War Thunder Adding Battleships In Next Update, 8th Anniversary And Halloween Events Now

Naval battles in War Thunder are about to get a lot bigger, with the addition of battlecruisers and battleships to the water-borne arsenals of every in-game nation in the upcoming New Power update. Dubbed the blue-water fleet, to separate it from its smaller brethren, the coastal fleet, the two fleet lines will have their research separated, although ships of all classes will clash in battles.

The larger ships include the British battleship Dreadnought, the German battleship Westfalen, the American heavy cruiser New Orleans, and many more. Players can continue their progression with the smaller ships or leap right into researching larger ships. For a complete look at how the tech trees have changed and a list of everything that's going to be included in New Power, check out the War Thunder site -- specifically the Google Docs spreadsheet link.

While you wait for that update, you can take part in War Thunder's 8th Anniversary celebration, with discounts in the shop, available now, as well as in-game events that run from today until Nov. 2. You can get an "8 years of Victories" pin-up decal simply for participating in one battle.

Also, sliding in just in time before the end of October comes the "Tank Race on the Dark Path" and "Witch Hunt" events, which sound as if they'll be identical to previous years' events. For a different kind of terror, check out the "Phantom Menace" event. In this event, you'll take control of a nuclear submarine and destroy your enemies -- or get to the launch site and fire your nuclear weapons. Yay, mutually assured destruction!