War Thunder Will Retire the Japanese Ho-Ri SPGs on September 1
The premium Ho-Ri Prototype is available at 30% off for 4,263 Golden Eagles until August 13 at 09:00 GMT.
War Thunder will remove the Ho-Ri Production from Japan’s ground research tree on September 1. The premium Ho-Ri Prototype will also leave the store on the same date at 09:00 GMT, Gaijin Entertainment announced in a Steam announcement.
Players who already own either vehicle will keep them. The Ho-Ri Production will also remain available to anyone who has invested research points into it, even if that investment is only one point. Existing owners of the premium Ho-Ri Prototype will retain access after it leaves the store.
Why Gaijin is removing the Ho-Ri vehicles
The two Japanese self-propelled guns entered the game early, when the research tree needed vehicles to cover progression gaps. Since then, War Thunder has received more vehicles around the Battle Ratings once occupied by the Ho-Ri designs, reducing the need for them in the tree.
Gaijin also says later research raised concerns about the historical basis of both vehicles. The developer now considers them inaccurate, including when treated as interpretations of designs that never reached production. The decision follows earlier removals such as the German Panther II and Flakpanzer 341.
Although the vehicles will leave progression and sales, Gaijin acknowledged their place in the history of Japan’s research tree and said they had served their original purpose.
Ho-Ri Prototype discount ends August 13
The premium Ho-Ri Prototype is available at a 30% discount for one week, from August 6 at 09:00 GMT through August 13 at 09:00 GMT. During that period, it costs 4,263 Golden Eagles.
Gaijin said it does not plan to return either Ho-Ri vehicle to the research tree or store in the future. That gives collectors one final opportunity to purchase the premium version before the deadline, while current owners can continue using both vehicles.
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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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