Development blog

Hello Captains,

Summer is winding down, fall is on the horizon, and we're gearing up for Update 13.9! Read on to check out what we got cookin'!

Mode Shuffle

Mode Shuffle is back, but with a new lineup! We're excited to bring back this randomized mode, which features one key change from the previous iteration: while Airship Escort and Convoy will reprise their roles, Arms Race has been swapped out in favor of Epicenter! We haven't seen Epicenter since all the way back in Update 0.11.3, so here's a reminder about what awaits you:

• There are 3 key areas: one in the very center of the map, a ring that surrounds it, and yet a larger ring surrounding the first two areas.
• Capturing any of the areas doesn't block the capture of the other two areas
• The following capturing rules apply to all 3 key areas:
  • If, during the capture, an enemy player enters the same area, the capture will be blocked (but not canceled)
  • Taking damage while capturing an area will reset the capture timer
  • If there's an enemy player in an area captured by your team, you will stop earning points for that area
• You can win a battle by achieving any of the following:
  • Destroy all enemy ships
  • Earn 1000 points
  • Cause the enemy team's points to reach 0
• The maps available for this mode will be Islands of Ice, Shards, Tears of the Desert, Trident, Neighbors, Crash Zone Alpha, and Northern Waters.

Additionally, we went ahead and made a number of improvements to Epicenter since the last time you may have seen it:

• We wanted to spice up Epicenter by adjusting the number of points generated by captured key areas, which should make the end of these matches a bit more exciting. Before, you would earn 5 points every 5 seconds per area captured. Here's what we're changing it to: 

  • Outer ring: earn 5 points every 5 seconds

  • Inner ring: earn 10 points every 5 seconds

  • Central area: earn 15 points every 5 seconds

• We've also increased the number of points a team loses if they lose control over a key area
• The bonus/penalty for destroying ships has also been adjusted to match other game modes

For all of you Airship Escort and Convoy fans out there, those two modes will be remaining in Mode Shuffle unchanged from the last iteration!

Red October

Bounty Hunt has never been more back — this time aptly codenamed Red October, in line with its Soviet theme.

Take a look at some of the content you will be able to get during this event:

• The "Red October" Achievement
• The "Red October" Flag

It's been a minute since we've had a Bounty Hunt, so here's a small recap of how this iteration will work:

• This event will apply to Tier VI-X ships and Superships
• The eligible ship types are Battleships, Cruisers, and Destroyers
• Your goal is to sink "Bounty" ships and/or earn a Bounty achievement in Random Battles
• If you happen to be a "Bounty" yourself, your goal is to earn achievements/"Destroyed" ribbons as a "Bounty" 
• Accomplishing the goals above will reward you with tokens that can be spent on rewards like Soviet Era containers, Victory permanent camouflages, Victory Banner permament camouflages for several Soviet ships, and Coal
• Progression can only be made in Random Battles

We've also made some changes to how you can participate!

• The "Bounty" status will be available for 100,000 credits in the Armory
• Your first 3 attempts are completely free (you'll receive 3x 100% discount coupons to purchase the status) with the total number of attempts available for purchase being limited to 80
• The "Bounty" status is removed once your ship is destroyed or the event ends

And last but not least, during the first week of the event you will be able to join a competition to win valuable rewards. This time the participation in the Leaderboard activity will allow you to compete for Soviet premium Tier VIII submarine S-189, Soviet Era Premium containers, and Steel. 

Battle of Leyte Gulf

This year marks the 80th anniversary of the largest naval battle of World War II, which took place in the waters of the Philippine Sea from October 23 through 26, 1944. In dedication to the Battle of Leyte Gulf, we've prepared a historical web adventure. Complete missions to earn the Battle of Leyte Gulf and USS Enterprise flags, the Grey Ghost patch, permanent camouflages, patches, and containers, as well as a new temporary resource – Leyte Tokens. With these tokens you will be able to purchase Premium Ship containers, Battle of Leyte Gulf containers, historical Commanders, the I Shall Return permanent camouflage for Tennessee, the Ghost of the Pacific permanent camouflage for Enterprise, and other valuable rewards. 

We're adding the following content for an upcoming event involving the Battle of Leyte Gulf:

• I Shall Return permanent camouflage for the Tennessee. Please note that this camouflage is still under development and we will show it later. 
• The "All Gave Some, Some Gave All" Flag    
• The "The Last Great Naval Battle" Patch    
• The "Battle of Leyte Gulf" Container

• The "Battle of Leyte Gulf" Premium Container

As you can see above, one of the eligible rewards from these containers is Enterprise, which is currently not an easy ship to obtain. By the way, if you're someone who happens to own the other Tier VIII ships in the container, then you will have a significantly higher chance to gain the Enterprise from the container. Additionally, if you complete specific combat missions during the event, then you will be able to purchase Enterprise from the Armory or Premium Shop outright (with doubloons or real money)! And as a final reward for completing the whole campaign—which, mind you, won't be easy—you will get our newcomer, legendary Tennessee. She can also be obtained from the containers mentioned above and she will also be available for direct purchase, but only for a limited time. 

Content Additions

We're bubbling with excitement about some other content we're adding to the game to get ready for Update 13.9!

German Reunification

We're also adding content for an event dedicated to German Reunification Day, when Germany was reestablished as a single, fully sovereign state:

• The "Black, Red, and Gold" permanent camouflage
• The "Colors of Unity" Flag
• Commander Goldelse with an individual voiceover

Other Content

5 new permanent camouflages are on the way!

• "Polar Ice Caps" for Kutuzov, Nelson, and Guépard
• "Creature of the Cold" for Anhalt
• "Creature of the Deep" for Ohio

Additionally, we have 2 new commanders (with individual voiceovers) preparing for their maiden voyage on our virtual seas.

• King of Winter
• Lady of the Cold
• The "Captain's Club Anniversary" Flag is also coming into the game!

Finally, we are updating the contents of several containers. We are removing the Colorful Tokens from the Colorful Regatta Premium container and replacing them with credits; and in the Jack-o’-Lantern Premium container, expendable Rust camouflages are replaced with permanent Rust camouflages. We also updated the contents of the German Cruiser Premium container, Soviet Era Premium container, and Soviet Era container:

 

 

 

That's all now! We'll see you out on the virtual seas!

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.