<s>
War	B-Application
Thunder	I-Application
is	O
a	O
free-to-play	O
vehicular	O
combat	O
multiplayer	O
video	O
game	O
developed	O
and	O
published	O
by	O
Gaijin	O
Entertainment	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
has	O
a	O
cross-platform	B-Operating_System
format	O
for	O
Microsoft	B-Application
Windows	I-Application
,	O
macOS	B-Application
,	O
Linux	B-Application
,	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
4	I-Operating_System
,	O
Xbox	B-Device
One	I-Device
,	O
PlayStation	B-Device
5	I-Device
,	O
Xbox	B-Device
Series	I-Device
X	I-Device
,	O
Xbox	B-Device
Series	I-Device
S	I-Device
,	O
Oculus	B-Device
,	O
and	O
Vive	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
spinoff	O
game	O
called	O
War	B-Application
Thunder	I-Application
Mobile	O
(	O
also	O
known	O
as	O
War	B-Application
Thunder	I-Application
Edge	O
)	O
is	O
under	O
development	O
for	O
iOS	O
and	O
Android	O
devices	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Developed	O
as	O
a	O
"	O
flying	O
simulation	O
game	O
"	O
,	O
it	O
was	O
previously	O
named	O
World	O
of	O
Planes	O
,	O
but	O
due	O
to	O
its	O
similarity	O
with	O
Wargaming	O
's	O
World	B-Application
of	I-Application
Warplanes	I-Application
,	O
it	O
was	O
changed	O
to	O
its	O
present	O
name	O
in	O
2012	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
War	B-Application
Thunder	I-Application
won	O
several	O
awards	O
following	O
its	O
release	O
,	O
winning	O
Best	O
Simulation	O
Game	O
at	O
the	O
Gamescom	O
2013	O
Awards	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
winning	O
Best	O
Game	O
,	O
Best	O
Developer	O
,	O
Best	O
Technology	O
and	O
Best	O
Sound	O
at	O
the	O
KRI	O
2013	O
Awards	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2019	O
,	O
War	B-Application
Thunder	I-Application
was	O
among	O
the	O
most	O
played	O
games	O
on	O
Steam	B-Application
with	O
over	O
25,000	O
concurrent	O
players	O
on	O
Steam	B-Application
only	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2023	O
,	O
the	O
number	O
of	O
concurrent	O
War	B-Application
Thunder	I-Application
players	O
on	O
Steam	B-Application
only	O
was	O
over	O
75,000	O
on	O
average	O
and	O
peaked	O
at	O
97,939	O
on	O
Feb	O
12	O
,	O
2023	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
These	O
numbers	O
do	O
not	O
include	O
console	B-Device
players	O
or	O
PC	O
players	O
using	O
the	O
Gaijin.net	O
service	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
of	O
November	O
1	O
,	O
2022	O
,	O
War	B-Application
Thunder	I-Application
had	O
over	O
70	O
million	O
registered	O
players	O
on	O
all	O
platforms	O
combined	O
,	O
out	O
of	O
which	O
160,000	O
play	O
concurrently	B-License
.	O
</s>
<s>
War	B-Application
Thunder	I-Application
is	O
based	O
around	O
combined	B-Protocol
arms	I-Protocol
battles	O
on	O
air	O
,	O
land	O
,	O
and	O
sea	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Vehicles	O
range	O
from	O
pre-World	O
War	O
I	O
to	O
modern	O
day	O
,	O
with	O
an	O
emphasis	O
on	O
World	O
War	O
II	O
,	O
the	O
Vietnam	O
War	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
Cold	B-Application
War	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Aviation	O
is	O
divided	O
between	O
fixed-wing	O
aircraft	O
and	O
helicopters	B-Application
,	O
fleet	O
is	O
divided	O
between	O
"	O
Bluewater	O
"	O
and	O
"	O
Coastal	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
single-player	O
mode	O
that	O
focuses	O
on	O
historical	O
battles	O
,	O
and	O
a	O
co-op	O
