War Thunder Tests Regenerative Steering Before Deciding Its Future
The Dev server trial covers the Leopard 2, Type 10, and Type 90 tank families while Gaijin Entertainment weighs the mechanic's trade-offs.
War Thunder is testing regenerative steering on its Dev server before deciding whether the mechanic should become a permanent part of the game. The trial is part of the Sky Odyssey major update and currently covers the Leopard 2 families, along with the Type 10 and Type 90 tank series.
Gaijin Entertainment outlined the experiment in its Steam announcement. Limited testing has already started, but the developer has not committed to adding the system to the main game. Player feedback from the Dev server will decide whether it stays.
Most tanks in War Thunder currently turn by disengaging the clutch and braking the inner track. That effectively locks one side of the vehicle and costs speed and power during the maneuver. Regenerative steering takes a different approach by moving power between the tracks, allowing one to speed up while the other slows down. The tank can keep more of its power and maintain speed while turning.
There is a clear trade-off. Most drivetrain layouts using regenerative steering do not have side-mounted friction clutches, so the left and right tracks cannot brake independently. Instead, each gear has a fixed minimum turning radius. Lower gears allow sharper turns at lower speeds, while higher gears produce wider arcs. With rare exceptions, modern main battle tanks can have a minimum turning radius of nearly 30 meters when traveling in their highest gear.
That makes the test more than a straightforward handling upgrade. Regenerative steering can preserve momentum during movement, but its wider high-speed turns may change how players position tanks and react in close combat. The outcome will depend on whether that exchange feels like a better representation of modern tracked vehicles without making precise maneuvering harder.
Players who want to try the mechanic can use the instructions for joining the Open Dev Server. Gaijin is asking testers to use the affected tanks in battle and share their feedback through the forums, social media, the website, Steam, and other community channels.
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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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