Patch Notes

Main Changes

Onslaught: Year of the Phoenix

• The 2026–27 Year of the Phoenix will begin with the Season of the Azure Phoenix. Its Annual Reward is the Fireborn, a Tier X Chinese heavy tank based on the BZ-75.
• All players with at least one Tier X or XI vehicle researched will receive the Centurion Action X, E 100, and T110E3 as rental vehicles for Onslaught battles. They come with pre-configured equipment, crew, ammunition, and consumables.
• The Vz. 60S Dravec is no longer available in the mode.
• The regular Sand River, Steppes, Glacier, and Outpost maps have been replaced by nighttime versions with the following changes:
  • Maximum view range is reduced to 315 m, draw distance is reduced to 445 m, and all vehicles receive +15% to concealment both when moving and stationary.
  • The Comms Center Point of Interest and Divisional Radar Tactical Skill have been replaced by the Observation Post Point of Interest and the Illumination Flare Tactical Skill.
  • Illumination Flare lights up a selected area for 25 s: all enemies within it are spotted and take 10% more damage. Players from both teams can see the flare effect above the area, its position and size on the minimap, and which team it belongs to. The area shrinks over time.
  • Spawn, base, and Point of Interest locations have been adjusted.
• The Erlenberg map has been removed, while Pilsen and Airfield have been updated.
• Super Platoons are no longer available.
• New tiebreaker rules automatically determine the winner of a battle when time runs out:
  • The team with the most surviving players wins.
  • If still tied, the team that caused the most damage wins.
  • If still tied, the first team that destroyed an enemy wins.
  • If no winner can be determined, the match ends in a draw.
• Some Role Skills have been adjusted, but Role Skills for light tanks are unchanged despite new light tank roles.

New German Heavy Tank Branch

• A new branch of German heavy tanks will be added in Update 2.4. It begins with the Pz.Kpfw. 55 (Tier VIII) and ends with the Pz.Kpfw. Neu (Tier XI).
• The branch's researchable vehicles from Tier VIII, IX, and X will be available in the Common Tests with non-final characteristics. The Tier XI vehicle will not be available for testing.
• All vehicles in the branch feature the Shell Calibration System mechanic, which allows some shell parameters to be modified before firing. Parameters for different shells vary based on the selected firing mode, providing flexibility in a range of combat situations.

New Personal Missions Operation

• A new operation has been added to the Sector 3 Personal Missions campaign: Operation Fossa.
• It contains a total of 63 missions, divided into three series of 21 missions each. Each series is designed for a specific group of vehicle types and roles.
• Operation Fossa is completed independently of all other campaigns and operations. When it is activated, your progress in other campaigns and operations, including Sector 3, is paused.
• Each mission grants rewards upon completion, including Campaign Points required to assemble the Fossa VM 68 Tier X German medium tank. Campaign Points can also be earned by completing Daily and Weekly Missions.
• Completing every mission in all three series will complete the operation with honors and grant exclusive additional rewards, including a 3D style for the Fossa VM 68.

Arcade Cabinet: Neon Dash

• The Neon Dash event has been added, with support for additional vehicles and interface improvements.
• New vehicles scheduled for release, including new Tier XI vehicles, have been made compatible with the mode.
• The existing action for transporting the vehicle to the last checkpoint reached is now shown in the in-battle equipment panel alongside abilities. It is labeled Return to Checkpoint and is activated by holding the assigned key.
• A Return to Checkpoint slide has been added to the F1 battle help screen.
• The display limit for the pre-battle Return to Checkpoint hint has been removed.

Light Tank Roles

• All light tanks from Tier VI to Tier XI have been assigned one of three dedicated roles: scout, versatile, or support.
• A total of 33 light tanks from Tier VI to Tier XI have also received balance adjustments.
• Field Modification trees have been updated for the new light tank roles, including Dual Modifications for higher-tier vehicles and role-specific passive bonuses. Previously installed modifications that are affected by the changes will be automatically reset with full compensation in credits.
• Rules on the number of light tanks allowed in a Platoon have been changed:
  • Tiers I–V: No restrictions.
  • Tier VI: No more than 2 light tanks per Platoon.
  • Tiers VII–XI: No more than 1 light tank per Platoon.
• To reflect the new light tank roles, changes have been made to game interfaces, and role filter settings will be reset in players' profiles.

Spotlight

• The pre-battle countdown now features a short cinematic sequence that showcases three vehicles from the player's team based on their recent battle results, customization elements applied, and certain account statistics. This sequence can be skipped by pressing ESC.

Battle Pass

• Resources for Battle Pass Season XXI have been added to the Common Test.

Waffenträger: Genesis

• Resources for Waffenträger: Genesis have been added and the event will be available for testing.

Visual Effects

• New shot effects have been added.
• New effects have been added for penetrating hits, non-penetrating hits, and ricochets.
• New hit decals have been added.
• A new slider has been added in Settings → Graphics: "Effect and 3D Attachment Visibility."
• The checkbox setting "Hide 3D Attachments in sniper mode" has been removed.

Sound Effects

• Close gunshot sounds for all calibers have been reworked, updated, and rebalanced.
• Secondary gunshot reflections have been created for five types of environment and implemented on all maps.
• Gunshots can now be heard more clearly on open terrain, near mountains, in dense urban areas, inside tunnels, and in large hangars.
• The new content has been mixed and coordinated with the core game audio.
• Mix adjustments have also been made based on player feedback, and the tank movement audio systems—engine sounds and track early reflections—have been rebalanced in the mix.

Vehicles

• Newly added Tier XI vehicles will not be available for testing.

U.S.S.R.

• The following vehicle has been added: NK-1 (Tier IX heavy tank).

Germany

• The following vehicles have been added: Pz.Kpfw. 55 (Tier VIII heavy tank), Versuchspanzer 57 (Tier IX heavy tank), Kampfpanzer 67 (Tier X heavy tank), Pz.Kpfw. Neu (Tier XI heavy tank), and VK 45.01 (P) (Tier VI heavy tank).

France

• The following vehicle has been added: AMX 29 Bélier (Tier X medium tank).

China

• The following vehicle has been added: WZ-219 (Tier XI light tank).

Japan

• The following vehicle has been added: Ho-Ri Shugo (Tier XI tank destroyer).

Czechoslovakia

• The following vehicle has been added: Vz. 63P (Tier XI heavy tank).

Sweden

• The following vehicle has been added: BV-111 (Tier XI medium tank).

Italy

• The following vehicle has been added: CAV mod. 71 (Tier XI medium tank).

How to Join the World of Tanks Common Test

The Common Test offers a sneak peek at the upcoming game version before its official release. We're eager to hear your initial thoughts on the upcoming features, new game modes, vehicles, game changes, and more. This will help us understand how the community feels about the next update and catch issues ahead of time.

Join the Common Test of the biggest Update of 2026 and share your feedback, Commanders!