Update 1.16.1 Features: Join the Common Test!

Commanders! Spring has sprung, and a fresh update is coming to World of Tanks!

Join the Common Test to be the first to try out the new Art of Strategy event, where you can test yourself as a tank Strategist—or as one of the seven Tankers who oppose them. Head over to our dedicated article for the complete info.

In Update 1.16.1, you’ll be able to experience battles with the new aiming interface features and test the trade-in feature with several improvements. Plus, Frontline returns to World of Tanks with balance adjustments. We're also giving you a sneak peek of an additional time-limited Chapter of Battle Pass that will become available at the end of the seventh Season.

CONTENTS

Frontline Is Back!

There will be several launches of Frontline in 2022, with the first one kicking off in May. Launches will take place during the final period of each Battle Pass Season.

Frontline’s core gameplay remains unchanged, but we’ve made some game and map balance adjustments to this fun mode to make it even more enjoyable. Check them out:

• In the next launch of Frontline, we're getting back to the comfortable and familiar format of single-tier battles. Only Tier VIII vehicles will be allowed in this mode, so get ready for epic 30v30 clashes!
• We improved several positions for attackers on all three defense lines of the Kraftwerk map to make the game balance more comfortable for them. Here are the most significant changes:

• Removed a set of bushes near the bridge that allowed you to shoot at vehicles in the circle of capture zone C while remaining unspotted:

• Added a building to cover advancing attackers, making it easier for them to capture this zone:

• Added an additional castle section as an intermediate point before attacking the castle itself in zone F:

• Several buildings were added to the F capture zone to cover the attackers:

• Added an additional pass between zones A and B, which will allow attackers to easily move forces to support teammates in zone A after capturing zone B:

• Added an additional drive to zone D, as well as a cover (a workshop) from long-range firing:

• Added two buildings when exiting cooling towers to provide safer access to the Resupply Circle:

• Added intermediate cover near the town:

• The entrance to pillbox 3 is now safer for attackers, thanks to the expansion of the urban area:

• Moved containers behind pillbox 3 to avoid shooting at attackers directly from the defender respawn point:

• Improved driving to pillbox 2, which is now also covered from shooting in the back from the defender respawn:

• Slightly simplified the attackers' exit from the quarry to the Resupply Circle, and also added cover for attackers at the Resupply Circle itself:

• We also reduced the first defense line base capture time from 2 minutes and 30 seconds to 2 minutes and 15 seconds.
• Engineering and Smoke Screen Combat Reserves were swapped in their categories. Engineering Combat Reserve was moved from Tactical to Recon Reserves, and Smoke Screen was moved from Recon to Tactical Reserves.
• Additionally, Smoke Screen now not only conceals all allied and enemy vehicles in and behind the smoke, but it also reduces the effectiveness of the enemy crew by 15%.
• We also changed the order of Combat Reserves and slot configuration for SPGs. Now, they will unlock as follows:
  • Attack Reserves
  • Recon Reserves
  • Tactical Reserves

We’re sure that these changes will make Frontline even more attractive and allow you to farm a ton of credits. Join the Common Test and enjoy your time playing Frontline!

Test the New Vehicle Outlining

In Update 1.16.1, we’ll add several new features to the aiming interface. We’re introducing the rendering of various obstacles that are inside the vehicle outline, as well as the outline of the vehicle collision model itself. Both aspects of this feature have their own nuances, so let’s dig into the details.

Rendering Obstacles Inside the Vehicle Collision Model

This improvement will be useful when aiming at enemy vehicles that are obstructed by bushes, fences, or other obstacles. When you see a vehicle in the crosshair, obstacles inside its collision model will be highlighted with two of the following types of special rendering, depending on whether the shell can penetrate them or not:

• Texture (for penetrable obstacles with loss of armor penetration). This type of rendering is applicable to fences and other small obstacles and will only work for AP, APCR, and HE shells because they penetrate some obstacles but lose armor penetration. HEAT shells don't penetrate such objects.

