War Thunder Updates and Ground Vehicle Additions Since 2022 - An Analysis

Game Discussion General Discussion
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This post is an analysis and review of War Thunders additions, in terms of ground vehicle additions, since 2022. This post will analyze: the number of premium vehicles added, the number of tech tree vehicles added, as well as total number of vehicles added each update, and compare each year to the others.

What is a copy/paste vehicle?
A copy/paste vehicle is any vehicle that is either identical to a vehicle already in the game, or not dissimilar enough to warrant its consideration as a separate vehicle. Things such as different machine guns, different vehicle names, or different smoke launching systems do not warrant a vehicles consideration as unique

2022
There were a total of 5 updates in 2022. A total of 114 ground vehicles were added. Of these, 58 were unique non-premium vehicles, 38 were copy/paste vehicles, and 24 were premium vehicles.

50% of vehicle additions in 2022 were unique non-premium vehicles, while 33% were copy/paste and 21% were premium.

More detail

Wind of Change
34 total vehicles
5 premium vehicles (15%)
9 copy/paste vehicles (26%)
22 unique non-premium vehicles (64%)

Danger Zone
20 total vehicles
7 premium vehicles (35%)
6 copy/paste vehicles (30%)
10 unique non-premium vehicles (50%)

Drone Age
17 total vehicles
3 premium vehicles (18%)
4 copy/paste vehicles (24%)
11 unique non-premium vehicles (65%)

Fire and Ice
29 total vehicles
4 premium vehicles (14%)
16 copy/paste vehicles (55%)
8 unique non-premium vehicles (28%)

Apex Predators
14 total vehicles
5 premium vehicles (36%)
3 copy/paste vehicles (21%)
7 unique non-premium vehicles (50%)

2023
There were a total of 5 updates in 2023. A total of 99 vehicles were added. Of these, 55 were unique non-premium vehicles, 31 were copy/paste vehicles, and 20 were premium vehicles.

56% of vehicle additions in 2023 were unique tech tree vehicles, while 31% were copy/paste and 20% were premium.

More detail

Sky Guardians
19 total vehicles
4 premium vehicles (21%)
5 copy/paste vehicles (26%)
11 unique non-premium vehicles (58%)

La Royale
22 total vehicles
6 premium vehicles (27%)
3 copy/paste vehicles (14%)
14 unique non-TT vehicles (64%)

Sons of Attila
26 total vehicles
4 premium vehicles (15%)
12 copy/paste vehicles (46%)
12 unique non-premium vehicles (46%)

Kings of Battle
16 total vehicles
2 premium vehicles (13%)
6 copy/paste vehicles (38%)
8 unique non-premium vehicles (50%)

Air Superiority
16 total vehicles
4 premium vehicles (25%)
5 copy/paste vehicles (31%)
10 unique non-premium vehicles (62%)

2024
There were a total of 5 updates in 2024. A total of 74 vehicles were added. Of these, 33 were unique tech tree vehicles, 31 were copy/paste vehicles, and 22 were premium vehicles.

45% of vehicle additions in 2024 were unique tech tree vehicles, while 42% were copy/paste and 30% were premium.

More detail

Alpha Strike
14 total vehicles
7 premium vehicles (50%)
5 copy/paste vehicles (36%)
7 unique non-premium vehicles (50%)

Seek & Destroy
11 total vehicles
4 premium vehicles (36%)
1 copy/paste vehicle (9%)
7 unique non-premium vehicles (64%)

Dance of Dragons
12 total vehicles
3 premium vehicles (25%)
3 copy/paste vehicles (25%)
7 unique non-premium vehicles (58%)

Firebirds
17 total vehicles
2 premium vehicles (12%)
8 copy/paste vehicles (47%)
7 unique non-premium vehicles (41%)

Storm Warning
20 total vehicles
6 premium vehicles (30%)
14 copy/paste vehicles (70%)
5 unique non-premium vehicles (25%)

Graph

Graph

IMG_4740

CONCLUSIONS:

-2024 was the smallest year for unique non-premium additions, although the copy/paste and premium vehicle additions stayed roughly the same

-Storm Warning, Fire and Ice and Firebirds were the only updates to feature more copy/paste vehicles than unique non-premiums

-The overall number of vehicles added per year is decreasing at a rate of 20 vehicles per year squared. The difference is mostly carried by unique non-premium vehicles, which decreased at a rate of 13.5 vehicles per year squared.

