We've got the Update 9.19.1 Common Test kicking off on 22 June at 19:00 CEST (UTC+2), packed full of improvements and new content. You know the drill—read up on the incoming changes, then take it for a test drive, and chime in on the forums to help us see the update through to release.
For this installment, we’ve focused primarily on fine-tuning the core of the game, following the feedback on 9.18. You took the time to play and explain your concerns to us, so now we are taking the time to respond to your feedback with some adjustments. The update also introduces a new training program for newcomers and 13 tank models reworked in HD. Let’s take a closer look!
Matchmaking System
Platoons: 9.18 stopped SPGs from forming and joining Platoons. This limitation was a temporary measure designed to help us better measure the impact of comprehensive SPG changes. In the weeks since the launch of 9.18, we've heard a tremendous amount of feedback on this particular change. Having analysed the data, we are returning SPGs to Platoons with a maximum limit of one per Platoon.
Vehicle types: Teams that were vastly different in vehicle composition used to be among the matchmaker’s most critical issues, which couldn’t all be resolved at once. We’re fixing this in steps. Update 9.18 significantly lowered the number of poorly balanced teams by adding tank destroyers to the list of factors the system considers when assembling two teams. Most feedback said it worked just fine, with the difference in the number of artillery, light tanks and tank destroyers going down to one vehicle at most.
However, it wasn’t enough to resolve the issue altogether. For example, a team with a scout at Tier X would be matched against one with a scout at Tier VIII, which could hardly be considered a fair situation. 9.19.1 ends this by introducing another new bit of logic that balances team makeups by vehicles types and Platoons within a tier. Every time the matchmaker creates a battle it’ll ensure both sides have a similar number of TDs, LTs, and arty on each battle tier. Let’s say, there’s a team with a TD at the top, two scouts in the middle, and an arty at the bottom. The matchmaker tries to mirror these when assembling an opposing team. Like always, if finding an exact match could leave you waiting, it loosens the rules to get you into a battle quickly.
Team lists are being restructured to help you get a better read of the battle, analyse the opposition and plan your tactics. Vehicles are listed beginning with heavy tanks. Right below them you’ll see medium tanks, followed by tank destroyers, light tanks, all the way down to arty. Vehicles belonging to the same class are sorted by name. Those that begin with numbers come first, followed by the Latin alphabet, and then finally vehicles named in Cyrillic at the bottom.
Boot Camp
The upcoming updates will mark the introduction of a new onboarding experience, which will deploy in several stages, beginning with 9.19.1. In it, we give you Boot Camp. Down the road, we’re planning to continue evolving the experience with more new training elements.
This first stage of onboarding invites newcomers to explore the game’s core mechanics by playing a series of four battles, complete with tips that explain gameplay basics and tactics using different maps and scenarios. To create a smooth learning curve, Boot Camp introduces the complex Garage interface step by step.
The course guides you through the Garage one function at a time, establishing a clear path first-time tankers should follow to get battle-ready. First, you explore the absolute essentials: purchasing and upgrading a vehicle, driving, shooting, armour types, dealing with critical hits, Crew training, vehicle upgrades, and consumables. Throughout the process, you get detailed information on the elements most relevant to your current stage.
The training ends in a final challenge: a full-scale 15v15 battle where you, alongside 14 bots, fight a team of 15 AI units. And these aren’t your regular World of Tanks bots. We developed a much more advanced AI for Boot Camp.
The onboarding experience is not just learning: you’re earning Credits, XP, equipment, consumables, and Premium Account time along the way. This will help you hit the ground running and get your hands on your first ever Tier X vehicle, fully equipped and with the skillset necessary to succeed.
Changes to Personal Missions
Update 9.19.1 rolls out a set of revised Personal Missions. Their difficulty level went up after the introduction of the improved matchmaker. The team went over your feedback and adjusted mission conditions to better reflect the current state of the game. Thanks for bringing the issue up and helping us fix it!
New HD Models
Finally, 9.19.1 rolls out 13 tank models in shiny new HD detail:
If you haven’t jumped into the Common Test yet, now’s the best time. We want to hear your opinions on 9.19.1. Trust us, we know you’ve got them. We see tons of suggestions, critiques, videos, discussions, and everything in between on the forum and social media, and use them to polish the experience moving forward. So keep it coming!
Discover how you can join the Common Test:
- How the CT Works
- Test Client
- Server Restarts
New to testing? Check out our handy guide to public tests.
Eligibility: All players registered prior to 22:59 CEST (20:59 UTC) on 12 June can participate in the test.
Feedback: please post your general feedback about the test version and bug reports in the special thread on our forum.
- Download the test client installer (4,9 MB).
- Make sure you pick a save location that is different to your regular World of Tanks game files.
- Save and run the installer.
- Run the new copy of the game. The launcher will download all the additional data.
- Log in and start playing.
The test server will be restarted regularly, according to the following schedule:
- First Periphery: 04:00 UTC every day. Average duration will be around 25 minutes.
- Second Periphery: 05:00 UTC every day. Average duration will be around 25 minutes.
- Central Database: 09:00 UTC every day. Average duration will be around 2 minutes.
The test server may be subject to unscheduled restarts and maintenance.
