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Closed Test 14.0: Early Access to Dutch Cruisers, the Battle of Dogger Bank, and more!

It's hard to believe, but the new year is almost here! Let's take a look at the first new content set to be added to World of Warships in 2025!

 

 

Early Access to Dutch Cruisers

Update 14.0 brings our first new tech tree branch of the year, Dutch light cruisers, into Early Access. The ships of this line, containing Tier VIII Jaarsveld, Tier IX Menno van Coehoorn, and Tier X Utrecht, feature numerous low-caliber main battery guns with good HE penetration and high AP damage for their size. A quick-cooldown Repair Party, access to Engine Boost, and great concealment give them an additional edge in the survivability department. As an ace up their sleeve, airstrikes with long range, quick reload, and relatively short bomb drop time will round out the armament of these ships.

In honor of the addition of this line, the following content will be added to the game:

  • Commander Hannie Schaft with an individual voiceover
  • Statenvlag flag

  • Lion's Heart permanent camouflage for Jaarsveld
  • Fire Will Be Here permanent camouflage for Menno van Coehoorn
  • Unity Makes Strength permanent camouflage for Utrecht
  • Permanent camouflage Dutch Tricolor

The images of these permanent camouflages will be available at a later date.

Battle of Dogger Bank

January 24th marks the 110th anniversary of the Battle of Dogger Bank—an encounter between British and German battlecruiser squadrons which resulted in the sinking of the German armored cruiser SMS Blücher. In dedication to the battle, we've prepared historical commanders and flags:

  • British commander David Beatty 
  • German commander Franz von Hipper 
  • Konteradmiral's Flag
  • Room 40 flag

Content Additions

A new Unique Commander for the Netherlands will be added for testing: Lieutenant Admiral Conrad Helfrich.

Conrad Helfrich (1886-1962) was appointed commander of the Royal Netherlands Navy in the Dutch East Indies in 1939, a position from which he met the start of the Pacific War with initiative and aggression. Despite the Dutch Navy being vastly outmatched, Helfrich's command sunk more Japanese ships in the first weeks of the war than the British and American navies combined, earning him the nickname "Ship-a-day Helfrich".

He will have the following enhanced skills:

  • For Aircraft Carriers:
    • Pyrotechnician: +2% and +6% chance of rockets and bombs causing fires respectively instead of standard +1% and +5%
  • For Battleships:
    • Demolition Expert: +1.5% chance of main battery and secondary battery shells causing fires instead of standard +1%
  • For Cruisers:
    • Demolition Expert: +1.5% chance of main battery and secondary battery shells causing fires instead of standard +1%
  • For Destroyers:
    • Demolition Expert: +1.5% chance of main battery and secondary battery shells causing fires instead of standard +1%

Additionally, he will have the following talents:

Ship-a-Day Helfrich:

  • Activates upon dealing 40,000 damage. Bonuses:
    • +3.2% main battery shell damage (to a total of 10% at max stacks).
    • +3.2% bomb damage (to a total of 10% at max stacks).
    • Can be activated up to 3 times.

Fervor of Battle:

  • Activates upon earning the "Witherer" achievement. Bonuses:
    • -10% main battery reload.
    • -15% airstrike reload time.

Pugno pro patria:

  • Activates upon landing 50 bomb hits. Bonuses:
    • +1 maximum airstrike charge.
    • +3 squadron aircraft on deck.

This commander is still in development and will become available to players in one of the future updates.

New thematic Web Adventure

For our fans of fantasy, we have some more special content coming! A new fantasy-themed web adventure and content will arrive to the game with Update 14.0.

Permanent camouflages:

  • "Ice Forged" for Kansas
  • "Blazing Dread" for Mogami
  • "Grove Whisperer" for Z-23

Commanders with individual voiceovers:

  • Bjorn Stormbreaker
  • Amon Sitri
  • Nierdanel Nadar
  • Belladonna Nightshade
  • Queen of the Deep

Containers:

  • Forsaken Chest container
 
Forsaken Chest container
  • 8 special economic bonuses of one type - 13,9% for each type
  • 180,000 Credits, 3000 Free XP, or 9000 Elite Commander XP - 41.4%
  • One of the following Commanders with 10 skill points: King of Winter, Lady of the Cold, Bjorn Stormbreaker, Amon Sitri, Nierdanel Nadar, Belladonna Nightshade, Queen of the Deep - 2 % 
  • One of the following permanent camouflages "Ice Forged" for Kansas, "Blazing Dread" for Mogami, "Grove Whisperer" for Z-23 - 1 % 

If you already have all items from the "Camouflage" group, you will instead receive 180,000 Credits.

  • Forsaken Chest Premium container
 
Forsaken Chest Premium container
  • 8 rare economic bonuses of one type - 10,0% for each type
  • 1,200,000 Credits, 20000 Free XP, or 60000 Elite Commander XP - 30%
  • One of the following Commanders with 10 skill points: King of Winter, Lady of the Cold, Bjorn Stormbreaker, Amon Sitri, Nierdanel Nadar, Belladonna Nightshade, Queen of the Deep - 20% 
  • One of the following permanent camouflages "Ice Forged" for Kansas, "Blazing Dread" for Mogami, "Grove Whisperer" for Z-23 - 10% 

If you already have all items from the "Camouflage" group, you will instead receive 1,200,000 Credits.

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.