX-30B2, AMX-30B2 BRENUS — turret traverse speed has been reduced from 30°/s to 24°/s. Source: Notice technique. Char moyen de combat AMX 30. 1971.
Leopard 2A7 (all variants) — the gun vertical guidance angles have been corrected from -9°/20° to -7.4°/17.4°. Sources: Leopard 2 A7 brochure from the manufacturer, KNDS; archived LEOPARD 2 A7 NO page from the website of the manufacturer, Krauss-Maffei Wegmann GmbH & Co. KG; KNDS B Ansicht LEOPARD 2 A8 brochure.
Leopard 2A7 (all variants) — the maximum speed has been increased from 61.1 to 63 km/h. Sources: Leopard 2 A7 brochure from the manufacturer, KNDS; archived LEOPARD 2 A7 NO page from the website of the manufacturer, Krauss-Maffei Wegmann GmbH & Co. KG; Kampfpanzer Leopard 2 A7V der Bundeswehr page on the Bundeswehr website.
AMX-30 (all variants) — the velocity of the smoke shell has been reduced from 700 m/s to 695 m/s. Source: Notice technique. Char moyen de combat AMX 30. 1971.
M103 — the commander’s cupola rotation angles have been corrected from a 120° sector to full 360°.
Type 10, TKX (P), TKX — transmission gear ratio values have been corrected.
Falcon — the ammunition count has been reduced from 680 to 620 rounds. The horizontal and vertical traverse speeds have been reduced from 90°/s and 50°/s to 80°/s and 40°/s, respectively.
Object 435 — a visual bug that occurred in Arcade mode where the gun mantlet would clip through the armor plate when the gun was elevated to its maximum angle has been fixed.
BMP-3 — the ammunition belt capacity is now set to 250 rounds.
BMD-4M — the ammunition load for the 30 mm cannon has been increased from 464 to 500 rounds.
Type 61 (B) — wooden elements have received armor protection.
IS-2M (“Be Prepared!”) — turret traverse speed has been increased from 14°/s to 26.4°/s.
M1A2 (Trophy-HV) — an issue with the switching sequence between the main gun and machine guns has been fixed.
Object 435 — the armor of the hull has been converted to volumetric armor.
EMBT — a bug that caused the NVD to not be available without researching modifications has been fixed.
PGZ88 — the guns can now overheat.
CV 90105 TML, AMV (BMP-3) — thermal imagers have been removed from the UAVs.
T-26E — the add-on armor can now be hidden in the armor view.
AS 42/47 — an issue where the aiming speed would slow down when the battery was depleted has been fixed.
FK-2000 — scouting ability has been removed.
ZBD04A — the gun reload time has been increased from 4 to 5.2 seconds.
T-55A — the armor of the hull has been converted to volumetric armor.
M14/41 (all variants), M15/42 — an issue where the weapons and turret could be operated without a crew member present in the turret has been fixed.
ZTZ88B — an issue with the wrong exhaust gas animation type following a main gun shot has been fixed.
ZTS63 — maximum gun depression angle has been reduced from -5° to -4°.
T-80BVM — the machine gun type has been changed from PKT to PKTM.
T-72B3, T-72B3 “Arena”, T-72B3А — the machine gun type has been changed from PKT to PKTM.
T-80UM2 — a pressure-damage trigger has been added to the fuel tanks located in the fighting compartment.
Osa-AKM — a visual display error of the missiles in the launchers has been fixed added.
Chieftain Mk 3 — maximum speed has been reduced from 49 km/h to 40.7 km/h, and gear ratio values have been adjusted.
Chieftain Mk 5 — maximum speed has been reduced from 48 km/h to 42.7 km/h and gear ratio values have been adjusted. Sources: Technical Handbook for Chieftain Mk 5.
Chieftain Mk 10, Chieftain Marksman — maximum speed has been reduced from 48 km/h to 43.5 km/h and gear ratio values have been adjusted.
Vickers Mk.1 — maximum speed has been increased from 48 km/h to 50.1 km/h and gear ratio values have been adjusted.

