Introduction
War Thunder has always been special to aviation players because it lets us experience a huge range of aircraft in combat. Many of us do not only research aircraft for statistics, progression, or competitive modes. We play because we enjoy flying them.
However, there is currently a large gap between Air Realistic Battles and Air Simulator Battles.
Air RB is accessible, fast, and rewarding, but after enough time it can become repetitive. A player queues, takes off, climbs or rushes toward the same central engagement, deals with the same large missile exchange, and queues again. The current top-tier meta changes with every new aircraft, radar, or missile, but the overall match flow has remained very similar for years.
I have played War Thunder aviation for 13 years. I still enjoy flying, I still want to research new aircraft, and I still return to the game because there is nothing quite like it. But after thousands of Air RB matches, the experience can begin to feel less like flying an aircraft and more like repeating a progression loop.
Air Simulator Battles offer a much more immersive experience, but they are difficult to approach for many long-term Air RB players. Full-real controls, target identification, limited visual information, the need to learn a different control philosophy, and the advantage of dedicated equipment such as HOTAS and head tracking make Sim a very different game. It is not simply “more realistic Air RB”; it is a separate discipline.
There should be a mode between these two experiences.
The proposal: Cockpit-Only Realistic Battles
Add a separate air mode called Cockpit-Only Realistic Battles .
The mode would retain the accessible flight controls, Instructor support, progression structure, and general pacing of Air Realistic Battles. Players should be able to use keyboard and mouse exactly as they do in Air RB.
The defining rule would be simple:
Every player is locked to cockpit view for the entire battle.
This would let players experience the aircraft from the pilot’s perspective while keeping the game accessible to the existing Air RB player base.
Key rules
- Cockpit view is mandatory for all players.
- Air RB flight controls and Instructor support remain available.
- Keyboard and mouse controls remain fully supported.
- Full-real controls, HOTAS, VR, or head tracking are not required.
- Enemy aircraft should remain identifiable through practical Air RB-style spotting.
- Players should be able to detect enemies through radar, RWR, datalink, and visual contact from the cockpit.
- The mode should not require the same difficult target identification and limited visibility rules used in Air Simulator Battles.
- RP and SL rewards should be comparable to Air RB, with a possible bonus for the additional awareness required.
Why cockpit-only gameplay would matter
Cockpit-only view would make the aircraft itself matter more.
Modern aircraft in War Thunder have detailed HUDs, radar displays, RWR systems, MFDs, helmet-mounted sights, and carefully modeled cockpit layouts. In normal Air RB, players rarely need to interact with this environment meaningfully because third-person view provides extremely strong situational awareness.
A cockpit-only mode would make radar use, RWR awareness, visual scanning, positioning, formation flying, and target prioritization more important. It would also create a more natural pace without needing to artificially nerf missiles, aircraft, or radar systems.
The goal is not to make modern combat slow or remove the danger of radar missiles. The goal is to make players feel that they are inside the aircraft and flying it, rather than looking above it while waiting for the next compressed missile exchange.
Why this matters beyond the current top-tier meta
This suggestion is not about whether the Rafale, Eurofighter, Su-30SM2, F-15, AIM-120D, MICA, or any other current aircraft and missile is too strong.
The meta will always change. New aircraft will arrive, missiles will be adjusted, and different nations will rise or fall in effectiveness.
The issue is that the current Air RB structure creates almost the same experience regardless of the meta: large teams quickly merge into the same area, multiple missile engagements overlap, players die quickly, and the match often ends before the aircraft can be properly experienced.
Many aviation players see a great aviation video, a film scene, an edit, or a real cockpit clip and feel the urge to fly. War Thunder should be the ideal game for that feeling. Yet normal Air RB often does not provide it, while Sim can demand a level of commitment that many players cannot make during the limited time they have to play.
Cockpit-Only Realistic Battles could give those players a reason to queue for aviation because they want to fly, not only because they need RP for the next vehicle.
Expected benefits
- A more immersive and tactical alternative to normal Air RB.
- An accessible bridge for players interested in cockpit gameplay but not ready for full Sim.
- Greater value for cockpits, HUDs, radars, RWRs, MFDs, and datalink systems already modeled in War Thunder.
- A more meaningful progression experience for players who enjoy flying aircraft but are tired of repetitive Air RB match flow.
- A mode that can support both casual aviation players and experienced Squadron Battles players who want a more engaging way to research aircraft.
Air RB and Air Simulator Battles should both remain available in their current forms. Cockpit-Only Realistic Battles would give aviation players a third option: an experience that is immersive, accessible, rewarding, and built around actually flying the aircraft.
Poll
Would you like to see Cockpit-Only Realistic Battles added as a separate air game mode?
- Yes, with standard Air RB controls and spotting.
- Yes, but with smaller teams and a more tactical match structure.
- No, I prefer the current Air RB and Air Simulator Battle options.