mode	O
for	O
battling	O
AI	B-Application
ground	O
vehicles	O
and	O
aircraft	O
,	O
are	O
also	O
available	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Events	O
in	O
War	B-Application
Thunder	I-Application
provide	O
custom	O
missions	O
,	O
usually	O
based	O
on	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
three	O
main	O
game	O
modes	O
,	O
but	O
with	O
alternative	O
settings	O
regarding	O
allowed	O
vehicles	O
,	O
mission	O
specifics	O
,	O
etc	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Examples	O
are	O
the	O
recreation	O
of	O
historical	O
battles	O
by	O
restricting	O
available	O
vehicles	O
(	O
e.g.	O
,	O
Battle	B-Application
of	I-Application
Britain	I-Application
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
"	O
tanks	O
"	O
also	O
had	O
overall	O
hitpoints	O
instead	O
of	O
the	O
usual	O
separate	O
modules	O
,	O
parodying	O
the	O
gameplay	O
of	O
World	B-Application
of	I-Application
Tanks	I-Application
,	O
a	O
big	O
competitor	O
to	O
War	B-Application
Thunder	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
For	O
2016	O
,	O
ahead	O
of	O
the	O
announcement	O
of	O
the	O
naval	O
forces	O
update	O
,	O
War	B-Application
Thunder	I-Application
offered	O
playable	O
18th-century	O
sailing	O
ships	O
fighting	O
in	O
the	O
Caribbean	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
For	O
2017	O
,	O
War	B-Application
Thunder	I-Application
made	O
playable	O
rank	O
IX	O
main	O
battle	O
tanks	O
and	O
attack	O
helicopters	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2022	O
,	O
Gaijin	O
introduced	O
a	O
Dune-inspired	O
game	O
mode	O
called	O
"	O
Worm	O
Thunder	O
:	O
Children	O
of	O
Arachis	O
"	O
which	O
involved	O
two	O
factions	O
fighting	O
over	O
cinnamon	B-Language
in	O
the	O
desert	O
while	O
also	O
avoiding	O
being	O
eaten	O
by	O
a	O
giant	O
sandworm	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2023	O
,	O
Gaijin	O
added	O
a	O
new	O
event	O
named	O
'	O
Mobile	O
Infantry	B-Protocol
 '	O
involving	O
battles	O
between	O
giant	O
mechanoid	O
vehicles	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Other	O
notable	O
examples	O
include	O
"	O
March	O
to	O
Victory	O
"	O
,	O
introducing	O
playable	O
mecha	O
composed	O
of	O
tank	O
parts	O
;	O
"	O
The	O
Pony	O
Nation	O
"	O
,	O
introducing	O
the	O
world	O
of	O
My	O
Little	O
Pony	O
as	O
a	O
sixth	O
playable	O
faction	O
(	O
2013	O
)	O
;	O
and	O
"	O
Gaijilla	O
"	O
,	O
featuring	O
a	O
battle	O
against	O
a	O
giant	O
Godzilla-like	O
snail	O
(	O
2014	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Gaijin	O
Entertainment	O
used	O
its	O
experience	O
with	O
its	O
previous	O
combat	O
flight	O
simulator	O
games	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
IL-2	B-Application
Sturmovik	I-Application
:	I-Application
Birds	I-Application
of	I-Application
Prey	I-Application
,	O
Apache	B-Application
:	I-Application
Air	I-Application
Assault	I-Application
,	O
and	O
Birds	B-Application
of	I-Application
Steel	I-Application
,	O
in	O
the	O
development	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
title	O
was	O
changed	O
to	O
War	B-Application
Thunder	I-Application
during	O
the	O
closed	O
beta	O
due	O
to	O
confusion	O
with	O
competitor	O
World	B-Application
of	I-Application
Warplanes	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Open	O
beta	O
testing	O
started	O
on	O
November	O
1	O
,	O
2012	O
(	O
for	O
users	O
from	O
the	O
Russian	O
Federation	O
;	O
the	O
global	O
beta	O
launched	O
January	O