Aircraft and helicopter model, damage model, characteristic and weaponry changes:

Weaponry

Ayit, A-7D, A-7K, A-10A Early, A-10A Late, F-4E Phantom II, F-4E AUP Phantom II (Israel), Kurnass, Kurnass 2000, F-111C (Great Britain), F-111F, F-15I Ra’am, Baz, Baz Meshupar, F-15A, F-16A, F-16A (Sweden), F-16A (France, Belgium), F-16A (France, Netherlands), F-16A MLU (China), F-16A OCU, F-16C Barak II, F-16D Barak II, F-16I Sufa, F-16XL, Netz, Netz (Mod) — CBU-58B cluster bombs have been added.
F-111F, F-16CM, F-16CM PoBIT, F-15E, A-10A Early, A-10A Late, A-10C, F-15C MSIP II, F-15C Golden Eagle, F-16AM (Sweden), F-16AM (France), F-16V (China), F-15J, F-15J(M), F-1, F-2A, F-2A ADTW, F-4E Phantom II, F-4EJ Phantom II, F-4EJ Kai Phantom II, F-4EJ ADTW — CBU-87B cluster bombs have been added.
Alpha Jet A, Alpha Jet A (JaboG 41), Alpha Jet A (Japan), Alpha Jet TH, AMX, Buccaneer S.2B, F-104G (Germany), F-104S, F-104S.ASA, F-4F, F-4F Early, F-4F KWS LV, F-4J(UK) Phantom II, G.91 Y, G.91 YS, Harrier GR.1, Harrier GR.3, Harrier GR.7, Harrier T.10, Hawk 200, Hawk 200 RDA, Jaguar GR.1, Jaguar GR.1A, Jaguar IS, Phantom FG.1, Phantom FGR.2, Sea Harrier FA 2, Sea Harrier FRS.1, Sea Harrier FRS.1 (e), Tornado GR.1, Tornado GR.4, Tornado IDS, Tornado IDS (1995), Tornado IDS ASSTA1, Tornado IDS MFG, Tornado IDS MLU (RET.8), Tornado IDS SLE, Tornado IDS WTD61 — BL755 cluster bombs have been added.
J-11, J-11A, MiG-23BN (Germany), MiG-27M, MiG-27K, MiG-29 (9-12A) (Germany), MiG-29G (Germany), MiG-29 (9-12), MiG-29 (9-12B) (Italy), MiG-29 Sniper, MiG-29N (Japan), MiG-29 (9-13), MiG-29M (9-15), MiG-29SMT (9-19), MiG-29KR (9-41R), MiG-35, Su-17M2, Su-17M4, Su-22M3, Su-22M3 (Italy), Su-22UM3K (Germany), Su-22M4 (Germany), Su-22M4 WTD61 (Germany), Su-24M, Su-25, Su-25K, Su-25BM, Su-25T, Su-39, Su-25SM3, Su-34, Su-27, Su-27SM, Su-30MK2 AMV (USSR), Su-30MKK, Su-30MKM, Su-30SM, Su-30SM2, Su-33, Yak-130, Yak-141 — RBK-500 cluster bombs have been added.
A-5C, J-7E, J-8B, J-8F, J-10A, J-10C, J-11B, J-15T, J-16, JF-17, JH-7, JH-7A, JH-7A Prototype, JH-7A2, Q-5L — Type 250-3 cluster bombs have been added.
Jaguar A, Mirage 2000-5F, Mirage 2000C-S4, Mirage 2000C-S5, Mirage 2000D-R1, Mirage 2000D-RMV, and Mirage 4000, Alpha Jet E — BLG-66 cluster bombs have been added.
F-1, F-4EJ Kai Phantom II, F-2A, F-2A ADTW — GCS-1 anti-ship bombs have been added along with a corresponding modification.
F-15E — the ASW-55 targeting pod is now mandatory when carrying AGM-130 missiles.
F-4EJ Kai Phantom II — ASM-1 and ASM-2 anti-ship missiles have been added along with a corresponding modification.
R-60, R-60M, R-60MK — flight model and autopilot have been updated. Engine thrust has been reduced from 9.5 kN to 8.3 kN; available G-load at low speeds has been increased.
R-73 — flight model and autopilot have been updated. The probability of missile becoming destabilized when launched at a target with a high angular velocity has reduced. Motor burn time has been decreased from 5.5 s to 4.8 s, while maintaining the original total impulse. The autopilot-permitted load factor has been increased from 40G to 60G.
Tornado IDS MLU (RET.8) — a bug that made it possible to equip 500 lb bombs along with GBU-39 on the right underfuselage pylon which caused them to overlap has been fixed.
AJ37, AJS37, AJS37 (Early) — flare count has been corrected from 24 to 18 per pod.
Phantom FG.1, Phantom FGR.2 — 1,000 lb L.D. H.E. M.C. Mk.I bombs have been added.
Harrier GR.1 — AIM-9G missiles have been added. Source: Pilot’s Notes Harrier GR.Mk.1.
J-16 — the number of guided and unguided 250 kg and 500 kg bombs has been increased.
250-2 incendiary bomb — the visual model and the characteristics of the 250-2 bomb have been corrected.
