Since the latest update, I’ve noticed a significant change in how kill confirmations are displayed. I reviewed a scene in the replay at 0.002× speed, and the result is crystal clear:
My tank is already exploding — turret flying off, full destruction animation in progress — while the enemy shell is still clearly visible in mid-air, several meters away from impact.
This strongly suggests that the server determines the outcome of a hit before the shell even reaches the target — at least from the client’s perspective. In other words, what we see on screen is a slightly delayed version of what the server has already processed.
Over the years, I’ve made several posts questioning why hit results in War Thunder are often so inconsistent. I’ve raised points about RNG, damage models, shell normalization, and other mechanics.
But instead of meaningful responses, I was usually met with fanboy comments like “skill issue” ignoring the actual technical issues being discussed.
And the best part: most of those threads were closed by moderators without a single answer to the core questions.
Now thanks to what is probably an unintentional side effect of the new killcam, I finally have what was missing all along:
Concrete, visible, and undeniable proof.
You can aim precisely, know every weak spot, account for distance, angle, and ammo typebut in the end, it’s still roulette, because you’re firing at a target that, from the server’s point of view, is no longer there.
My question is this:
Is this timing gap between server resolution and client display intentional? Does the server always resolve damage in advance, with the client simply showing the outcome afterward? Or is this just a visual artifact in the replay system?
I’m not trying to start an argument or make accusations — I genuinely want to understand the technical mechanics behind what we’re seeing.
Thanks in advance for any serious feedback.