World of Tanks' Big Graphics And Audio Update Is Now Live, Grand Extravaganza Prize-fest Starts Friday

Wargaming's big update to World of Tanks -- cunningly named "Update 1.0" -- is now live in North America and Europe. Using the new Core engine, World of Tanks 1.0 updates the game for 2018's graphical standards and a brand-new soundtrack, and Wargaming is offering prizes during a two-week celebration of the game's rebirth.

If you're in a mood for technical jargon, you can read all about things like "Virtual Texturing" and "Revised Tank Track Calculation" on the announcement page for the update. Maps have been "refreshed," which include some game balance changes, and there's a new map, Glacier. Despite all the upgrades, the announcement video insists that there's no change in minimum system requirements -- a boon for a game that's often been held back in its development by its need to run on low-end PCs and laptops.

To celebrate, Wargaming is holding a Grand Extravaganza for two weeks, from March 23 until April 6, offering in-game prizes like a Tier III premium tank and consumables. The ultimate prize, reserved for those who hit the tops of the leaderboards in their region, is an Alienware 17 laptop with an Intel Core i7 processor. That's for the player who collects the most stamps over the two weeks. The next 250(!) players in each region will also win an Intel Core i7 processor.

I know I'll be hopping into the game to see how the new update looks. How about you?