War Thunder's Ninth Wave major update is making a big splash across land, air, and sea

Ahoy, sailors! Gaijin Entertainment has launched a new update for its military multiplayer action title, War Thunder, with this latest major addition bringing improvements to all facets of the gameplay, but with a particular emphasis on the naval warfare element.

Known as the Ninth Wave, this major update introduces a slate of fresh vehicles for players to add to their collection, but it also brings enhancements to the core gameplay experience, with water effects seeing a huge overhaul. Ship captains will now notice that the open seas look more realistic thanks to a new effects system being incorporated that enables the geometric shape of water to change depending on the effect in question. This could be as devastating as a torpedo cutting through the waves before dealing an earth-shaking blow to a rival destroyer, or as minor as a raindrop hitting the azure blue surface. Whatever the situation, this new water effects system is designed to make naval warfare all the more immersive, delivering depth and detail like never before.

Similarly, and before we touch on the new array of vehicles that have been introduced in Ninth Wave, this major update is bringing both a visual update for the map Ardennes, which preserves the beloved layout and matches this up with a ton of extra detail in-line with modern graphical standards. And this isn't even all, as the map Rock Fortress is making a comeback after four years away, all with a similar modern visual overhaul and a few changes to the layout to ensure the map is a joy and delight to play.

As you can see, there's already a plethora of reasons to dive back into War Thunder now that Ninth Wave has made its arrival, but there are even more exciting additions to spotlight. With this update's emphasis on ocean-based warfare, you'll be glad to know that a ton of fresh ships have been added to the game, including the USS Helm, one of the few battleships to fight back at Pearl Harbor. In total, 10 new vessels have been added, including Great Britain's MTB-379, Italy's RN Saetta, and even France's Verdun.

Switching to the skies, there are a collection of promising additions to both the aircraft and helicopters ranges, with the highlight of the former including new Rank IX vehicles to further expand the newly-introduced tier of fighters. Capable of intense dogfighting and boasting immense firepower, the F-16CM PoBIT is a versatile American fighter that can utilise both AIM-120D ARH missiles and AGM-154A1 JSOW satellite-guided glide bombs. It's a true airborne predator.

But for those looking for something a little less devastating, Ninth Wave also brings four Hungarian aircraft from the Second World War, plus a handful of new Me 210s spanning the German, Italian, and Japanese branches. Great Britain isn't being left behind either, as the Australian F/A-18G debuts to bring modern tools and technology capable of disrupting the battlefield and particularly skilled in air-to-ground warfare.

To cap out the airborne additions, a Japanese helicopter is also being introduced, with the AH-64DJP (AT) able to fight on all fronts thanks to its Hellfire missiles and air-to-air missiles.

Don't worry, we haven't forgotten about ground vehicles, as a few new options have been added on this front. The USA now offers the M1296 Dragoon light tank that combines an unmanned turret with a 30 mm autocannon for nimble armored combat options. The Japanese tree is taking a more classic route this time, bringing the Ho-Ni II from World War II, while Germany expands with the sWaTrgInf, a wheeled boxer that combines a 30 mm autocannon and Spike-LR II ATGMs. Great Britain then rounds out the ground vehicle additions in Ninth Wave with the premium Vickers GBT155, a powerful Rank IV tank that combines a whopping 155 mm cannon and a Vickers Mk.3 chassis.

As you can see, Ninth Wave is another unmissable War Thunder major update. You can experience it for yourself now, by simply hopping into Gaijin Entertainment's military multiplayer action game on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, or Xbox Series X/S.