A-5C, Q-5A, Q-5L — the number of countermeasures has been increased to 64, the caliber has been changed from large to standard.
J32B — the 14.5 cm psrak m/49B, 15 cm srak m/51, and 18 cm hprak m/49 rockets have been added along with a corresponding modification.
I-301 — 50 kg and 100 kg bombs, ROS-82 and RBS-82 rockets, and their respective variants have been added. Sources: Отчет об испытаниях и техническая документация на самолет И-301.
B-25J-30 (USSR) — for loadouts using FAB-250sv bombs, the bombs located in the upper half of the bomb bay have been replaced with FAB-250tsk bombs, and the positioning of the 250 kg and 500 kg bombs within the bomb bay has been adjusted. Source: Инструкция лётчику по пилотированию и эксплуатации самолёта B-25.
Beaufighter Mk VIc — 18-inch Mark XII torpedo has been replaced with the 18-inch Mk.XV.
Beaufighter Mk X — 18-inch Mark XII torpedo has been replaced with the 18-inch Mk.XV.
Beaufighter Mk 21 — 18-inch Mark XII torpedo has been replaced with the 18-inch Mk.XV.
Hurricane Mk IIB/Trop — 500 lb bombs have been added along with a corresponding modification.
A-20G-30 (USSR) — 500 lb AN-M64A1 bombs have been replaced with 250 kg FAB-250tsk bombs. Source: Краткое руководство по эксплоатации бомбардировочного вооружения самолетов А-20G и А-20B.
A-20G-25 — the ability to mount bombs on the underwing pylons has been added. Secondary Weapons menu has been added. Source: T.O. 01-4-1 Pilot’s flight operating instructions for A-20G and A-20J.
Beaufort Mk VIII — the ability to mount bombs on the underwing pylons has been added. 1,000 lb HE and 2,000 lb AP bombs have been added to the bomb bay. Secondary weapons menu has been added.
H8K2, H8K3 — the vertical aiming angles for the turret have been corrected from -25°/+90° to -25°/+85°. Source: 航空技術の全貌（下). Aircraft Machine Cannon and Machine Guns; Type 1 Large Power Turret, Model 21.
Kurnass 2000 — an issue where the IR channel was missing from the guidance optics for the Delilah (IR) missile has been fixed.
IL-2 (1941), IL-2 (1942), IL-2-37, IL-2M (1943), IL-2M Type 3, IL-2 M-82, IL-2M “Avenger” — ZAB-50FP incendiary bombs have been added.
Po-2 — the capability to carry FAB-100sv bombs on external wing pylons and under the fuselage has been added. ZAB-50FP incendiary bombs have been added. Sources: Вооружение самолёта У-2ВС. Инструкция по эксплоатации; Инструкция по бомбометанию с самолёта У-2.
Po-2M — the capability to carry FAB-100sv bombs on external wing pylons has been added. Sources: Вооружение самолёта У-2ВС. Инструкция по эксплоатации; Инструкция по бомбометанию с самолёта У-2.
B7A2 — Mk1 and Mk2 500 kg bombs have been added. Source: T and I No. 16, 20 January 1945. Report No. 3-e(4), USSBS Index Section 6.
Type 99 20 mm cannons (all variants) — HE shell specifications have been corrected, and the shell type has been standardized across different guns. Sources: CINCPAC Bulletin 85-45, Japanese Projectiles Vol. 1, T and I No. 16, 20 January 1945; Report No. 3-e(4), USSBS Index Section 6.
13 mm Type 2 — bullet type has been corrected from HE-I (High-Explosive Incendiary) to HE (High-Explosive). Sources: Edited by Jun Okamura et al., “The Complete Picture of Aviation Technology, Vol. 2” (1955); Appendix, T and I No. 16, 20 January 1945; Report No. 3-e(4), USSBS Index Section 6.
Type 99 Mark 1 — the repeated AP shell has been removed.
Wfr.Gr.21 rocket — timed fuze has been added.
F-8E(FN) — Secondary Weapons menu has been added.
F-102A (Greece) — a bug that caused the bullets from the right-hand M134 gun pod to appear not from the pod has been fixed.
B6N1, B6N2, B6N2A — 500 kg bombs (Number 50 Model 2 and Type 2 Number 50 Model 1) have been added. Source: Maru-Mechanic-47-B6N-B5N.