LIST OF CNP VEHICLES

Spoiler

Wind of Change
IS-2 No.321
M3A3 (1st PTG)
AML-90 (Israel)
AMX-13 (Israel)
Sho’t
Magach 1
Magach 2
Hovet
Elefant

Danger Zone
L6/40 (31 Rgt)
Leopard 2 PzBtl 123
M36 (Japan)
Magach 3 (ERA)
Tiran 4
Sho’t Kal Dalet

Drone Age
Leopard 1A5NO2
T-80UK
Merkava Mk.3C
M36B2 (France)

Fire and Ice
PT-76 (Finland)
TKX
Comet Mk 1 (Finland)
Charioteer Mk VII (Finland)
Leopard 2A4 (Finland)
Leopard 2A6 (Finland)
Panzer IV (Finland)
T-28 (Finland)
T-34 (Finland)
T-34-85 (Finland)
T-54 (Finland)
T-72M1 (Finland)
T 80 U
ZSU-57-2 (Israel)
ZSU-23-4 (Israel)
ZSU-57-2 (Finland)

Apex Predators
M1128 Wolfpack
T-80UM2
T-55M

Sky Guardians
T-72M1 (Germany)
Type 16 (FPS)
LVT(A)(1)
Merkava Mk.4 LIC
Sd.Kfz.222 (China)

La Royale
M4 (Mobile)
M1 KVT
ZTZ88B

Sons of Attila
2S1 (Hungary)
Leopard 2A4 (Hungary)
T-72M1 (Hungary)
ZSU-23-4 (Hungary)
ZSU-57-2 (Hungary)
Imp. Chaparral (Israel)
Bhishma TWMP
TKX (P)
Leclerc AZUR
BTR-80A (Hungary)
M41A3 (China)

Kings of Battle
M109G (Germany)
M109G (Italy)
M109A1 (Britain)
M109 (Israel)
Pbv 501
M26 (France)

Air Superiority
Tigris
Challenger 2 OES
M1A1 Click-Bait
Giraf
Rochev

Alpha Strike
Kungstiger
Centauro RGO
Ra’am Sagol
Christian II
Type 90 (B) Fuji

Seek & Destroy
T-80U-E1

Dance of Dragons
Tiran 6
Al-Khalid

Firebirds
OSA-AK (Italy)
OSA-AK (Germany)
OSA-AK (Britain)
Skink (USA)
Ram II (Britain)
Leopard 2A4NL
Leopard 2A5NL
Leopard 2A6NL
BMP-2MD

Storm Warning
Tiger Ost
Tiger West
BMD-4M
Strela-10M (Germany)
Strela-10M (Italy)
Strela-10M (Britain)
Ostwind Ost
PzH 2000HU
M44 (Japan)
M44 (Britain)
M44 (France)
M44 (Italy)
M44 (Germany)

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A couple of variables to consider are that there is a finite numbers of vehicles that can be added to the game, so eventually, everything is going to slow down anyway. But also, Gaijin has been mad spamming new modern vehicles to the game for the past 2 - 3 years as well. Basically “overfilling the fridge” if you will.
These might be leading factors to the “trends” you are pointing out.
We could see more of these “line up bundles” like the Tiger 3 pack that just came out in the future, and the possibility of blueprint/prototype & one off vehicles as well. New content has been and most likely will be Gaijin’s “bread & butter” for the foreseeable future . . . seems like anyway. But the main constant with WT has always been . . . “change”, so I guess time will tell

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The big issue, as pointed out by the graph, is that premium and copy/paste additions have essentially not decreased, but unique non-premium additions per year have fallen significantly and are the greatest contributor to the overall decrease in vehicle additions per year.

