A fierce battle for survival is about to begin, Commanders!
Steel Hunter, one of the most exciting modes in the game to date, is finally returning to World of Tanks in a revamped format. It features a shared progression with Frontline 2020, called Expedition, and it will consist of four separate Stages, with the first Stage kicking off on August 17. Read up on all the details of this engaging Battle Royale mode!
Steel Hunter Stage 1
17 August 2020, 05:00 UTC – 24 August 2020, 02:00 UTC*
CONTENTS
The Expedition Continues!
In addition to a bunch of in-game rewards (more on them below), during each of Steel Hunter’s 4 Stages, you can earn up to 3 tokens for a potential total of 12. Use tokens to grab any one of the three exclusive Tier IX vehicles listed below for 12 tokens each:
The AE Phase I |
The Object 777 Variant II |
The Char Futur 4 |
The start and end dates of the other upcoming Steel Hunter Stages will be added at a later date, so stay tuned!
Start |
End |
Ceasefire |
|
---|---|---|---|
Stage 1 | 17 August 2020 at 06:00 UTC | 24 August 2020 at 02:00 UTC |
Tuesdays to Fridays at 00:00 to 05:00 UTC Saturdays to Mondays at 01:00 to 05:00 UTC |
Stage 2 | - | - | - |
Stage 3 | - | - | - |
Stage 4 | - | - | - |
Steel Hunter: Essential Details
We’re sure you remember the basic rules of this mode, but here’s a quick refresher just in case:
- You are one of 20 players fighting for victory. It’s every Steel Hunter for themselves.
- Choose to fight solo or in one of ten Platoons of three (in this case, there will be a total of 30 players).
- Your main goal is to survive at all costs. Destroy all enemies and be the last Steel Hunter standing.
- Collect special objects (loot) that periodically spawn on the map. They contain resources, Battle XP, and vehicle upgrades.
- Battles will unfold on two huge maps whose playable areas will shrink with time. Escape Danger Zones as they will destroy your vehicle once the countdown ends if your vehicle is still inside.
- The total battle time is 15 minutes. Before the battle, you can choose from several spawn points on the map.
During Act V of the 10th Anniversary of World of Tanks, you can enter Steel Hunter by clicking on the 3D object in your Garage.
Maps and Danger Zones
In addition to Dreamland, a sinister new map called Arzagir 4.04 will appear in Steel Hunter.
Dreamland |
Arzagir 4.04 |
The same size as Dreamland, but set in a dangerous abandoned town, this new location will offer you a fresh gameplay experience and many opportunities to experiment with all kinds of tactics.
In a closed zone, your vehicle will receive continuous damage. You will have little time to leave the red zone.
In a yellow zone, your vehicle does not receive damage. But beware: a yellow zone can close at any moment. Think about your escape routes.
If you manage to take possession of an airdrop from a plane, you will get a significant advantage over the enemy. This is the most valuable loot type. It contains one ultimate Ability charge, one regular Ability charge, and a larger amount of Battle XP. It replenishes shells, restores HP, and repairs damaged modules. However, all players can see the airdrop point on their mini-maps.
Another hunter entered your Vision Cone! Note: enemy vehicles and loot points become visible only when they are inside your Vision Cone.
You can only see enemy vehicles that are inside the Vision Cone of your vehicle.
If you manage to take possession of an airdrop from a plane, you will get a significant advantage over the enemy. This is the most valuable loot type. It contains one ultimate Ability charge, one regular Ability charge, and a larger amount of Battle XP. It replenishes shells, restores HP, and repairs damaged modules. However, all players can see the airdrop point on their mini-maps.
A hunter you spotted with Radio Detection. Be aware that using Radio Detection will reveal your current position on the minimap at the time of activation to all players within Radio range of your position.
This loot type contains Battle XP, but less than other loot types. It does not contain shells at all. It also contains one regular Ability charge, restores HP, and repairs damaged modules.
This loot type contains shells and Battle XP and repairs damaged modules. There are many points with this loot type on the map, and it can be especially useful at the beginning of the battle when your vehicle is most vulnerable.
This loot type contains shells and Battle XP and repairs damaged modules. There are many points with this loot type on the map, and it can be especially useful at the beginning of the battle when your vehicle is most vulnerable.
