Version 0.5.1 is On the Horizon

Pilots!

We are happy to announce the upcoming release of the latest version for the World of Warplanes Open Beta. The arrival of Update 0.5.1 is just around the corner and will bring fresh content, including new planes, improved economics, better physics, as well as visual enhancements to sea-based maps like Bay and Pacific Ocean.

New Yak Planes

If you’re a fan of Soviet planes, you’ll be pleased to hear that we are extending the Russian line to include the Yak aircraft! 10 new light fighters, ranging from tier IV-X, add them to your hangar as quickly as possible to experience fast-paced low altitude dogfighting action.

What makes the Yak line so special is its versatility at tiers V-VII. Here you'll find a total of six aircraft with varying characteristics, rendering each one of them unique. Try out the more maneuverable but lightly armed Yak-1, Yak-1M and Yak-3, or the slower but high powered Yak-7, Yak-9 or Yak-9U, which  are capable of mounting 37 mm or even 45 mm caliber guns. Whether you’re a speed demon or more a fan of sniper-like shooting, there’s a Yak for every pilot out there.

Jet-powered Yaks begin at tier VIII with the Yak 15, the first soviet single-engine fighter, marking the transition from pistons to jets. Lastly, at the upper tiers, you’ll encounter the Yak-19 and 30. Both are excellent low-altitude fighters with high maneuverability, designed for short distance dogfights. Their powerful engines and low weight give them solid acceleration values and make them fun to play. 

I-17

Yak-1

Yak-9

Yak-15

Yak-19

Yak-30

Fly Through a Dynamic Battlefield

With the 0.5.1 Update we continue our work to improve the atmosphere, immersing the player deeper into the action. The ships on maps like Bay and Pacific Ocean will now be involved in some thrilling background fights. You will even be able to spot artillery fire on Bay, giving hell to NPC-warships in the coastal region. All ground objects (and ships) will now be able to be set on fire. At the same time, in order eliminate confusion, we’ve reworked the gameplay to have only objects that were actually hit by real players generate smoke, to properly indicate their status. This should help with the understanding of the overall battle situation and increase the role of ground attack aircraft.

New Equipment and Ammunition Belts

Another big part of this update will be the introduction of seven new pieces of equipment, letting you personalize your plane’s performance even further. Increase your survival chances by installing improved armored glass, additional armor plates, an automatic fire extinguisher or neutralizing gas for the fuel tank. The Pneumatic Restarter will allow you to jump start your engine, should it become damaged during battle.

There will also be a unification of the ammunition system. This will streamline the ammo availability rules and also add new types of ammo to the game, meaning you will now have even more control over your firepower. A total of five ammunition types, including the newly introduced armor-piercing and HE-shells, will bring a new dimension to the game, because of their different characteristics.

Crew Skills

Crew Skills and Training made their first appearance in Version 0.5.0 and will be updated further. Expect to see basic barracks functionality as well as new skills for your squads once you’ve trained them to 100% qualification.

Assign your crews individually, train and retrain them as you wish, and move them from one aircraft to another (within the same nation of course). Functions such as the resetting of skills, sending a crew to the barracks, or even dismissing it, will now be available.

Five new skills of level 2 will be added in 0.5.1 as well: two for the navigator (Bombardier and Veteran), two for the Pilot (Mentor and Sniper) and the universal Firefighter Skill for any crew member. Veteran will help with the control of a damaged aircraft. Mentor will allow for faster crew training. Sniper and Bombardier on the other hand will strengthen the airplane’s firepower and improve gun, bomb, and rocket accuracy.

Improved Flight Model

This update also brings new changes to the game’s economy, tweaks to the physics system and balance for almost all of the available aircraft to adjust for the introduction of the new Yak line.

The flight model has been thoroughly checked, to improve aircraft behavior in difficult conditions such as turns with high angles, pitching, rolling or diving. High-speed aircraft, such as the He. 100 for example, will see their turning speed slow down a bit, while planes that usually don’t reach top velocity (A6M1 for example) will get a slight boost in the same category. The I-16 will now have a much smaller turning radius than the Bf 109 for example, whilst maintaining the same speed when entering a turn. Escaping a fast-paced dogfight will be now more challenging on the quick Soviet fighters, which will make maintaining the optimal speed of your aircraft more important.

The role of altitude is also being reconsidered. Starting with 0.5.1, altitude will have a much greater impact on a plane’s maneuverability and overall flight characteristics. Luring your enemy into an altitude, which is less optimal for his aircraft’s performance, will now be a viable fighting tactic.

Get airborne!