War Thunder, Gaijin Entertainment's free-to-play military action MMO, has just rolled out its latest major update, and it's a genuine showcase of how much content the game continues to deliver years after launch. Following on the previous "Ninth Wave" update, the Heavy Cavalry update brings a massive wave of new vehicles across every domain (ground, air, and sea) alongside meaningful quality-of-life upgrades that make combat feel sharper and more authentic than ever.
If you've been on the fence about jumping into War Thunder, this update is as good a time as any to dive in.
New Ground Vehicles: More Firepower for Every Nation
Ground forces are getting some serious reinforcements this update. The United States adds two formidable new Abrams variants to its top ranks: the M1A2 SEPv3 and the M1A2 (Trophy-HV), both boasting improved turret protection and a new M829A3 APFSDS round with significantly more penetration power. Great Britain isn't left behind either, gaining the Australian M1A1 as a squadron vehicle and the M1A2 as a fully researchable addition, giving British top-tier lineups a serious boost.
Italy receives the Palmaria, a 155mm self-propelled howitzer built on an OF-40 chassis that slots neatly into rank IV lineups. Meanwhile, Israel welcomes the Singaporean Hunter AFV, a fast, nimble vehicle armed with Spike-LR ATGMs and a 30mm Bushmaster II cannon — perfect for players who like to harass the enemy from unexpected angles.
China gets the PGZ88, a radar-guided SPAA vehicle with twin 37mm belt-fed guns, while Germany's classic Hummel returns with its versatile 150mm cannon capable of firing HE, HEAT, APHE, and SAP rounds.
For collectors, the Puma u14 Pack brings a striking premium variant inspired by real-world camouflage used by Germany's 33rd Mechanized Infantry Battalion during 2022 military exercises. It's a great pickup for players who appreciate authentic, battlefield-inspired aesthetics.
New Aircraft: Jets, Trainers, and Precision Strike Options
The skies are getting just as crowded. The USA's F-101C Voodoo arrives as a blisteringly fast jet fighter, while Italy and the USSR each receive a nimble combat trainer (the M-346FA and Yak-130, respectively), both well-suited to their class with solid ordnance options.
Great Britain's Washington B.Mk.I bomber fills a long-standing gap in the lineup between the Lincoln B Mk II and Canberra B Mk 2, and Germany gains the Argentine IA.58A Pucará, a ground-attack specialist with excellent bombing and rocket capability despite its modest top speed.
Premium hunters will want to check out the F-14D Super Tomcat Pack, which comes loaded with AIM-54C+ and AIM-9M missiles, JDAMs, and excellent flight performance — a genuine threat in both Air and Ground Battles.
One of the most requested features finally arrives in this update: Anti-Radiation Missiles (ARMs) and Electronic Support Measures (ESM) capability, giving players new tools to counter enemy anti-aircraft systems by homing in on their radar emissions.
Helicopters and Naval Additions
Germany's rotary-wing roster grows with the addition of the Mi-24D, while the cockpits of the Mi-28NM and three Z-10 variants have received full detailed overhauls, making them more immersive than ever to fly.
At sea, the USA's USS North Carolina brings devastating firepower and solid armor to naval battles, while Italy's compact MAS 429 punches above its weight with a powerful 76mm gun. France also introduces the Jean Bart, its last battleship ever built, available as a premium vehicle with faster reload and improved anti-air capability.
Quality-of-Life Improvements Across the Board
Beyond new vehicles, Heavy Cavalry brings a host of features designed to make the overall experience smoother and more rewarding:
- Visual reworks for Ash River and Winter Ardennes, refreshing their look while preserving the layouts players already know.
- Arresting gear has been added to ground airfields, letting hook-equipped aircraft land more efficiently.
- Aiming points for salvo firing let players set up to 10 custom waypoints for GNSS-guided weapons, useful for navigation, target marking, and precision strikes.
- Missile parameter comparison tools, including trajectory and telemetry graphs, give players deeper insight into weapon performance before and during combat.
- Improved minimap tracking, showing missile names and velocity at a glance.
- Rewards for crashed aircraft, ensuring players get credit even when an enemy goes down without taking direct damage, as long as they're within range.
- Detailed internals and improved damage models for over 80 aircraft, along with new MFD screens for a more authentic cockpit experience.
- Man-in-the-loop guidance for TV and IR-guided munitions, allowing pilots to retarget certain bombs and missiles mid-flight for greater tactical flexibility.
On the technical side, Gaijin has also overhauled the compression format for all ground vehicle textures, switching from DXT5 to BC7 to noticeably reduce visual artifacts such as blocky compression and color banding, and has improved ambient occlusion for more realistic lighting on vehicles in low-light conditions. Note that this improvement requires a one-time download of roughly 20 GB (standard client) or 35 GB (ultra-high quality textures) to apply.
How to Get Started
Heavy Cavalry is available now, free to download and play. With dozens of new vehicles spanning every branch of service, plus a wave of features that add real depth to both ground and air combat, this is one of War Thunder's most substantial updates in recent memory.
Ready to jump in? Download War Thunder and see the full patch notes in the official changelog available on the game's website.
About the author: Staff writer at Wccftech. Love F1, PC hardware and AI/ML. Covering the hardware and general technology beats with a dribble of software.
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