Hello Gaijin Team,
I’d like to share some feedback and ideas regarding the upcoming infantry mode, mainly focused on tactical gameplay and combined-arms cooperation.
I believe that clearly defined, team-oriented roles would make the gameplay far more engaging. For example, IFVs and APCs could serve as forward spawn points while providing suppressive fire on enemy positions. This would give vehicle players a meaningful way to support their team beyond simply chasing kills, while encouraging cooperation between infantry and armor.
To support this style of play, larger maps with higher player counts would work well, allowing for slower, more deliberate and tactical gameplay instead of constant close-quarters rushing. At the same time, CQB and faster-paced combat could still exist through smart objective design — for instance, a large map featuring a city or town to capture, where tanks and IFVs control the outskirts while infantry fights inside. This would be similar in spirit to Enlisted’s Big Action custom matches and would highlight the strengths of each unit type.
I also think suppressive fire should be a core mechanic, especially for tanks and autocannons. Area denial and sustained pressure are often more effective and realistic than relying purely on direct hits. This could be complemented by partial building destruction, allowing tanks or explosives to damage walls or sections of buildings to create new paths, firing angles, or cover, while keeping destruction limited enough to prevent entire cities from being flattened. Together, these mechanics would add significant tactical depth and make coordinated teamplay far more rewarding. Importantly, I believe that only infantry should be able to capture objectives, while vehicles focus on support, firepower, and battlefield control rather than directly capturing points themselves.
Adding mobile and building-based spawn points, along with a light fortification or building system inspired by Enlisted, would further enhance strategic play and allow teams to properly secure objectives. In addition, allowing crew members to exit vehicles would increase immersion and open up more tactical options during combat.
Regarding repairs, I feel the system would work better if it were closer to Enlisted’s approach, requiring crew members to exit the vehicle and manually repair damaged components rather than relying on automated War Thunder-style repairs. It would also be great if players could use tanks they have already unlocked in their tech trees, including personal upgrades and customization, instead of being restricted to preset vehicles.
I would also like to mention aircraft balance. I think aircraft spawn points should be placed much farther from objectives, giving pilots enough space to properly engage enemy aircraft and evade SPAA missiles, rather than being forced into immediate and unavoidable threats. This would make air combat feel more tactical and skill-based instead of rushed. At the same time, limiting the number of active tanks, aircraft, and APCs on the battlefield would help keep the primary focus on infantry gameplay, with vehicles acting as powerful but limited support elements. A system similar to Enlisted’s could work well here, and it may also be easier to implement since the team already has experience with this approach.
Overall, I believe that focusing on teamplay, combined arms, tactical pacing, and balanced environmental destruction would make infantry feel like a natural and immersive extension of War Thunder, rather than a separate or purely FPS-focused mode.
Thank you for your time and for your continued work on War Thunder.
Kind regards,
A War Thunder player