War Thunder updates with DirectX 11 support, gets 20 new planes and updated progression

As numbers go, 1.37 is pretty unassuming. In terms of game updates, it's the sort of number that would herald a percentage decrease in assault rifle bullet drop, the removal of Herobrine, or the fixing of a rare bug that caused all enemies to be jam. But major game changing features? Surely you'd save that for a proper tenth decimal place.

Not if you're War Thunder, apparently. Their 1.37 patch is a significant update, bringing fancier visual flair through DirectX 11 support, as well as new planes, a new custom missions system, and completely redesigned unlock progression. A developer video rounds up the changes of this numerically surprising patch.

While the fancier graphics and speedier optimisation are a nice touch, it's the progression system that will have the largest impact on the game. "We planned the new system from the very beginning of development," write Gaijin , "but we are introducing it now, as the number of available aircraft in the research tree is close to the original planned release tree."

To unlock a new plane you'll now need to research the previous one in its national branch. Planes have also been reorganised into five ranks, with various conditions needing to be reached before a player is able to unlock the next rank. Gaijin Entertainment say that the new system will allow players to better focus on their chosen branch, and that it will also level the playing field to an extent - ensuring experienced players won't have too much of an advantage come the release of the Ground Forces update.

For more details on the progressions system, see this official post , and head here for the full 1.37 patch notes.

Phil Savage
Editor-in-Chief

Phil has been writing for PC Gamer for nearly a decade, starting out as a freelance writer covering everything from free games to MMOs. He eventually joined full-time as a news writer, before moving to the magazine to review immersive sims, RPGs and Hitman games. Now he leads PC Gamer's UK team, but still sometimes finds the time to write about his ongoing obsessions with Destiny 2, GTA Online and Apex Legends. When he's not levelling up battle passes, he's checking out the latest tactics game or dipping back into Guild Wars 2. He's largely responsible for the whole Tub Geralt thing, but still isn't sorry.

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