I think War Thunder should separate Ground Battles by map size, just like they did with the different game modes for aircraft.
Honestly, after 8 years of playing this game, I just can’t stand playing the same small and repetitive maps anymore. I’ve memorized pretty much every spot where you can sit and wait for an enemy to appear, and that kind of gameplay is just terrible to me.
I really only enjoy playing on larger maps, where you actually have to think about your strategy depending on the vehicles you bring into your lineup. Small maps heavily favor heavy tanks, and there is barely any room for actual strategy. We have completely flat maps, maps with almost no room for flanking, and at lower tiers there are barely any maps where tank destroyers can actually play their intended role as long-range vehicles.
And on small maps, the objective has basically stopped being the objective. The main focus is often just camping the enemy spawn.
Large maps are a completely different experience. Take Red Desert as an example. You have much more room to maneuver and more options for where you can spawn and leave the spawn area, which makes it much harder for the enemy to simply camp your spawn.
Another big problem is how many matches, especially at top tier, are ending in less than 5 minutes. Sometimes, within just a few minutes, players are already sitting near your spawn waiting for you to appear. Honestly, I don’t see what’s fun about that kind of gameplay.
In larger-map battles, you can actually see the battle develop. You can come back with a plane or helicopter later in the same match, try different strategies depending on your lineup, use a light tank, heavy tank or tank destroyer for different purposes, reposition your SPAA so it isn’t immediately spotted by tanks or aircraft, flank the enemy, change positions, and actually adapt to what is happening on the battlefield.
Some large maps also need to be reworked
At the same time, I think Gaijin needs to take another look at some maps that, over time, have basically turned into huge areas of flat, open terrain.
The problem isn’t just the size of the map, but how the available space is actually being used.
There are huge areas on some maps that almost nobody uses because they are simply too open and offer very little cover or meaningful positioning. In practice, you end up with a large map on paper, but a much smaller actual combat area because most of the map is simply too exposed to be useful.
Some examples:
Volokolamsk — there are areas that are way too open and flat, which makes them barely worth using because crossing them basically turns you into an easy target.
Surroundings of Volokolamsk — especially the area around C5, E5 to C6, E6 , which is extremely open. There is a lot of space on the map, but a large part of it is barely used because it is basically just an open field.
European Province — in my opinion, this map used to be much better. Nowadays it feels way too flat and has lost a lot of the positioning and movement options that made the map interesting.
Kursk — this is another map that needs to be reworked again. The map is large, but some of the objectives simply don’t work very well. Point A is an area that nobody really wants to risk pushing into, while Point C is extremely difficult to reach in many situations. Getting there often feels more dependent on luck than on having a consistent strategy.
I’m not saying Gaijin should simply make maps bigger. The available space needs to actually have a purpose. A large map should offer different routes, defensive positions, cover, flanking opportunities and multiple ways to reach the objectives.
My suggestion
I think Gaijin should create two separate queues based on map size to avoid this constant argument about map preferences.
I understand that everyone has different preferences. Some players genuinely enjoy small maps, while others prefer large maps. Larger maps also require more skill and patience because you actually have to search for and locate the enemy instead of having everyone within a few hundred meters of each other.
So my suggestion is simple:
Create two separate options for Ground Battles based on map size:
- Small Maps – for players who prefer fast-paced, close-range combat.
- Large Maps – for players who want more room for positioning, flanking, long-range combat and strategic gameplay.
And on top of that, rework the large maps that currently have huge areas of unused or nearly unusable terrain , so that these areas can actually become meaningful parts of the battlefield.
This way, everyone can play the type of battle they actually enjoy instead of forcing completely different playstyles into the same matchmaking pool.