Are you ready to prove that you are the best of the best, Commanders?

Steel Hunter, one of the most exciting modes in World of Tanks, is returning to the game with a series of important changes. Instead of several separate Stages, Steel Hunter will run for a whole month and kick off immediately after the release of Update 1.17. A fresh map, three brand-new tanks with unique abilities, and a completely reworked economy—but still only one winner! Welcome to Steel Hunter 2022!

Steel Hunter: Event Summary

• You are one of 20 players fighting for victory. It’s every Steel Hunter for themselves!
• Choose to fight solo or join one of 10 two-player Platoons.
• Your main goal is to survive at all costs and become the last Steel Hunter standing.
• Collect special objects (loot) that randomly spawn on the map. These objects contain resources, Combat XP, and combat ability charges. You can also pick up loot from destroyed vehicles (Spoils of War), which are now depicted on the minimap.
• The most valuable loot type is the Airdrop. Many players will want to get their hands on Airdrops, so you'll have to push yourself to the limit to get to them first.
• You'll be able to upgrade your vehicles while in battle and get stronger with each new tier.
• Battles will unfold on three huge maps (including a fresh one), the playable areas of which will shrink with time. Escape the Destruction Zones that will gradually cause damage until your vehicle is destroyed.
• The total battle time is 15 minutes. Before each battle, you can choose from several spawn points on the map.
• You’ll also be able to earn Battle Pass Points when playing Steel Hunter.
• Steel Hunter will have its own in-game currency—Steel Seals—for renting mighty event vehicles. You can also earn credits and bonds for completing special daily missions available in the mode.
• You will receive Steel Hunter Tokens for completing certain daily missions. Use them to redeem three stunning 2D styles exclusive to Steel Hunter.

How to Start Playing

1. In your Garage, choose “Steel Hunter” in the mode selection menu to the right of the “Battle!” button.

2. You can also enter battles as a two-player Platoon.

Maps and Reworked Danger Zone Mechanics

In addition to the two existing maps, Dreamland and Arzagir 4.04, we’re adding a new map called Firnulfir with a different setting and unique game atmosphere. This unforgiving yet picturesque Scandinavian tundra will enchant you with its northern landscapes, frozen ponds, and small abandoned settlements. Despite the cold, you’re sure to stay warm while driving nonstop to avoid strikes from other Steel Hunters. Firnulfir will offer players a fresh gameplay experience and many opportunities to experiment with all kinds of tactics.

Dreamland minimap

Arzagir 4.04 minimap

Firnulfir minimap

We’ve also reworked the Danger Zone mechanics. These zones will now close faster, depending on the number of players on the battlefield. So, the fewer the players, the quicker you’ll have to move to escape the Danger Zones. All three maps shrink with time, leaving less space to play and survive. If you’re in an area that turns orange, that means it is about to become a Danger Zone and you need to leave it as soon as possible. When a Danger Zone turns red, it becomes a Destruction Zone. You will have very little time to escape from it, as shown in a countdown. Once the countdown ends, your vehicle will receive continuous damage until it is destroyed or until you have left the Destruction Zone.

Special Vehicles and Their Upgrade System

In addition to the five vehicles from last year, three brand-new tanks with unique abilities (more on them below) will also join the hunt in 2022:

• The Huragan, a versatile Polish tank
• The Bái Láng, a speedy Chinese tank
• The Beowulf, a menacing Swedish tank

All eight special vehicles available in Steel Hunter have different tactics, gameplay, and Abilities. Each of them can be upgraded from Tier I to Tier VII while in the heat of battle. Three of the vehicles will be available from the start, and the remaining ones will be available for rent .

To earn XP for these upgrades, you’ll need to collect loot and damage enemies. There are different modules available for each vehicle, and players can choose from two options at each tier.

Vehicle Combat Abilities

There are two Combat Abilities that are common for all vehicles:

	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.

 Each vehicle also has one regular and one ultimate Combat Ability unique to it:

Vision/Aiming Mechanics

The vision system uses Vision Cones. Here’s how it works:

• Enemy vehicles only become visible when they appear inside your Vision Cone, which is depicted on the minimap. This does not change when activating the Sixth Sense perk, as you will still only be able to see enemies inside of 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 vehicles in Steel Hunter are equipped with Radio Detection, which displays loot points (Consumables and Supplies), enemy tanks, and loot from destroyed vehicles (Spoils of War) on the minimap within its coverage area. To activate it, press the X key. Remember that when you activate Radio Detection, your current position will be revealed on the minimap to all players within Radar range of your position.