This loot type contains Battle XP, but less than other loot types. It does not contain shells at all. It also contains one regular Ability charge, restores HP, and repairs damaged modules.
A hunter you spotted with Radio Detection. Be aware that using Radio Detection will reveal your current position on the minimap at the time of activation to all players within Radio range of your position.
A hunter you spotted with Radio Detection. Be aware that using Radio Detection will reveal your current position on the minimap at the time of activation to all players within Radio range of your position.
Varyag (U.S.S.R.) |
Walküre (Germany) |
Harbinger Mk. IV (Britain) |
Raven (U.S.A.) |
Arlequin (France) |
You can’t buy ammo or mount additional equipment or customizations on these tanks.
Each vehicle will play a different role:
- Survivor
- Hunter
- Scout
The Soviet and German tanks will perform more defensive roles, while the British and American vehicles are best suited for attacking and hunting. The French tank will serve best as a scout.
The Tech Tree for all vehicles has been reworked, but it still provides a meaningful choice of different playstyles each time you upgrade.
Varyag (USSR)
Engine
Radio
Hull
Turret
Gun
Engine
Radio
Hull
Turret
Gun
Engine
Radio
Hull
Turret
Gun
Engine
Radio
Hull
Turret
Gun
Engine
Radio
Hull
Turret
Gun
Target your enemies’ modules for a higher chance of causing critical damage! You can refer to the schematics shown in your Garage to find out where they are. Based on your feedback, we’ve now made fuel tanks invulnerable so that there will be no chance of fuel tank or engine fires.
Abilities
There are two Abilities that are common for all tanks:
Recovery. Gradually recovers a fixed percentage of the vehicle’s HP, but stops working if you take damage.
Repair Kit. Repairs vehicle modules (analogous to Large Repair Kits) and reduces stun duration.
The effects of Abilities that recover HP do not stack. If you use more than one at a time, the most powerful one will supersede the others.
Each vehicle also has one regular and one ultimate Ability unique to it:
- U.S.S.R.
- Germany
- Britain
- U.S.A.
- France
Ability charges can be found in all types of loot except Ammunition. Regular Ability charges are in Consumables, Airdrops, and Spoils of War, while ultimate Ability charges are only in Airdrops and Spoils of War.
U.S.S.R Designated Target Intuition |
Germany Designated Target Intuition |
Britain
Smooth Ride Snap Shot |
U.S.A.
Smooth Ride Snap Shot |
France
Deadeye Eagle Eye |
Ammunition Contains shells and Battle XP. Also repairs damaged modules. Marked by yellow smoke. |
Consumables Contains Battle XP, but less than in Ammunition, as well as one regular Ability charge. Restores HP and repairs damaged modules. Marked by green smoke. |
Spoils of War Contains all resources of a destroyed vehicle as well as one ultimate Ability charge. Repairs damaged modules. Marked by red smoke. |
Airdrops The most valuable loot type. Contains one ultimate Ability charge, one regular Ability charge, and a larger amount of Battle XP. Restores HP and repairs damaged modules. Many players will want to get their hands on Airdrops, so you'll have to push yourself to the limit to get it before they do. Also, all players will be able to see on their minimaps where Airdrops land. Marked by blue smoke. |
Vision/Aiming Mechanics
The vision system uses Vision Cones and it is one of the most important aspects of Steel Hunter gameplay:
- Enemy vehicles become visible only when they appear inside your Vision Cone, which is depicted on the minimap. Activation of the Sixth Sense Perk doesn't mean you will notice enemies. They must be inside your Vision Cone.
- If enemies are within 50 meters of you, they will automatically become visible.
- When enemies are within sight, their markers and HP bars are displayed.
- When aiming at an enemy, the vehicle’s silhouette is also displayed.
Radio Detection Mechanics
All special vehicles are equipped with Radio Detection, which displays loot points and enemy tanks on the minimap within its coverage area. To activate it, press the "X" key. But be aware that using Radio Detection will reveal your current position on the minimap at the time of activation to all players within Radar range of your position.
Reworked Progression system
There are 15 Levels in Steel Hunter, and you won’t lose Levels for poor battle performance. You can earn special Hunter Points that allow you to progress through the Levels if you rank in the top 5 (solo) or in the top 3 (Platoon) at the end of the battle.
You can also get them by completing daily missions available in Steel Hunter.