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It’s very frustrating that we have premium vehicles before the actual tech tree version.

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Alright, how much you wanna bet unique vehicles were put into the “copy-paste” category.
Especially since your post instantly starts with “If Gaijin hired a research team to spend hours discovering differences in an asset, then hires a 3D modeler to make an asset different, it’s still copy-paste”
That’s what it sounds like to researchers and 3D modelers when its a dismissive post.

That also causes double standards in your own rules [as the difference between adding Leopard 2A5NL and F-20A is exactly the same: Research, commission 3D modeler for asset creation; same exact process].

2024 was a smaller year which we’ve been saying for years would happen because 1- Gameplay features; 2024 had more gameplay features added than any year you mentioned.
2- We’re at the end of technology for ground, and effectively at the end for air.

With Gaijin finishing up gameplay overhauls, they’ll be able to reduce expenses further

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It all depends on what you define a copy and paste vehicle as.

The Lim-5P isn’t a copy+paste Mig-17 or Shenyang F-5, but the Hungarian Mig-17PF is a copy+paste Lim-5P. The Mig-19S also isn’t a copy+paste Mig-19PT due to lacking a radar, missiles, while having 3 guns instead of two.

The 2A5NL is copy+paste because it is just a 2A5 with different MGs. The F-20 isn’t a copy+paste F-5 due to it having vastly a different powerplant, flight performance, and weaponry.

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Different turret aspects in general of the 2A5NL. Its development is identical to that of F-20A: Research, comission 3D modeler, and code where needed.
F-5A/C to F-5E.
Sherman to Sherman.
Pz4 to Pz4.

Very well put together post BTW, easily understood.

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I believe this is an unavoidable effect of the lower number of available vehicles.

I personally would not want them to add lots of “prototype” or seldom used vehicles…

I hope that as vehicles reduce they can have more time to think about new game modes…

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The “there is only a finite amount of vehicles to be added” is stupid. It might be true that is technically correct, but there are yet so many iconic vehicles that are still missing. I can already think of hundreds of vehicles only for germany ww2 period.

  • ww2 self propelled artillery is missing
  • a bunch of early war german tanks are missing, also some half tracks.
  • towed guns and artillery could be added, a trailer mechanic is already in game.
  • i love the idea of the current battlepass bomber, there is a lot of ww2 agtm and cruise missile stuff from germany to be added.

Also they can always go back to adding more prototypse. I aswell do not have a problem with blueprint vehicles.

7 Likes
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Well…i wish this was good…but adding blueprint stuff and some of your suggestions is bad for MY VISION of the game. I am not a fan of towed artillery or half tracks…and i don’t see many german WW2 tanks missing…
See here for a reasonable eference…

The core interest FOR ME in War Thunder’s fighting with “iconic” vehicles as you mentioned…and those are already in the game…at least 95% of them (for ww2).

My game vision is PzIIIs, IVs and Stugs fighting Shermans, T34s and so…just to provide an example…
I actually DO LIKE the OCCASIONAL prototype stuff…it can be fun…BUT whenever the battle is filled with unreal stuff i lose a lot of interest. Fictional for fictional i prefer scifi stuff…there you can mix tanks, mechs, walkers, lasers, missiles, guns, shields and lots of creative stuff!
In a HISTORICAL based game you have to keep a bit of history…IMHO!

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A bit offtopic, so i won’t dwell into it…but i would prefer they would REALLY try to create a REALISTIC mode, where players would actually “re-enact” realistic battles…

The vehicles are all in the game…i would like to have some way to make players play and enjoy such scenarios…

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It would be useful if it had something that showed how you’d sort the vehicles because everyone views C&P differently and what counts. So it’s a bit hard to take the grafts seriously when all we have is effectively “I said so”. I’m not trying to be rude just asking for you to show your thinking/work.