Patch Notes of the First Common Test
ExpandPolish Vehicles
- Added the Pudel (Polish medium Tier VI tank). Vehicle description: "A variant of the Pz.Kpfw. V Panther Ausf. G, the most massively produced modification of the German Panther tank. Two German Panther Ausf. G tanks were captured by Polish troops during the Warsaw Uprising on August 2, 1944. Rebels applied national colors and various emblems to the vehicles, which is reflected in the game. One tank was nicknamed "Pudel" (which means Poodle) and used in urban warfare."
- In that connection, the following will be also added:
- Poland nation in the filter of the vehicle panel;
- National crew (only the male voiceover will be available) with ranks and Personal Data;
- Polish camouflage patterns, emblems and inscriptions;
- National premium consumable: Bread with Smalec.
- The Polish nation will not be added to the Tech Tree.
Boot Camp
- Added a new functionality for newcomers and those players who want to improve their game skill. The Boot Camp will replace the current Battle Training. The tutorial in the Boot Camp will explain the basic elements of World of Tanks: driving, victory conditions, finding vulnerable spots in enemy armor, explanation of the View Range and visibility systems, purchase of vehicles and improving their technical characteristics, crew management, equipment, and consumables. The mode will be available when entering the game for the first time; for the rest of the players: the mode will be available in the "Esc" menu.
- Changed the mechanics of armor penetration indicator.
Stronghold Improvements
- In the Stronghold mode, the battle room Commander in the Advances can ping the strategy on the minimap before the beginning of a battle. All players in the battle room will be able to see these indications.
Matchmaker Improvements
- Matchmaking within particular tiers. The mismatch in the number of light tanks, tank destroyers, SPGs, and Platoons within each particular tier will be decreased. For example, this improvement will decrease the number of battles where one of the teams has a light tank at the top of the team list, while the enemy light tank is at the bottom of the team list.
- Added the possibility of inviting an SPG to the Platoon (the limitation is one SPG per Platoon).
- Changed the vehicle display order (within a particular tier) by types in the team panels. The new display order: heavy tanks, medium tanks, tank destroyers, light tanks, SPGs. Within a type, the vehicles are sorted alphabetically.
Improvements to Stun Mechanics
- Added convenient display of the allied SPG aiming area marker above objects and bridges.
- Damage caused by allied SPGs to stunned enemy vehicles in now counted when calculating Marks of Excellence on the gun. Now this damage is added together with damage caused to enemy vehicle upon track destruction and spotting, and the damage caused to the enemy vehicles.
- Changed the conditions for Gore's Medal: now it is enough to cause 2,000 damage without causing damage to allies.
- Separate options for Battle Performance Badges and total damage log to stunned targets were added to the Battle Notifications tab.
- Changed camera settings in the alternative aiming mode. Reduced camera sensitivity to minor irregularities.
Reworking to HD-quality
Vehicles reworked to HD-quality:
- SU-8
- SU-26
- M3 Light
- M4A3E8 Sherman
- M36 Jackson
- AMX 13 F3 AM
- AMX 105 AM mle. 47
- AMX 105 AM mle. 50
- Lorraine 39L AM
- Pz.Kpfw. IV hydrostat.
- D1
- Universal Carrier 2-pdr
- Churchill Gun Carrier
Improvements to Female Voiceover
- Completely rerecorded the Chinese voiceover with a new voice and required dialect.
- Updated the U.S.S.R. female voiceover. Rerecorded some phrases.
- Changed the radio interference effect for the female voiceover, following the requests of players. Now the female voiceover will sound clearer and accented.
Changes to Conditions of Personal Missions
- LT-7: The SPG Hunter for tile 4:
- Spot 3 enemy SPGs and cause damage. Destroy at least 1 enemy SPG.
- MT-7: A Surprise Blow, for all tiles:
- Cause damage to at least 1 enemy SPG.
- Destroy at least 1 enemy SPG.
- Cause damage to at least 2 enemy SPGs. Destroy at least 1 enemy SPG.
- Cause damage to at least 3 enemy SPGs. Destroy at least 1 enemy SPG.
- MT-8: Confrontation, for all tiles:
- Destroy at least 3 enemy medium tanks.
- MT-9: A Worthy Opponent, for all tiles:
- Cause at least 500 HP of damage to enemy heavy tanks. Destroy at least 1 enemy heavy tank.
- Cause at least 1,000 HP of damage to enemy heavy tanks. Destroy at least 1 enemy heavy tank.
- Cause at least 1,500 HP of damage to enemy heavy tanks. Destroy at least 2 enemy heavy tanks.
- Cause at least 2,000 HP of damage to enemy heavy tanks. Destroy at least 2 enemy heavy tanks.
- HT-6 (renamed and fully changed). A Two-Cause Meal, for all tiles:
- Destroy a total of at least 2 heavy or medium tanks.
- Destroy a total of at least 2 heavy or medium tanks of the same or higher tier.
- Destroy a total of at least 3 heavy or medium tanks.
- Destroy a total of at least 4 heavy or medium tanks.
Improvements to the Specials Window
- Added the functionality for automatic display of Specials sent to the Notification Center.
Changes to Technical Characteristics of Vehicles
Germany:
- Added the following vehicle: Tiger 217
China:
- Changes to Technical Characteristics:
- 121: Changed the depression angle of the 122 mm 60-122T gun from -3.5 deg. to -5 deg.
- 113: Changed the depression angle of the 122 mm 60-122TG gun from -5 deg. to -7 deg. (on sides)
- Added the new researchable Tier X WZ-111-5A heavy tank to the Chinese branch. The vehicle will be researched through the WZ-111-4.
Poland:
- Added the following vehicle: Pudel