Other

R-77 (on all carriers); AIM-7E/F (on F-4 series aircraft); Kh-59M, Kh-38ML/MT, Kh-31P/PD/A/AD, Kh-58U (on all carriers) — missile ejection launcher mechanic has been added.
Mi-35M, Mi-35M (China), Mi-35P — targeting optic aiming angles have been adjusted to +180°/-180° horizontally and +25°/-90° vertically.
Mi-28N, Mi-28NM — targeting optics aiming angles have been adjusted vertically to +30°/-45°.
Ka-52 — a radar MAWS “Arbalet-D” has been added. Sources: “Радиоэлектронные технологии” journal №1/2021 and №3/2021, by KRET (КРЭТ), radar’s manufacturer; Rosoboronexport Aerospace Systems Export Catalogue; Aero India 2007 – Phazotron; page “KRET | Arbalet / Arbalet-D” on the website of KRET, radar’s manufacturer.
Z-10ME — the MAWS type has been corrected from optical to the radar.
Su-30MK2 AMV, Su-30MKK — the visual of the vapor trails has been corrected.
Su-30SM2 — color of the canopy glazing has been corrected.
Su-34 — color of the canopy glazing has been corrected.
F-16A MLU (China) — the countermeasure pod setup has been adjusted; the total capacity for standard-caliber countermeasures has been increased to 60.
F-15E, F-15I Ra’am — countermeasures under the right engine nacelle have become available with all weapon configurations.
Bf 109 T-2 — 60 mm thick bulletproof glass has been added to the armor layout.
F3H-2 — the radar page in the cockpit has been updated.
F-8E — the radar page in the cockpit has been updated.
Lightning F.6, Lightning F.53 — cockpit radar page has been updated.
J-16 — night vision has been added for both the cockpit view and third-person view.
Bf 109 F-1 — the incorrect display of the engine-mounted cannon in the X-ray view has been fixed.
Refinement of the damage model for bombers. The following changes are based on an analysis of the following military and engineering documents: BRL Memo Report 484, NACA RM L52H01a, NACA TN 4111 and Report 1308, AGARD-667, AFWAL-TR-85-2060, and MIL-H-5606.
Fuel Tank Fires. The intensity of a fire increases over time: it is weak during the first few seconds, reaches full intensity within 40–60 seconds, and causes greater damage to the heated structure as the fire persists. Curves have been developed separately for each class of propulsion system (2, 3, 4, 6, or 8 engines; piston or jet). Basis: a thermal model derived from NACA TN 4111 and Report 1308.
The probability of ignition from pure armor-piercing (AP) projectiles has been reduced. According to BRL Memo Report 484, AP projectiles lacking an incendiary component ignite fuel in 0–2% of cases.
The probability of a fuel leak resulting from hits by 20 mm or larger-caliber projectiles has been increased.
The probability of a fuel tank catching fire now depends on the extent of the damage it has sustained. As damage accumulates, punctures appear and fuel begins to leak, making each subsequent hit from an incendiary round increasingly likely to cause a fire.
Engine Fires. A separate intensity-buildup curve has been added for engine fires. An engine fire develops more rapidly than a fuel-tank fire (due to the instantaneous ignition of oil on a hot manifold — AFWAL-TR-85-2060), but it remains localized. Its maximum intensity is lower than that of a fuel-tank fire.
Vulnerability of the wing spar to fire. Thermal damage from a fire now correctly passes through the material of the wing spar. Previously, the armor-resistance calculation effectively blocked the fire, rendering the spar virtually invulnerable to it. A sustained fire in the wing is now capable of destroying the spar.
Structural Strength of the Wing. Destruction of the wing skin will no longer automatically cause the spar to detach. According to NACA RM L52H01a, a chordwise cut through the skin and stringers is not critical, the spar caps continue to carry the load. The strength of the spars on bombers has been increased.
Spread of the fire to the tail assembly. The fire from the rear section of the fuselage now spreads to the stabilizers, control surfaces, and the vertical fin.
Damage model (DM) for bombers has been updated for: Ju 87 B-2, Ju 87 D-3, Ju 87 D-5, Ju 87 G-1, Ju 87 G-2, Ju 87 R-2, Ju 87 R-2 Libya, BTD-1, SBD-3, SB2C-1C, SB2C-4, SB2C-5 (all variants), SB2U-2, SB2U-3, TBF-1C, OS2U-1, OS2U-3, B5N2, B6N1 Model 11, B6N2 Model 12, B6N2a Model 12Ko, B7A2, D3A1, D4Y1, D4Y2, D4Y3 Ko, Ki-32, B17A, B17B, S17BS, B3C, Avenger Mk.II, Chesapeake Mk I, V-156-F, XA-38, P-61A-11, P-61C-1, Ju-88C-6.
A detailed damage model has been added for:
- G.91 (all variants), A.109EOA-2, SA.341 (all variants), Mirage F1 (all variants), A-7 (all variants), F-8 (all variants)