28	O
,	O
2013	O
)	O
for	O
Windows	B-Application
PC	I-Application
with	O
about	O
200	O
aircraft	O
and	O
600,000	O
players	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
At	O
Gamescom	O
2018	O
,	O
the	O
planned	O
addition	O
of	O
helicopters	B-Application
into	O
the	O
game	O
was	O
announced	O
,	O
and	O
by	O
late	O
2018	O
,	O
helicopters	B-Application
were	O
fully	O
implemented	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
several	O
occasions	O
,	O
users	O
on	O
the	O
War	B-Application
Thunder	I-Application
forum	O
have	O
shared	O
restricted	O
and/or	O
classified	O
documents	O
during	O
discussions	O
about	O
the	O
accuracy	O
of	O
the	O
vehicles	O
depicted	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
January	O
2023	O
,	O
Raytheon	O
denied	O
media	O
reports	O
that	O
security	O
clearance	O
background	O
checks	O
for	O
jobs	O
at	O
the	O
defense	O
contractor	O
investigate	O
whether	O
applicants	O
play	O
War	B-Application
Thunder	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Date	O
Vehicle	O
Topic	O
of	O
interest	O
Description	O
May	O
18	O
,	O
2020	O
T-69	O
II	O
G	O
tank	O
Fire	B-Application
control	I-Application
A	O
user	O
leaked	O
classified	O
manuals	O
of	O
the	O
Bangladeshi	O
Type	O
69	O
II	O
G	O
tank	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
manuals	O
included	O
classified	O
information	O
about	O
the	O
tank	O
's	O
fire	B-Application
control	I-Application
system	I-Application
and	O
engine	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
July	O
14	O
,	O
2021	O
Challenger	O
2	O
tank	O
In-game	O
modelling	O
A	O
forum	O
member	O
claiming	O
to	O
be	O
a	O
Challenger	O
2	O
tank	O
commander	O
posted	O
images	O
of	O
classified	O
documents	O
pertaining	O
to	O
the	O
tank	O
on	O
the	O
official	O
War	B-Application
Thunder	I-Application
forums	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
June	O
2022	O
ZTZ-99	O
tank	O
Tungsten	O
penetrator	O
A	O
user	O
posted	O
an	O
image	O
of	O
a	O
Chinese	O
DTC10-125	O
tungsten	O
penetrator	O
on	O
the	O
War	B-Application
Thunder	I-Application
forums	O
,	O
sitting	O
atop	O
a	O
document	O
outlining	O
the	O
projectile	O
's	O
specifications	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Late	O
2022	O
UHT-665	O
Eurocopter	O
Tiger	O
helicopter	B-Application
Armour	O
layout	O
A	O
forum	O
member	O
posted	O
parts	O
of	O
the	O
armor	O
layout	O
of	O
the	O
UHT-665	O
Eurocopter	O
Tiger	O
,	O
which	O
is	O
still	O
in	O
service	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Both	O
posts	O
were	O
subsequently	O
deleted	O
by	O
the	O
War	B-Application
Thunder	I-Application
forum	O
moderation	O
team.January	O
30	O
,	O
2023Shenyang	O
J-8B	O
fighter	O
jetAvionicsThe	O
leaker	O
contended	O
the	O
accuracy	O
of	O
the	O
in-game	O
model	O
's	O
radar	O
display	O
,	O
and	O
linked	O
a	O
military	O
document	O
regarding	O
the	O
technical	O
specifications	O
of	O
the	O
device	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
At	O
release	O
,	O
War	B-Application
Thunder	I-Application
was	O
well-received	O
with	O
generally	O
positive	O
reviews	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
GameSpot	O
praised	O
it	O
for	O
its	O
variety	O
of	O
airplanes	O
and	O
visuals	O
,	O
whereas	O
IGN	O
criticized	O
the	O
user	B-Application
interface	I-Application
for	O
being	O
"	O
overly	O
abundant	O
and	O
cumbersome	O
"	O
in	O
contrast	O
to	O
the	O
"	O
sparse	O
in-battle	O
HUD	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
