Development blog

We are introducing two additional ships that will get into testing in Update 13.1.

Japanese cruiser Chikuma II, Tier IX

A heavy cruiser of the Tone class—a series of ships distinguished by their unique layout and presence of their own air group on board. The warship played an active role in the Pacific War, with encounters ranging from the attack on Pearl Harbor to the Battle of Leyte Gulf, where she ultimately sank. She bears the name of a river on Honshu island that had previously been assigned to a light cruiser that served in the Japanese Navy from 1912 through 1931.

Joining her sister ship Tone, Chikuma II will be an excellent fit for captains who enjoy stealthy Japanese heavy cruisers and hybrid gameplay.

Her main battery is represented by eight 203mm guns in four twin turrets with slow traverse speed and limited firing angles, resulting in rather low damage per minute. In comparison to her sister ship, Chikuma II's torpedo bombers will reload more quickly, have more damage potential, and can be stored as up to two charges. Additionally, her ship-mounted torpedoes will have long range, high damage, and improved launch angles due to the torpedoes' ability to turn after hitting the water. Excellent concealment and access to the Smoke Generator consumable will be valuable tools, but her small HP pool and weak AA means captains should take care when detected. Chikuma II also has access to Hydroacoustic Search and Defensive AA Fire in the same slot.

Chikuma II heavily relies on her squadrons and will be most effectively played by using her stealth to take advantageous fights. Enemy targets may be softened up by using her torpedo bombers and high-damage torpedoes, then followed up with main battery salvos from the cover of smoke. In direct confrontations, Chikuma II will fare poorly against her peers, so captains will want to avoid engagements in open water against enemy cruisers and battleships.

The permanent camouflage for Chikuma II is still a work in progress.

American battleship Wisconsin, Tier X

The fourth Iowa-class battleship, designated BB-64, Wisconsin entered service in April 1944. Named after the 30th U.S. state, this warship participated in the Philippines campaign and the Battles of Iwo Jima and Okinawa during World War II. She was later involved in the Korean War and Gulf War operations. Since 2001, Wisconsin has served as a museum ship berthed in Norfolk, Virginia.

Joining her sister ships Iowa and Missouri, Wisconsin is sure to be enjoyed by fans of traditional American battleships. Her good accuracy, low detectability, high speed, and access to improved Repair Party will make her a comfort to play. While her HP pool, armor, and main battery are relatively weak compared to her Tier X peers, unique Combat Instructions that improve her main battery and consumable reload time will give her the punch needed to compete.

As for her consumables, you can choose between Fighter or Spotter Plane, as well as have Defensive AA Fire in a separate slot.

In terms of gameplay, Wisconsin will play similarly to her sister ships. Her concealment and speed may be used to take good positions and her high accuracy will ensure that enemy mistakes are punished. However, she may struggle against well-angled targets and she will fare poorly in direct fights against opposing battleships, so captains will need to make use of her Combat Instructions to compensate for her relatively poor survivability. By vastly shortening the cooldown of the ship's consumables and increasing the fire rate of her main battery, the Combat Instructions will allow Wisconsin to secure an edge in intense engagements, and allow her to survive longer to execute a tactical retreat when required.

Please note that all information in the development blog is preliminary. Announced adjustments and features may change multiple times during testing. The final information will be published on our game's website.