Flight Model changes:

IL-10 (all variants) — the flight model has been reworked. Moments of inertia have been refined. Thermodynamics have been revised. Handling when using the “mouse aim” control mode has been improved. The powerplant/propeller system has been reworked, with refined propeller blade polar curves.
Welkin F Mk.1 — the engine fire-extinguishing system has been fixed.
H8K (all variants) — engine fire-extinguishing system has been added, moments of inertia recalculated.
Firefly Mk.1 — flight model has been updated.
BV 238 — take-off mass set to 77,300 kg, fuel mass reduced to 18,100 kg, moments of inertia refined.
Saab B18 — maximum permissible speeds have been adjusted in accordance with “Speciell förarinstruktion” (Special Pilot’s Instructions).
Hornet Mk.1/Mk.3 — an issue that caused premature fuel starvation in the engines has been fixed.
Mosquito F/NF Mk.2 — flight model reworked: Merlin 25 engines replaced with Merlin 23s, the polar curve adjusted for the RAF 34 airfoil, moments of inertia refined, handling improved, and excessive yaw during the takeoff roll eliminated.
F-15 (all variants) — the drag at transonic speeds has been slightly reduced.
JF-17 — the length f the aircraft has been increased from 14.1 m to 14.3 m. The wing span has been increased from 9.4 m to 9.45 m.

Naval fleet model, damage model, characteristic and weaponry changes:

Naval characteristics, physics and damage model:

Akebono — an issue that caused the ship to heel over excessively when performing a turn has been fixed.

Naval Visual models and visual parts:

Dupleix — an issue where the ship model would disappear when zooming in while in third-person camera view has been fixed.

Economy and research

Leopard 2 PSO — moved before the EMBT.

