- August 15, 2013
- Gaijin Entertainment
- 300h median play time
War Thunder
War Thunder is a gorgeous-looking and extremely competent flight combat game, though the lack of some of the PC version's game modes means it has yet to reach its full potential.
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About
War Thunder is a single player and multiplayer tactical shooter game with warfare and historical themes. It was developed by Gaijin Entertainment and was released on August 15, 2013. It received mostly positive reviews from both critics and players.
War Thunder is a free-to-play, cross-platform MMO game that simulates epic battles from World War II and the Cold War. Choose from a wide range of armored vehicles, naval ships, and aircraft, and take part in intense PvP or PvE combat across historically-inspired maps. With various battle modes and a thriving online community, War Thunder offers immersive and engaging warfare experiences.











- War Thunder features impressive graphics and a wide variety of vehicles, appealing to both casual gamers and military enthusiasts.
- The core gameplay offers a solid mix of realism and fun, with engaging mechanics and a massive variety of vehicles across different eras.
- The game provides high replayability through extensive vehicle options, custom maps, and community-driven content.
- The grindy progression system and aggressive monetization practices lead to a frustrating experience, often perceived as pay-to-win.
- Players report significant stability issues, including frequent crashes, bugs, and unbalanced matchmaking that detract from the overall enjoyment.
- The game's narrative and single-player content are criticized for being repetitive and uninspired, lacking depth and meaningful engagement.
- gameplay13,263 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
The gameplay of War Thunder is characterized by its impressive graphics and a wide variety of vehicles, offering a mix of realistic and arcade-style combat. However, many players express frustration over the game's grindy progression system, unbalanced matchmaking, and pay-to-win mechanics, which can overshadow the enjoyment of the core gameplay experience. While the mechanics and combat can be engaging, the overall experience is often marred by issues such as inconsistent damage models, bugs, and a lack of meaningful updates, leading to a mixed reception among players.
“I love this game! The semi-realistic damage mechanic and the breadth of vehicles make the gameplay incredibly enjoyable.”
“The core gameplay is solid, with a great balance between realism and fun, and the massive variety of vehicles across different eras keeps things interesting.”
“With realistic graphics and mechanics, War Thunder offers a detailed experience that appeals to both casual gamers and military enthusiasts.”
“While the game mechanics are great, the economy and lack of balance make it a "black hole" for your time and mental health.”
“But the ignorant BS, lack of proper gameplay modes that were present in this game's predecessor from 2010, amongst other issues, makes what could be an excellent game, a load of crap.”
“The grind is bullshit, and the gameplay is even bullshitier.”
War Thunder review
War Thunder rules the air but the lack of polish hurts, as does the dull ground warfare.
78%War Thunder Review
War Thunder soars high, even with the weight of its bloated menus holding it down.
72%War Thunder Review
For all of its variation in gameplay, War Thunder just never really feels very engaging. The extremely tactical nature that makes its closest relative so addictive just doesn’t exist, and while that’s not the only way to make a war sim entertaining, Gaijin haven’t offered a suitable alternative.
60%
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Frequently Asked Questions
War Thunder is a tactical shooter game with warfare and historical themes.
War Thunder is available on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Steam Deck, Windows and others.
On average players spend around 725 hours playing War Thunder.
War Thunder was released on August 15, 2013.
War Thunder was developed by Gaijin Entertainment.
War Thunder has received mostly positive reviews from both players and critics. Most players liked this game for its gameplay but disliked it for its grinding.
War Thunder is a single player game with multiplayer and local co-op support.
Similar games include World of Tanks, Enlisted, World of Warships, World of Warplanes, Heroes & Generals and others.





