Dear Gaijin Team,
First of all, as a long-time player, supporter and admirer, I want to express my sincere thanks.
With “Leviathans” and the introduction of iconic ships like the Bismarck, Graf Zeppelin and the Leviathan concept, you have achieved something remarkable. These ships are masterpieces. The attention to detail, the textures, the weapon systems – all of it shows how much talent, dedication and probably budget you have invested in the naval mode.
The ships not only look outstanding, they sound and feel majestic. And for that, I want to thank you,
also on behalf of many others who appreciate this effort.
But precisely because you have created all this, I turn to you today with urgency.
The problem – The ship is sinking
Despite this impressive achievement, Naval remains sparsely populated, lifeless and lacking a future
perspective. The statistics speak for themselves: – Steam regularly shows around 60,000 concurrent
players for War Thunder, but Naval is just a footnote. – After Leviathans, participation in Naval Arcade
and Naval Realistic even dropped further. – Matches are mostly filled with bots, and players leave after a few rounds.
The community calls it a “dead aquarium.”
And I must agree: as beautiful as the scenery is – it lacks soul.
The voice of the community – and it is loud
For years, players have been asking for:
– Convoy missions, where you escort or attack NPC transports.
– Harbor attacks, fighting heavy coastal defenses and AI fleets.
– Cooperative scenarios with real objectives, instead of just “capture a circle” and “sink bots.”
– Dynamic events with replay value and excitement.
“The naval mode looks great but plays like an empty aquarium.” – PhlyDaily
“Convoy missions would be easy to implement and finally give a reason to play more.” – MikeGoesBoom
“I don’t want another cruiser. I want to have fun with the ones we already have.” – Reddit thread with 500+ upvotes
“Harbor attacks with AI fleets could save this mode.” – OddBawz
On Reddit, YouTube and the forums, these wishes appear again and again – with hundreds to
thousands of voices.
In a Discord survey, over 80 % of respondents said they would immediately play
Naval if there were PvE missions – and would be more likely to spend money on the mode.
The hard truth
You’ve invested millions in this mode – in assets, maps, mechanics. But at present, this fleet seems to be
quietly rusting away. Ships, no matter how beautiful, don’t motivate if they’re just wasted in empty,
repetitive matches.
Many no longer buy premium ships because they know: “Why should I? The mode is no fun anyway.”
And so you burn money – not because your work is bad, but because you don’t give players a reason to
appreciate it.
The way forward
Naval has the potential to be a crown jewel of War Thunder.
You already have:
– the technology
– the assets
– the players (who are just waiting)
What’s missing is content that captivates.
Co-op and PvE content that offers tension, replayability and emotional connection could save this fleet.
And economically, it would pay off: Players who have fun spend more. Players who are excited stay
longer.
My appeal
Please: don’t let this fleet sink. Listen to the community, listen to the numbers. It would be a shame to
let all this excellent work rust away, when players and developers alike had the chance to create
something truly special.
Bring life to this aquarium. Make War Thunder’s seas a place players navigate with pride and joy.
On behalf of many players, I thank you for your time – and hope you not only read, but feel this appeal.
Sincerely,
Bullwyff