Custom Battle Ratings

Some aircraft and helicopters now offer a choice of Battle Rating (BR), which can be changed in the hangar from modifications window. The availability of specific modifications and weaponry depends on the chosen Battle Rating. Items that are unavailable are marked as such in the interface, with the reason provided. The currently selected Battle Rating for a vehicle is displayed in the interface and is taken into account during matchmaking.
AH-60 (Israel) — the Battle Rating in Ground Battles has been reduced from 13.0 to 11.3. Spike ER (MITL) missiles have been added along with the corresponding modification (which unlocks automatically when unlocking the Spike ER modification). Use of Spike ER missiles increases the Battle Rating to 13.0. The use of Spike ER (MITL) missiles increases the Battle Rating to 13.7.
Saraph — Spike NLOS (MITL) missiles have been added along with the corresponding modification (which unlocks automatically when unlocking the Spike NLOS modification). The use of Spike NLOS (MITL) missiles increases the Battle Rating to 13.7.
EC-665 Tiger HAD — the Battle Rating in Ground Battles has been reduced from 11.3 to 10.7. The use of AGM-114K missiles increases the Battle Rating to 11.3.
EC-665 Tiger HAC — the Battle Rating in Ground Battles has been reduced from 13.0 to 10.7. The use of TRIGAT-LR missiles increases the Battle Rating to 13.0.
Tiger HAD Block 2 — Spike ER (MITL) missiles have been added along with the corresponding modification (which unlocks automatically when unlocking the Spike ER modification). The use of Spike ER (MITL) missiles increases the Battle Rating to 13.7.
AH-64E (all versions) — Spike NLOS (MITL) missiles have been added along with the corresponding modification (which unlocks automatically when unlocking the Spike NLOS modification). The use of Spike NLOS (MITL) missiles increases the Battle Rating to 13.7.
A-129 International (p) — the Battle Rating in Ground Battles has been reduced from 11.0 to 10.3. The use of AGM-114B missiles increases the Battle Rating to 11.0.
A129CBT — the Battle Rating in Ground Battles has been reduced from 11.3 to 10.3. The use of Hellfire missiles increases the Battle Rating to 11.3.
AH-129D — the Battle Rating in Ground Battles has been reduced from 13.0 to 11.3. Spike ER (MITL) missiles have been added along with the corresponding modification (which unlocks automatically when unlocking the Spike ER modification). The use of Spike ER missiles increases the Battle Rating to 13.0. The use of Spike ER (MITL) missiles increases the Battle Rating to 13.7.
Z-9W — the Battle Rating in Ground Battles has been reduced from 10.7 to 9.7. The use of TY-90 missiles increases the Battle Rating to 10.7.
Z-9WA — the Battle Rating in Ground Battles has been reduced from 11.3 to 10.3. The use of TY-90 missiles increases the Battle Rating to 11.0. The use of AKD-9 missiles increases the Battle Rating to 11.3.
AH-1W (all variants) — the Battle Rating in Ground Battles has been reduced from 11.0 to 10.3. The use of AGM-114B, AIM-9L and APKWS missiles increases the Battle Rating to 11.0.
Z-19 (all variants) — the Battle Rating in Ground Battles has been reduced from 12.3 to 11.0. The use of TY-90 missiles increases the Battle Rating to 12.3.
Z-10ME — CM-502KG (MITL) missiles have been added along with the corresponding modification (which unlocks automatically when unlocking the CM-502KG modification). The use of CM-502KG (MITL) missiles increases the Battle Rating to 13.7.
AH Mk.2 Apache — Spike NLOS (MITL) missiles have been added along with the corresponding modification (which unlocks automatically when unlocking the Spike NLOS modification). The use of Spike NLOS (MITL) missiles increases the Battle Rating to 13.7.
Lynx AH.Mk.1 — the Battle Rating in Ground Battles has been reduced from 11.3 to 10.3. The use of ATAS missiles increases the Battle Rating to 10.7. The use of AGM-114B missiles increases the Battle Rating to 11.3.
G-LYNX — the Battle Rating in Ground Battles has been reduced from 11.3 to 10.3. The use of ATAS missiles increases the Battle Rating to 10.7. The use of AGM-114B missiles increases the Battle Rating to 11.3.
Wildcat HMA2 — the Battle Rating in Ground Battles has been reduced from 12.7 to 12.0. Spike NLOS (MITL) missiles have been added along with the corresponding modification (which unlocks automatically when unlocking the Spike NLOS modification). The use of Spike NLOS missiles increases the Battle Rating to 12.7. The use of Spike NLOS (MITL) missiles increases the Battle Rating to 13.7.
Mi-35P — the Battle Rating in Ground Battles has been reduced from 12.0 to 11.3. The use of 9K127 Vikhr missiles increases the Battle Rating to 12.0.