Upon reaching Level 15, you will receive special rewards—the unique 2D style* "Sword of Artemis" and Expedition tokens. With each Stage, one additional 2D style (Shield of Artemis) will be available for purchase in-game.
Steel Hunter Economics - Credits and XP
Expand
place |
Credits (Solo) |
XP (solo) |
Credits (Platoon) |
XP (Platoon) |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 |
26,000 |
750 | 26,000 | 750 |
2 | 26,000 | 750 | 26,000 | 600 |
3 | 26,000 | 750 | 26,000 | 600 |
4 | 26,000 | 600 | 21,000 | 500 |
5 | 26,000 | 600 | 21,000 | 350 |
6 | 21,000 | 600 | 15,000 | 350 |
7 | 21,000 | 500 | 15,000 | 200 |
8 | 21,000 | 500 | 10,000 | 200 |
9 | 21,000 | 500 | 10,000 | 150 |
10 | 21,000 | 350 | 10,000 | 150 |
11 | 15,000 | 350 | n/a | n/a |
12 | 15,000 | 350 | n/a | n/a |
13 | 15,000 | 200 | n/a | n/a |
14 | 15,000 | 200 | n/a | n/a |
15 | 15,000 | 200 | n/a | n/a |
16 | 10,000 | 150 | n/a | n/a |
17 | 10,000 | 150 | n/a | n/a |
18 | 10,000 | 150 | n/a | n/a |
19 | 10,000 | 150 | n/a | n/a |
20 | 10,000 | 150 | n/a | n/a |
- Devastate!
- Destroy!
Condition
- Cause 3,000 HP of damage over any number of battles.
Restrictions
- 5 times per day
Rewards
- 200 Hunter Points
Condition
- Destroy 1 or more enemy vehicles over any number of battles.
Restrictions
- Once per day
Rewards
- 100 Hunter Points
If you manage to reach the final Level and find yourself wishing you could earn more rewards, you’ll be glad to know that additional special daily missions with nice prizes will be available this year. They unlock upon reaching Level 15.
- Dominate!
- Devastate!
- Destroy!
Condition
- Be the top player or in the top Platoon.
Restrictions
- Once per day
Reward
-
25
-
in Random Battles
Condition
- Deal 10,000 HP of damage over any number of battles.
Restrictions
- Once per day
Reward
-
25
Condition
- Destroy 5 enemy vehicles over any number of battles.
Restrictions
- Once per day
Reward
-
25
- in Random Battles
Matchmaker Tweaks
Last year, some players reported that they faced issues with teaming as some Steel Hunters preferred to team up with other solo players/platoons to gain an unfair advantage.
Teaming is considered unsportsmanlike behavior, so we’ve taken measures against those who make the mode less enjoyable for responsible players. Thanks to a number of matchmaker tweaks, we’ve minimized the possibility of teamers being matched in battle. Another move we have made to minimize the chance of teaming is to make the ceasefire last longer during weekdays while letting you play longer on weekends.
New Soundtrack
Inspired by the visual features of the new map, Arzagir 4.04, we have created a new soundtrack to immerse you in this desolate Central Asian landscape.
These catchy compositions reflect both the ethnic music of Central Asia and the prog-rock of the US West Coast of the mid-90s. It has been brought to life by a symphonic orchestra, a defining feature of World of Tanks music.
Like the previous Season of Steel Hunter, heavy electric guitar riffs are used to mimic the sound of Central Asian folk instruments (gijak, rubab, and sherter) but with a modern twist. You’ll also hear the sounds of the Armenian duduk, which was carefully processed through a long chain of sound effects. Check it out!
We hope we managed to deliver the strong emotions that we ourselves experienced while playing Steel Hunter at the development stage and that these tunes will make your Steel Hunter experience even more enjoyable!
Performance in Steel Hunter
Steel Hunter will require more system resources than regular Random Battles. This is due to several key factors that are specifically related to Steel Hunter, including the large map sizes and large number of objects on them. Players with 32-bit operating systems and low RAM may experience some performance issues while running this mode. To avoid them and play with maximum comfort, change the graphics settings of your game client in accordance with the capabilities of your CPU and graphics card.
Get ready for new levels of excitement and prove you’re the most dangerous Steel Hunters in World of Tanks, Commanders!