War Thunder to add custom Battle Ratings for aircraft in its next major update
Gaijin says War Thunder aircraft and helicopters will get multiple Battle Ratings based on loadout, starting with select models in the next major update.
Gaijin Entertainment has announced custom Battle Ratings for War Thunder on PC. The idea is that a single aircraft can now have more than one Battle Rating, depending on the loadout you choose. The first aircraft and helicopters with the mechanic are planned for the very next major update.
How it works
Researching specific modifications, such as more advanced weaponry, unlocks an extra Battle Rating option for the same vehicle. Researching one doesn’t force you up, though. You pick which configuration to equip in your hangar before heading into battle.
You can also drop back down at any time by simply not using the more advanced weapons. Any change to the Battle Rating will be shown when you select a configuration, and weapons that don’t fit that configuration become unavailable.
Premium vehicles are simpler still: all modifications are unlocked when you buy them, so you can start experimenting with different Battle Rating ranges straight away.
Examples from Gaijin
Gaijin used two vehicles to show the idea:
- Tiger UHT (Germany): with a base Battle Rating of 11.0, researching the PARS 3 LR missiles opens up a 12.7 option. Those fire-and-forget missiles let you duck behind cover after an attack. At 11.0 you keep other guided air-to-ground missiles, just not those.
- MiG-21 Bison (premium): the base setup sits at 12.3 without active radar-homing air-to-air missiles, as a close-range dogfighter with a helmet-mounted display and laser-guided bombs. Add RVV-AE missiles and it becomes a 13.3 fighter that can hit targets beyond visual range, while keeping everything from the lower setup.
Gaijin stresses these Battle Rating values and armament options are initial examples and may change during development.
What’s next
The mechanic will start with select aircraft models, and the full list will be in the update changelog. Gaijin says it’s considering bringing custom Battle Ratings to ground vehicles in future updates, for instance certain top-tier tanks, but aircraft come first.