Mi-28NM — LMUR (MITL) missiles have been added along with the corresponding modification (which unlocks automatically when unlocking the LMUR modification). The use of LMUR (MITL) missiles increases the Battle Rating to 13.7.
H145M — Spike ER (MITL) missiles have been added along with the corresponding modification (which unlocks automatically when unlocking the Spike ER modification). The use of Spike ER (MITL) missiles increases the Battle Rating to 13.7.
EC-665 Tiger UHT — the Battle Rating in Ground Battles has been reduced from 13.0 to 10.7. The use of PARS 3 LR missiles increases the Battle Rating to 13.0.
J22M1A — the Battle Rating in Ground Battles has been reduced from 11.7 to 9.3. The use of FAB-250 PGB guided bombs and GROM and E-24-A1 guided missiles increases the Battle Rating to 10.3 in Air Battles and to 10.7 in Ground Battles respectively. The use of BPB3-240, GROM-B, and AGM-65B missiles increases the Battle Rating to 11.0 in Air Battles and to 11.3 in Ground Battles respectively. The use of Kosava 3 TM missiles increases the Battle Rating to 11.3 in Air Battles and to 11.7 in Ground Battles respectively.
Su-25SM3 — the Battle Rating in Ground Battles has been reduced from 13.0 to 12.0, and in Air Battles from 11.7 to 10.7. The use of Kh-38 (all variants) missiles increases the Battle Rating to 11.7 in Air Battles and to 13.0 in Ground Battles respectively.
MiG-21 Bison — RVV-AE missiles have been added along with the corresponding modification. The use of RVV-AE missiles increases the Battle Rating to 13.3 in Air Battles and to 12.7 in Ground Battles.
Yak-141 — R-77 missiles have been added along with the corresponding modification. The R-60M modification has been replaced with the R-77 modification, and the use of R-60M missiles no longer requires researching modifications. The use of R-77 missiles increases the Battle Rating to 13.3 in Air Battles and to 12.3 in Ground Battles.
Su-39 — the Battle Rating in Ground Battles has been reduced from 12.0 to 11.7. R-27R/ER, R-27T/ET, and R-77 missiles have been added along with corresponding modifications. The maximum number of R-73 missiles used has been increased to 4. The number of KAB-500Kr bombs has been increased to 6. The Mercury targeting pod has been replaced with the Khod thermal imaging pod. The use of R-27R/ER and R-27T/ET missiles increases the Battle Rating to 11.7 in Air Battles and to 12.0 in Ground Battles. The use of R-77 missiles increases the Battle Rating to 12.7 in Air Battles and to 13.0 in Ground Battles. The use of anti-radiation missiles increases the Battle Rating to 11.7 in Air Battles and to 12.0 in Ground Battles.
JAS39A — AIM-120 missiles have been added along with the corresponding modification. The use of AIM-120 missiles increases the Battle Rating to 13.7 in Air Battles and to 13.0 in Ground Battles.
F3H-2 — the Battle Rating in Air Battles has been reduced from 9.3 to 9.0. The use of AIM-7 missiles increases the Battle Rating to 9.3.
A-10A — the Battle Rating in Air Battles has been reduced from 10.3 to 9.0. The Battle Rating in Ground Battles has been reduced from 11.0 to 9.7. The use of AIM-9L missiles, AGM-65 missiles, or GBU-8 guided bombs increases the Battle Rating to 10.3 in Air Battles and to 11.0 in Ground Battles.
Saab F-35 — the Battle Rating in Air Battles has been reduced from 10.3 to 9.7. The Battle Rating in Ground Battles has been reduced from 10.0 to 9.3. The AIM-9B modification has been replaced with the AIM-9N modification. The use of AIM-9N missiles increases the Battle Rating to 10.3 in Air Battles and to 10.0 in Ground Battles.
Buccaneer S.2B — the Battle Rating in Air Battles has been reduced from 10.7 to 9.7. The Battle Rating in Ground Battles has been reduced from 11.7 to 11.0. The use of AIM-9L, AJ.168 Martel, and anti-radiation missiles increases the Battle Rating to 10.3 in Air Battles and to 11.7 in Ground Battles.
F-5E (Germany) — AGM-65D/G and Flz Lwf 63/90 missiles have been added along with corresponding modifications. Use of AGM-65D/G missiles increases the Battle Rating to 11.7 in Air Battles and to 12.3 in Ground Battles. The use of Flz Lwf 63/90 missiles increases the Battle Rating to 11.3 in Air Battles and to 12.0 in Ground Battles. The Flz Lwf 63/80 modification has been moved from tier IV to tier III, and the unguided rocket and AGM-65B missile modifications have been moved from tiers II–IV to tiers I–III respectively.
F-2 ADTW — AAM-4 missiles have been added. Battle Rating in Ground Battles has been reduced from 12.7 to 12.0. The use of AAM-4 missiles increases the Battle Rating to 14.0 in Air Battles and to 13.0 in Ground Battles. The use of a targeting pod and JDAM bombs increases the Battle Rating to 13.7 in Air Battles and to 12.7 in Ground Battles.