• Fill (for impenetrable obstacles). This second type of rendering will be used for houses, stones, terrain elements, and destroyed vehicles.

If a vehicle is obstructed by two obstacles at once, one of which is penetrable while the other behind it is impenetrable, then priority will be given to impenetrable obstacles. This means that you will see fill in the area where they intersect.

There are obstacles in the game (e.g., haystacks, wooden fences, etc.) that are destroyed only visually and do not interact with shells. Given this, such obstacles will not be filled.

Vehicle Outlining by Collision Model

Currently, vehicle outlining highlights the entire visual vehicle model. This is not always convenient when aiming because some small vehicle elements (e.g., fenders, machine guns on the turret, etc.) are not included in the collision model. These elements do not interact with shells, which simply fly through them. With the introduction of new 3D styles with numerous decorative "through" elements (e.g., coiling, camouflage nets, etc.), these situations can become even more frustrating, especially in the heat of battle and for less experienced players.

To address this issue and make your gameplay experience more comfortable, we’ll improve vehicle outlining. Now the hull and turret of all vehicles will be highlighted by the collision model (i.e., the parts that can interact with the shell). The guns of some vehicles will also be included in the collision model. The suspension will still be outlined by the visual model for all vehicles in the game. Here's an example of the Maus with the "Landkreuzer" 3D style:

This will help you identify all the external elements on a potential target that make no sense to aim at. This feature will be especially useful for newcomers who want to improve their skills and hit opponents with greater accuracy.

Trade-In: More Options and Opportunities

We've updated the trade-in feature that allows you to exchange Premium vehicles from your collection. With these changes, we’ll be able to expand the number of possible offers on the trade-in list and make them even more attractive to you.

We’ve also improved the feature's interface in a special section of the in-game Store, making it clearer and more user-friendly. The whole exchange process is now simpler and more understandable. You will instantly see which vehicle you are trading, its value in gold, and how much additional gold you’ll need to get the new vehicle you want.

Finally, you can now start the exchange either by specifying the vehicle you want to purchase or by specifying which vehicle you want to trade in. You will see all available trade-in options to help you make the best choice.

• Some vehicles are traded for 60% of their cost instead of the regular 50%; it means you pay less when trading those vehicles into new ones.
• Trade-in on the Common Test allows you to get some vehicles previously only available for purchase with real money.

Battle Pass: Test an Additional Time-Limited Chapter

An additional time-limited Chapter of the seventh Season of Battle Pass is available for preliminary testing! This Chapter is not associated with Update 1.16.1 and features a special challenge. It will unlock toward the end of the Season around May.

The main test reward for this extra Chapter is the 122 TM, a Tier VIII Chinese medium tank. This vehicle serves a purely technical role—when the additional Chapter hits the live servers, you will receive a brand-new mystery Premium vehicle as your main reward instead. It will be available in the Base Rewards Track.

The Chapter will have a single progression system but two Reward Tracks: Base Rewards and Improved Rewards. You need to manually select this Chapter and confirm it to start earning rewards for your progress. Fight in Random Battles in Tier VI–X vehicles to earn Battle Pass Progression Points according to the standard rules and advance through the progression. You can also earn Points for completing Daily Missions with vehicles of any tier.

Each Stage completed in the Base Rewards Track will bring you useful prizes. But the main reward is a brand-new mystery Tier VIII Premium vehicle that you will grab when you complete all Stages of this Track.

Want to get your hands on even more rewards? Purchase the Improved Pass for this additional Chapter to unlock the Improved Rewards Track. After that, you will receive all Improved Rewards for the Stages you have already completed in the first Track, as well as a stunning 3D style for the main prize, a top-secret Tier VIII vehicle.

If you decide to purchase the main prize, a brand-new Tier VIII Premium vehicle, its final cost will depend on the number of completed Stages of the time-limited Chapter. The more Stages you complete, the lower the price will be. To purchase Stages, you will need to get an Improved Pass for this Chapter. After that, you can buy as many Stages as you want.

Join the testing and share your impressions of the Battle Pass additional Chapter and other features, Commanders!