Naval Battles to Set Sail Later This Year

Gaijin Entertainment has announced that naval battles will be entering War Thunder completing the trifecta of warfare from land, sea and air. The closed beta of "Knights of the Sea" is expected to kick off later this year.

Naval warfare will allow players to set sail in small vessels including torpedo, artillery and missile boats, coast guard ships and submarine chasers. The design decision to utilize smaller vessels came after internal testing revealed that large battleship matches took too long or were felt to be too slow. Developers felt that the fast-paced nature of smaller craft was more fun and interesting.

All nations in War Thunder will get naval forces. Invited players and those who purchase one of two Starter packs with unique ships, will be able to join the closed testing as soon as the testing phase begins later this year. The first Starter Pack includes a Soviet Project 1124 Armored River Boat. The T-34 turret and two 12.7mm machine guns allow the gunboat to efficiently eliminate enemy ships and low-flying aircraft; but the main destructive power of the Project 1124 lies in her M-13-M1 unguided rocket launcher, the legendary Katyusha.

The second starter pack includes the famous American PT-109, a motor torpedo boat on which the future US President John F. Kennedy served and performed acts of wartime heroism. During one of the operations the boat was subjected to a surprise ram attack from the Japanese destroyer, Amagiri. Despite a serious back injury, Lieutenant Kennedy acted wisely and decisively, saving all ten surviving crew members. In War Thunder, this boat is a fast and maneuverable ship destroyer. Her four torpedoes, each weighing almost 1,200 kg, come in handy for destroying large naval targets. Both ships will be available on the start of closed beta testing.

Learn more about Knights of the Sea by visiting the War Thunder site.