Together with texture upscaling and new surface rendering options, the new version of the War Thunder graphic engine brings numerous minor features and improvements. Meet new visuals coming soon in the “Wind of Change” update!

Shock wave

The effect from a shock wave from tank gun firing and exploding bombs and shells is now visible on vegetation and trees, as well as on the effects of fire and smoke. For example, when firing a tank gun, you will notice grass bending along the blast wave. A HE round explosion near a burning vehicle will change the direction and speed of the smoke and flame particles. Aircraft bombs, when detonated, cause the surrounding trees and bushes to bend under the action of the blast wave - the more explosive the bomb, the stronger the effect!

We have also improved the effects of shots and hits. After an explosion of a tank shell, you will now see the effects of fragments hitting the elements of the game environment around the impact point. Shockwave impulse from gunshots and explosions now make leaves from trees around to drop to the ground.

Dynamic wind

Together with the constantly directed wind and the one-directional bending of the grass caused by it, the game locations will now feature areas with changing intensity and direction of the wind. Gusts of wind affect objects in the game environment - waves of vibrations from a dynamically changing wind pass through the grass and trees.

GPU grass

Before | After

War Thunder locations for mixed battles will now have the GPU-generated grass filler that does not affect the performance. The new grass exists alongside the regular one, enhancing the view of the ground, creating a juicy filling layer between the soil and tall grass. If a player prefers to disable the regular grass to improve the game performance, the land on locations will not be bare even on the low graphic settings. However, the GPU grass could also be disabled in the tank sniper sight, the same way as the regular grass, in order to avoid affecting the gameplay. It is worth noting, that the GPU grass is completely subject to physical phenomena that affect ordinary vegetation - it squishes under the tracks of tanks, swayed by the wind and bent down by the shock waves of close explosions and tank gun shots. Like the GPU objects you already know, the new grass will work for all game clients - both on PC and consoles. 

Shadows from effects

We continue to improve the visual effects of fires, flames and explosions. Now shadows from dynamic effects have appeared on the ground and assets of the game environment, organically fitting them into the overall picture of the game. The shadows from the large-scale effects are most  noticeable, such as an explosion of an aircraft on the ground, the destruction of a building in a cloud of dust and debris, and massive smoke from a burned tank. 

Area effects

The “Wind of Change” update brings a number of cosmetic micro-effects that improve the overall perception of the game world: floating litter on city streets, falling leaves in forests, wind-blown dust on sandy locations, sparks next to fires burning in locations. These effects are enabled only when the player enters their area of ​​effect and has little to no effect on game performance.