Wargaming.net are all about planting the odd strategic feather or necessary paperweight on one end or the other of the perpetual seesaw that is MMO balancing. And in World of Tanks’ 8.6 update, that means a complete overhall to the game’s artillery tier system.
“Update 8.6 is a major step in game balance enhancement and is really going to make SPGs [Self-Propelled Guns] players happy,” said Wargaming producer Mike Zhivets. “Artillery gameplay is going to feel a lot more balanced with a normal ten tier structure, making advancing through that class of armor more comfortable for players.”
Tier Eight SPGs, currently at the top of the tree, will be promoted to a new tier: Ten. Other guns will take their place in the middle rungs.
For the Americans, it’ll be the M44 and M53/55 artillery units; for the Soviets, the SU-122A and SU-15-1; for the Germans, the 10.5 GW Mk.IV(e), Pz.Sfl.IVb and G.W. Tiger; and for the French, the AMX Obusier automoteur de 105 and the Bat.Chatillon115.*
Update 8.6 will also introduce a new map based in Korea, plus the A33 Excelsior – a premium British medium tank, reared on British farms. Yum.
Do you play with artillery? How will the incoming tier tweaks affect you?
*As far as I can tell, tracked vehicles abide by the same arcane rules of nomenclature as Dota 2 eSports champions.