In 30 seconds
- A free military MMO by Gaijin Entertainment, on Steam since 2013 and still growing.
- Over 3,000 aircraft, helicopters, tanks and ships, from the first biplanes to modern jets, modelled from historical documents.
- Air, ground and naval battles, in modes that run from Arcade to Simulator.
- Runs on Windows, Mac and Linux, and shares servers with PlayStation and Xbox. The latest major update, Sky Odyssey, arrived on September 16, 2026.
Air, ground and sea in one game
In the air, you fly a century of aircraft: biplanes, WW2 fighters and bombers, then jets like the F‑14D. On the ground, you command tanks from the first models to modern main battle tanks, and landing a critical hit from far away is, as one Steam player puts it, "the best feeling". At sea, patrol boats, destroyers and battleships trade fire in naval battles.
In combined battles, all of it shares the same map: aircraft strike ground targets while tanks hold the line, which is where the tactics really come alive.
Nations and tech trees
There are ten nations, each with its own tech tree of planes, tanks, helicopters and ships. Every match earns research toward the next vehicle in the tree, so you always have a next machine to unlock. The Sky Odyssey update added, among others, the F‑14D and F‑102A jets for the USA, the MiG‑35 for the USSR, the H145M helicopter for Germany and the EMBT tank shared by Germany and France.
Arcade, Realistic, Simulator
You choose how serious you want it. Arcade is quick and forgiving; Realistic adds real physics and fewer aids; Simulator puts you in the cockpit with full controls. The same vehicles work across modes, so you can start relaxed and move up when you are ready.
Can my PC run it?
| Minimum | Recommended | |
|---|---|---|
| OS | Windows 10 64-bit | Windows 10/11 64-bit |
| CPU | Dual-core 2.2 GHz | Core i5 / Ryzen 5 3600 |
| GPU | GTX 660 / Radeon 77XX | GTX 1060 / RX 570 |
| RAM | 4 GB | 16 GB |
| DirectX | 11 | 12 |
| Storage | 70 GB | 95 GB |
Official figures from the Steam store page (November 2026). Mac: macOS Catalina or later, Core i5 2.2 GHz, 6 GB RAM, Iris Pro 5200 or an equivalent Metal GPU, 70 GB free.
Can my PC run War Thunder?
Rig Check
Your PC is ready.
Play War Thunder freeEstimate based on public GPU benchmarks and the official requirements; RAM (4 GB) and 70 GB of free space matter too.
On a Mac? Official minimum: macOS Catalina or later, Core i5 2.2 GHz, 6 GB RAM, Intel Iris Pro 5200 or an equivalent Metal GPU, 70 GB free.
Is it pay-to-win?
It is more pay-to-progress-faster than pay-to-win:
- Every tech tree is free to research by playing.
- The shop sells premium vehicles, a premium account that speeds up research, and a seasonal battle pass.
- Steam players call the game grindy: research slows down higher up the trees, and spending mostly shortens that grind.
- On Steam it is rated Mostly Positive (72% of 330,000+ English reviews), and 81 on Metacritic.
Is it for you?
You'll love it if you like real war machines, want planes, tanks and ships in one game, and enjoy getting better match after match.
Not for you if…
- You want a story-driven single-player game.
- You dislike long progression grinds.
- You are short on disk space: plan for 70 GB at least.
FAQ
Is War Thunder free? Yes. The shop sells premium vehicles, a premium account and a battle pass.
Who makes it? Gaijin Entertainment.
Is it hard to run? No: a GTX 660-class card and 4 GB of RAM meet the minimum. Plan for 70 GB of storage.
Does it run on Mac? Yes, and on Linux too. You share servers with PlayStation and Xbox players.
What's the latest update? Sky Odyssey, released on September 16, 2026.
