Dear War Thunder Team and Moderators,
Many long-time players still fondly remember the Arcade Squadron Battle mode, which once offered an accessible and thrilling competitive environment for thousands of players and hundreds of squadrons. This mode was not just a fun alternative—it was a dynamic platform for teamwork, strategy, and progression, allowing even casual players to taste competitive play.
We understand that this mode was removed due to concerns about balance—namely, dominant squadrons securing air superiority early in matches, and players allegedly using multiple accounts to boost squadron points. However, let’s look at the current state of Realistic Squadron Battles.
Today, squads like AVR (Avangard) are completely unchallenged. Every season, the top 3 squadrons are almost always the same, dominated by elite players. There’s little room for new or mid-tier squadrons to compete. And just like before, we have no guarantee that multi-account point boosting isn’t happening here either.
As someone who has been playing War Thunder since 2013, I believe this beloved mode deserves a second chance—with a few smart adjustments to address its past weaknesses:
- Limit squadron participation** from 128 players to 64 or fewer. This would help prevent the abuse of multiple accounts for point farming and foster tighter, more skill-based team competition.
– However, if reducing the 128-player limit is technically not feasible, an alternative would be to introduce larger rewards based on the actual time a player spends in Squadron Battles with their main account. This system would naturally discourage using multiple accounts, as only active, consistent participation with a primary account would be rewarded. - Introduce meaningful, larger rewards** to encourage players to improve and rise to the challenge. This would balance the dominance of top-tier players by motivating others to train harder and compete at higher levels.
There is a massive portion of the community that would gladly return to Squadron Battles if Arcade mode were reinstated. It was fast-paced, more accessible, and arguably more fun for the broader player base.
Please consider opening a discussion or poll about this topic. Let us, the community, speak—and bring back a beloved part of War Thunder’s history.
Sincerely,
A concerned veteran player on behalf of many.