Looting

To upgrade your vehicle, you need to search for special loot points on the map. Once you reach these points, you will be able to collect loot that may contain Battle XP, shells, and charges for your Abilities.

There are four types of loot available:

Loot from destroyed vehicles (Spoils of War) is now depicted on the minimap. Collecting this loot will be riskier than before, but you'll also be able to take someone else's loot a lot faster (in two seconds) and more often. You can also collect two or more pieces of loot at the same time.

Crew

Crew members are exclusive to the vehicle they come in and can’t be dismissed, injured, or sent to the Barracks. They do not earn Crew XP, and they each have Sixth Sense as a zero perk. In addition, the following perks will be fixed for the Commanders of each vehicle:

Economy in Steel Hunter

We have completely reworked the mode's economy. In 2022, Steel Hunter will have its own in-game currency: Steel Seals . These can be earned based on your position in the post-battle ranking or for completing special daily missions. In this launch of Steel Hunter, you can only use Steel Seals to rent mighty event vehicles. The higher you place, the more Steel Seals, credits, and Combat XP you earn. And don’t forget that you can convert Combat XP into Free XP!

Steel Hunter will also have a permanent bonus to credits and Combat XP from WoT Premium Account and allow you to earn 50% more Steel Seals. Additionally, you can now take advantage of the following:

• Personal and Clan Reserves for extra Combat XP and credits
• A 15% bonus to credits and XP when playing in a Platoon

Three of the eight event vehicles—the Varyag, the Raven, and the Arlequin—will always be available in your Steel Hunter Garage. The remaining five special tanks will be available for rent. You can rent each of these tanks for a free test drive, but each subsequent rental will cost you a certain number of Steel Seals. The rental time is seven days.

Vehicle	Rent Cost
Walküre	650
Harbinger Mk. IV	650
Bái Láng	1,200
Huragan	1,200
Beowulf	1,200

Complete Special Missions to Get Unique Styles!

In 2022, Steel Hunter will still be closely connected to Battle Pass, and the Battle Pass Points you earn will depend on your position in the post-battle ranking.

Special daily missions will also be available in Steel Hunter. These missions can only be completed in Steel Hunter once per day, and successful missions will reward you with credits and Steel Seals. You can also complete additional daily missions for mastery and be rewarded with bonds.

You will also receive Steel Hunter Tokens for completing certain daily missions in the mode. Collect them to redeem three cool 2D styles available exclusively in Steel Hunter.

Steel Hunter Statistics

In the new Season, you’ll be able to track your battle effectiveness in Steel Hunter via the Service Record → Statistics tab in your Garage. Select “Steel Hunter” from the dropdown menu of available game modes to see the number of vehicles you’ve destroyed, as well as your average damage per battle, number of wins, and other stats.

Soundtrack

Steel Hunter will have a brand-new soundtrack to accompany the new map, Firnulfir. Its captivating tunes will instantly immerse you in the mysterious and picturesque Scandinavian landscape.

Get Steel Seals With Twitch Drops

In addition to earning Steel Seals through daily missions, as explained above, you can also collect up to 650 Steel Seals by tuning in to Twitch. The official English and German World of Tanks channels, as well as selected content creators, will have these Steel Hunter Twitch Drops enabled. The longer you watch one of the participating channels, the more rewards you can claim. Make sure not to miss out on these opportunities:

• 90 minutes: 200 Steel Seals
• 180 minutes: 450 Steel Seals

Steel Seals are used to rent mighty Steel Hunter event vehicles.

This is just the first wave of special Steel Hunter Twitch Drops, with another coming on June 24 when we'll be running the Steel Hunter Content Creator Tournament. We'll let you know more about that on the portal closer to the start of the tournament, so stay tuned! 

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 the significant 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 any problems and ensure you play with maximum comfort, change the graphics settings of your game client in accordance with the capabilities of your CPU and graphics card.

Good hunting, Commanders! Platoon up with your friends or go solo, and be the last hero standing!