I may not live to see our new baby prince ascend a throne that isn’t made of plastic and full of wee, but I take small consolation in knowing I’ll probably one day write a news post on World of Tanks version 10.0. Perhaps by then, Wargaming will have expanded their vision of a universe populated entirely by tracked vehicles to explore how an M18 Hellcat goes to the shop to buy milk, or what it means for an M4 Sherman to spend six hours on a replacement bus because its train was cancelled.
One step at a time, though. Today’s update is 8.7, and introduces a new branch of British self-propelled guns.
The newcomers include “iconic” guns like the Sexton, Bishop and Crusader, and Wargaming are also slotting a number of post-World War II prototypes in the game’s middle tank tiers.
Elsewhere, the Soviet light tank T-50-2 has been swapped out for the Tier 6 MT-25 – which promises “better agility and more horsepower” – and the frighteningly-named Conqueror Gun Carriage takes its place as a top tier artillery choice.
Belogorsk-19 sounds like another tank, but is actually a new winter map. Wargaming have taken the opportunity to spruce up Highway and Harbour too.
The update will be rolled out characteristically slowly across the world throughout the next week, releasing today in Europe, tomorrow in the US and next Thursday in Korea. Which of its colourfully-named new features are you most looking forward to?