As for “we are running out”, that just feels like the excuses like “WW2 already has plenty”, etc. often used to tell WW2/early Cold War to shove it for wanting the missing stuff from there.

Looking at the suggestions pages there are hundreds of missing vehicles between families not in-game yet and that’s before the large number of missing variants. Sure modern day doesn’t have as much due to the standardization of militaries but we aren’t out of options there, much less the Interwar-early Cold War where effectively every nation had an industry-building stuff at full blast.

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I was working on a list of all vehicles, but got a bit distracted and forgot. I’ll come back to it, later. I’ll edit the main post with it when I get the chance.

List added @StormRyder13

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Why do you say “per year squared”? I’m confused.

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Ok, I do see two that I 100% disagree with.

You have a few tanks that have add-on armour listed, well minor(often due to Gaijin listing the stuff it’s made of(or armour thickness) wrong) usually give some more protection. ex. Leclerc AZUR is one I wouldn’t count, there are a few other MBTs but thinking about it they just look unique.

And you have the M109Gs listed as C&P of the US’s M109A1 despite the shorter barrel making it have less range and velocity making them a variant that plays differently. So personally I’d have one of the short-barreled M109s delisted as C&P.

Those are what I’m sure I 100% disagree with, most others that I disagree with are more due to their visual changes(being extremely different in some cases) or I don’t know enough about the vehicle to have a stance on if they are C&P or not. (The only other thing I can think of there are a few C&Ps I think are justified being added but that’s likely not something to talk about)

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Math isn’t mathing

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Alright, now to do a detailed refutation of this list: The OBVIOUS unique vehicles you listed in your copy-paste claims: Not the ones to argue over, the objective unique vehicles with armor/model/etc differences.
Magach 2 is in no other tech tree. Germany’s the only other tech tree with a M48A2, and it’s rather different.
Elefant is a brand new vehicle.
M36 Japan came before the other M36B2s, thus unique.
T-80UK has no other variant.
Merkava Mk3C has no other variant.
TKX was not in the game prior to its addition.
Finnish 2A5 doesn’t exist.
Finnish 2A6 is a different turret.
Finnish T-72M1 was not in the game prior to its addition, it’s an entirely brand new model.
T-55M is in no other tech tree.
T-80UM2 is in no other tech tree.
Germany T-72M1 is its own unique model researched and commissioned.
Merkava Mk4 LIC doesn’t exist as a 2nd tank.
SdKfz222 has less pen and worse engine than the German one.
ZTZ88B has a shorter gun leading to less pen.
Bhishma TWMP does not exist in any other tech tree.
Leclerc AZUR does not exist in any other tech tree.
BTR-80A for Hungary is a brand new model.
TKX P doesn’t exist as another tank.
M41A3 new model no APDS.
Rochev is an entirely new model.
M109G is not in USA, thus German one at minimum is unique.
Giraf is an entirely new model.
Kungstiger is an entirely new model.
Ra’am Sagol literally doesn’t exist as a 2nd tank in WT.
T-80U-E1 has gen 2 thermals, camo net, etc.
Tiran 6 is an entirely new model.
2A5NL is objectively unique: Turret especially. 2A6NL is proven:
BMP-2MD has thermals, no missile, new model.
Tiger Ost and West have new models.

A MINIMUM of 30 unique vehicles you listed in copy-paste by your own rules, which are a double standard.
There are others that are arguable, and others I may have missed.

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This is why I find the C&P argument hilarious because if you can’t even follow your own rule then your point immediately becomes invalid.

But yea my view on what C&P is it has to be just a reskin of a model that’s it, if it got an refitted machine gun like the Chinese T-34 Gai. Then that not C&P and offers a unique playstyle that non of the other T-34 has in game. Since it got a heavy machine gun to deal with air threats

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Well the game isn’t for you, it’s for everyone. So some people will want a vehicle you don’t want and it’s not fair to fight against it being added.

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Did someone say Indian Rafale for Britain lol