War Thunder is all about mastering machines of death – whether that be trading blows in tanks, engaging in naval battles with warships, or dogfighting in the skies above with planes. However, what you never see are troops charging around the battlefield – that is until now. AI-controlled infantry has now been added to War Thunder, but it’s debuting within Gaijin’s idea of an April Fool’s Day prank – a World War 1 mode.
While War Thunder’s enormous roster of tanks, planes, and battleships all mostly hail from WW2 onwards, a brand new limited-time event takes things back even earlier. Titled ‘The Great War,’ this new event drops you into the Western Front of WW1 in a new fleet of ground and air vehicles from the era.
The war game has added seven brand new vehicles that you can unlock by completing stages for both the allied forces (Britain, France, and the USSR) and the German Empire on five separate days throughout the week-long event. These will be unlocked for you to use even after the event has ended, so you can take them in other game modes throughout War Thunder.
However, there are also some bonus air vehicles that you can pilot but that you can’t unlock. Both sides have access to a bomber plane, and there are also giant zeppelins to take control of as well. These airships can drop huge payloads on the battlefield.
You’ll notice a lot more than just WW1 machinery though. That’s because a brand new feature is debuting for the first time in this event. War Thunder now has infantry, which will see AI-controlled soldiers leap from the trenches and charge at the enemy lines. They’ll even attack opposing land vehicles with grenades, so they do pose a threat and aren’t just there for immersion or as something new to aim your tank cannon at.
Gaijin says that “very soon, a large-scale closed beta test of infantry will begin,” but that The Great War is meant to be an early showcase of what these units can do and how they’ll bring a new dimension to War Thunder’s battles.
Players have long-requested that infantry gets added to War Thunder, despite its focus on vehicles, and while it’s encouraging to see it finally happening, it’s also pretty funny (and anxiety-inducing) to see it launched alongside a WW1-themed April Fool’s Day mode. If this does turn out to be a very elaborate prank and the infantry are literally just for this WW1 event, I think Gaijin will have some pretty annoyed fans (and one pretty annoyed games journalist) to answer to!
The Great War event in War Thunder is live right now and runs until Monday, April 7. If you’re a fan of WW1 (maybe you’re a Battlefield 1 enjoyer, like myself) then remember that War Thunder is a free Steam game that you can jump into without paying a dime.
However, if it’s not quite your thing, our list of the best multiplayer games may contain something more suited to you. Be sure to also look ahead to what’s dropping this year with our upcoming PC games guide.
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