Gaijin Entertainment is pushing War Thunder‘s infantry mode toward something nobody expected. 128 players per match. That’s not a typo.
The closed beta started with 20v20 matches. Now they’re planning to double that. Then double it again. The goal is simple – see how many boots they can put on the ground before the servers catch fire.
“During the second phase of testing back in March, we encountered some technical limitations that prevented us from maintaining the 64v64 mode for an extended period without the use of bots. To address this issue, we optimized the server code and network interactions.” – War Thunder on Steam
The march happened in March. Servers couldn’t handle 64 players without filling lobbies with AI. That’s embarrassing for a studio that runs massive tank battles daily. But they didn’t give up.
Gaijin went back to the drawing board. Server code got stripped down and rebuilt. Network systems got overhauled. The current 20v20 mode runs smooth as silk. That’s the foundation they’re building on.
The plan is methodical. Start with 20v20 to confirm everything works. Scale up to 64v64 once that’s locked down. Keep adding players until they hit 128 or the servers cry uncle. Whichever comes first.
Two new battlefields are joining the fight. Granitograd brings urban combat to the mix. Al-Massa delivers Middle Eastern warfare. Both maps run in Realistic mode – no arcade nonsense here. These aren’t fresh builds either. They’re refined versions based on player feedback from earlier testing.
The weapon systems got attention too. Player complaints about weapon inertia were loud and clear. Gaijin listened. Weapon handling feels more responsive now. Turn rates got adjusted. Some weapons had their accuracy tweaked. The details matter when you’re trying to land shots in 128-player chaos.
“Weapons are the foundation and most important aspect in infantry. We’ve made minor but significant improvements to the weapon control system for player comfort: by popular demand, we’ve reworked weapon inertia when turning and deflecting, and adjusted the accuracy of some weapons.” – War Thunder on Steam
This isn’t just about bigger numbers. War Thunder built its reputation on vehicle combat. Tanks. Planes. Ships. Infantry was always the afterthought – the crew bailing out of burning metal. Now infantry is getting equal treatment.
The technical challenge is massive. Most shooters cap out at 64 players for good reason. Network bandwidth explodes with every additional player. Hit registration becomes a nightmare. Server tick rates suffer. Gaijin is betting they can solve problems that have stumped bigger studios.
But they have advantages. War Thunder already handles complex physics for hundreds of vehicles. Tank shells. Aircraft missiles. Naval gunfire. Adding rifle bullets to that mix isn’t impossible. It’s just really hard.
The bigger question is gameplay. 128 players sounds impressive until you think about map design. How do you create meaningful objectives for that many people? How do you prevent it from becoming a chaotic meat grinder? How do you balance different weapon types when everyone’s shooting at once?
Gaijin isn’t saying much about game modes yet. The Steam announcement focuses on technical stability. That’s smart. Get the foundation right before building the house. But eventually they need to answer the gameplay questions.
Competitive potential is there. Imagine 128-player tournaments with coordinated teams. Squad tactics would matter more than individual skill. Communication becomes critical. The best players wouldn’t just be good shooters – they’d be good leaders.
Casual appeal is harder to predict. Some players love chaos. Others prefer smaller tactical battles where individual skill shines. War Thunder might need multiple modes to satisfy both crowds.
The timeline is vague. Gaijin mentions “upcoming testing stage” and “near future” without specifics. That’s standard for beta testing. They’re probably waiting to see if their server fixes actually work under load.
Smart money says we’ll see 64v64 testing within the next month or two. 128 players might take longer. Beta invites are still limited. Getting enough players for meaningful stress testing takes time.
War Thunder Infantry could reshape expectations for military shooters. Or it could crash and burn under its own ambition. Either way it’s worth watching. Gaijin doesn’t do things small.