Customization

The first animated player icon frames have been added. They can be obtained by completing a certain number of missions with an activity level of at least 50%, or purchased for 1,000 Golden Eagles.
New decorations for ground vehicles have been added, available for purchase with Golden Eagles: Taxi Roof Sign, Taxi Roof Sign (Type 2), Emergency vehicle lighting (blue), Police vehicle lighting, Buffalo horns.
New decals have been added, which can be obtained by completing tasks or purchased with Golden Eagles
- Aviation: Italy, Indonesia
- Ground vehicles: Japan, Finland, Thailand, Indonesia, Greece.

Interface

A timer until the next stage of overheating has been added to the aircraft HUD in the top-left corner near the temperature readings of the engines.
In the targeting pod view, a frame around the target and the crosshair now flash indicating the impossibility of ATGM and guided bomb launch due to current targeting point or target being outside of the launch window, both angle and distance-wise.

Game mechanics

A “Daily Login Streak Freeze” feature has been added to the game: one “Freeze” is granted for every 12 days of logging into the game, and an account can hold a maximum of 30 “Freezes”. If you miss a day, a “Freeze” is automatically consumed, preventing your daily login streak from resetting. The number of available and used “Freezes” is displayed in the “Daily Reward” window.
In the Assault: Air Arcade mode, top tier (6.7–12.7) has been split into three separate ranges: 6.7–8.0, 8.3–9.7, and 10.0–12.7, bringing the total number of tiers to 7. In these tiers, the player’s base is attacked by Tu-95M + IL-28Sh and B-52H + B-66B aircraft. The bombers in these new tiers will periodically deploy countermeasures.
The Battle Rating of helicopters in Arcade Battles has been set to the values from Realistic Battles.
Helicopter PvE now has three Battle Rating brackets instead of two: up to 9.7, 10.0-11.7, 12.0 and above.
The composition of enemy ground vehicles in helicopter PvE has been updated according to the new BR brackets: in the lower bracket, players face USSR vehicles, in the middle one the opposing team has US vehicles, and in the top one, Swedish.
A bug that caused base AA to not appear in helicopter PvE missions has been fixed. Now each base is covered by two SPAA or SAMs, depending on the BR bracket.
The markers of enemy aircraft carriers on the tactical map now fall under the same display rules as usual targets: the enemy’s aircraft carrier only becomes visible on the map when it’s spotted and disappears when contact with it is lost. Allied carriers are always visible on the map as before.
A more advanced DIRCM simulation has been implemented for the following vehicles: Puma (all variants), AH-64E (all variants), AW249 Fenice, Ka-52, Mi-28NM, Mi-8AMTSh-VN, Z-10ME.
- DIRCM is now available once the MAWS/DIRCM modification is unlocked. It replaces the previous MAWS-only modification on vehicles that had one.
- The jammer turrets are now animated for: Puma (all variants), Ka-52.
- Jammer beams are now visible in the RWR scope and in the sensor view in replays.
- Jammer visual effects are now visible in night vision view, and for some jammers also in thermal view.
- The system:
  - assigns a threat from the MAWS to the jammer pointing closest to it.
  - drops the threat if it veers off course or stops approaching.
- Each jammer:
  - is limited to its own sectors.
  - can’t engage threats through the carrying vehicle itself.
  - can only actively engage one threat at a time. It may, however, still jam multiple threats if they are very close together.
  - has a limited slewing speed.
  - is damaged separately. Destroying one jammer will not disable the others.
  - has its own beam-width. Lamp-based DIRCM has a wider beam-width than laser-based DIRCM.

Graphical

The system for tank accumulation of dirt (sand/snow) during prolonged movement has been improved: the underlying mechanism has been reworked, textures have been enhanced, and the visual appearance has been fine-tuned for different types of tanks.
Following an explosion or a shell impact, the smoke no longer vanishes as a single cloud. Instead, it continues to rise from the blast site for some time, is carried off by the wind, and gradually dissipates.
A complete overhaul of firing effects for all calibers has been carried out, from 12 mm tank machine guns to 460 mm battleship cannons. This includes new smoke, propellant gases, sparks, and heat haze (air distortion). Muzzle flashes are now sharper and more detailed, making every shot feel significantly more powerful. Firing naval guns now interacts with the water in a new way: a voluminous layer of foam forms beneath the muzzle blast, which is illuminated from within and dampens the surrounding waves.
Smoke from the nozzle now trails strictly along the body of the rocket or jet aircraft. During maneuvers and launches at an angle, the trail appears physically accurate.
When the engines of ground vehicles are started, and also at high RPM, flames shoot out from the exhaust pipes.
Smoke and fire emanating from holes in an aircraft’s fuselage and wings have been reworked and now feature more detail.
Impacts from high-explosive or incendiary bullets now produce a bright flash. This is visible on aircraft, ground vehicles, and the ground itself.
The smoke trails left by bullets in the air have been reworked. They are now illuminated by the sun, shaped by wind and turbulence, and gradually dissipate over time. When viewed through a scope, the trail near the camera fades out smoothly, ensuring it does not obstruct the view.
Shadows cast by streetlights, spotlights, and lamps have become softer and neater.

Sound

Radar warning receiver (RWR), laser warning system (LWS) and missile approach warning system (MAWS) suites for aircraft, helicopters and ground vehicles have been updated with unique audio alerts. They either match the real-world systems or, where data is limited, reconstructed based on available descriptions and accounts. These unique sound sets can be enabled via a new option in the game’s audio settings (disabled by default).
P-51 Mustang series aircraft now produce a distinctive whistling sound while in flight.
Meteor series series aircraft now produce a distinctive wailing sound in flight.
The Hawker Hunter series of aircraft have received the distinctive howling sound in flight.
The F4U, F2G Corsair series of aircraft have received the distinctive whistling sound in flight.
The voices of Greek ground vehicle crews have been recorded in Greek.
The crews of Indonesian ground vehicles have received updated voiceovers. Numerous adjustments have been made, many based on player feedback.

Which part of Eagle’s Shadow stands out to you, the loadout-based ratings, the ground-vehicle changes, or the new vehicles? Follow along as the update’s new systems settle into the game on X, Bluesky, YouTube, Instagram, Steam, and Telegram.

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
Age Rating