Waterline: What to Expect during Fall. Winter 2022 and Early 2023

Today's Waterline episode showed us plans for late 2022, Black Friday, Christmas holiday season and early 2023.

 

{tocify} $title={Table of Contents}

 

Fall 2022

Submarines in Early Access 😔

Since submarines arrived in testing, WG have checked various concepts and looked for unique gameplay for this ship type. Almost all elements of submarine gameplay have undergone significant changes during closed and open tests. The dive capacity system was completely reworked, most surface ships were equipped with anti-submarine weapons, alternative torpedoes were added, and some submarines even received controllable guns. Interaction between surface ships and submarines, as well as between submarines, also changed.

WG started testing submarines in Random Battles last year. It was a big step and crucially important for the game. Development reached its final stage where WG started polishing mechanics, fixing problems, and fine-tuning submarines to bring them to the final shape in which they would be introduced into the game.

Over recent months, WG have implemented lots of fixes and improvements based on your feedback.

• WG reworked the submarine matchmaker and combined their queue with that of the destroyers.
• WG updated the visual and audio effects for sonar pings
• and split Hydrophone into two separate consumables.
• WG reduced the submarine speed under water and added dispersion for torpedo tubes, which made it harder for submarines to carry out sudden attacks from a short distance.

WG are now sure that submarines in their current state fit well into the World of Warships gameplay and are ready for the next step—their full release in the game.

So, WG announced that Update 0.11.9 will bring Early Access to this ship type. From the start, players will be able to get Early Access to U.S. and German submarines, and U.S.S.R. submarines will be added in spring 2023. Besides this, British submarines Undine, Sturdy, and Thrasher will be put to the test in the fall.

For two weeks following the arrival of submarines in Early Access, players will have the possibility to reset skills and demount upgrades for free. Also, there will be a button on the website for resetting skills for all Commanders.

Many of you welcomed submarines in Convoy and asked us to add a separate mode for this ship type. To celebrate the arrival of submarines in Early Access, we'll release a new Operation, especially for the new ship type. The operation is inspired by real World War II events—submarines hunting for convoys. The new Operation will help both new and experienced Captains become familiar with the new ship type as well as its gameplay features.

Japanese Cruisers

Just recently, the testing of a new branch of Japanese cruisers has started.

These ships perform best in medium and long-range encounters. They boast a good firing range, carry a significant number of main guns, and are equipped with long-range torpedoes that can inflict decent damage. These cruisers enjoy good concealment, which helps them escape encounters or, when necessary, sneak up on enemy ships to strike first.

New ships: V Agano, VI Gokase, VII Omono, VIII Shimanto, IX Takahashi, X Yodo, and VII Tokachi.

• Tier V and VI ships received 152 mm main battery guns, Tier VII ship is armed with 155 mm guns, and high-tier cruisers carry numerous dual-purpose 150 mm guns.
• All cruisers have powerful, long-range, but slow, 610 mm torpedoes.
• Torpedo tubes of Tier VII and higher cruisers have turning mechanics, previously presented on new British battleships. Torpedoes can be launched at angles to which torpedo tubes are physically unable to turn. Right after launch, the torpedoes turn to the selected direction and follow a straight line to the set course.
• Starting with Tier VI, Hydroacoustic Search or Defensive AA Fire is available in one slot, and Fighter is available in a separate slot.
• Tier IX–X cruisers have access to the Repair Party consumable.

New Superships

★ Patrie and ★ Edgar will leave Early Access very soon. ★ Dalarna and ★ Clausewitz, that you're probably already familiar with, will join them in a while. Two new ships, ★ Sekiryu and ★ Admiral Ushakov were put to the test in Update 0.11.8.

★ Dalarna is a classic representative of the European destroyer branch with powerful torpedo armament, strong AA defenses, lack of smokescreens, and decent main battery armament that enables fighting back at the enemy in an artillery duel. The main difference between the super destroyer and her predecessor, X Halland, is an additional main battery turret. Besides this, Dalarna can use two types of torpedoes in battle. Her consumables comprise Engine Boost, Repair Party, and Defensive AA Fire.

★ Clausewitz is a heavy cruiser designed for long-distance raids and featuring twelve 210 mm guns and powerful anti-aircraft and torpedo armament. From a gameplay perspective, Clausewitz is a development of Tier X cruiser X Hindenburg. She has more HP, better armor protection, higher firepower, and more torpedoes. Notably, Clausewitz doesn't have any unique mechanics, which is compensated for by the significant enhancement of her characteristics compared to Hindenburg.

★ Sekiryu is a super aircraft carrier representing a further development of the Taiho class. She significantly surpasses her predecessor in terms of dimensions, hangar capacity, and AA defense power. The project is reinforced with tactical jet squadrons and continues the branch in the Tech Tree next to X Hakuryū. The main feature of her squadrons is the high maximum aircraft speed that allows them to quickly cover substantial distances and carry out lightning-fast attacks against enemy ships.

★ Admiral Ushakov is a large ship with a full displacement of over 100,000 tons, one of the draft designs for a post-war battleship (Project 24) carrying nine 457 mm guns as the main battery. In the Tech Tree, she follows Kremlin and inherits the key features of her predecessor. A large HP pool and strong armor protection have an impact on the ship's maneuverability. The ship boasts good main gun accuracy at short distances and carries numerous secondary battery mounts. Carrying out successful adjustment fire activates Combat Instructions—an alternative firing mode that provides a temporary boost in battle.

Halloween

Traditional Halloween celebrations await players this fall, bringing back Operations Sunray in the Darkness and Saving Transylvania. Besides this, temporary themed Twilight Battle mode will be available.

Cross-Realm

This fall, WG are going to conduct large-scale testing of the cross-realm matchmaker technology that enables players from different regions to fight together in one battle. Implementation of a technology like this involves a number of difficulties and risks, and we'll only use it in matchmaker for new players at first. As it happens, the problem with quickly assembling teams is the most pressing for this player cohort. The number of newcomers playing at the same time is frequently not enough to assemble proper teams, and they have to fight battles with lots of bots.

The specific character of matchmaker for newcomers will allow us to quickly and efficiently test the new feature and resolve potential technical issues. If the experiment is successful, we'll consider the possibility of implementing this technology into other modes and battle types, where needed.

Black Friday

In the fall, the traditional Black Friday event will return. You can expect lots of tempting offers and new Black ships. WG are ready to share the list of these new ships with you today:

• Napoli B
• Kearsarge B
• Mainz B
• Chkalov B
• Shinonome B

Interface Changes

WG plan to introduce a number of improvements to the Commander interface. For example, we'll add filters and a possibility to view Commanders in reserve. We'll also rework tooltips.

---

Winter 2022/23

New Map

WG are currently working on a new Seychelles map. The peculiar feature of the map is that the shape and location of the islands on it are modelled after a real-world cluster of islands. This is a new experience for us because in-game mechanics and balance should be adjusted specifically to the peculiar feature of the map without making any significant changes to its geometry. We're experimenting with the starting locations of teams and key areas to make the map as balanced as possible.

New Year Celebrations

Long and bright New Year celebrations await us this year. We'd prefer not to reveal all of the secrets now, but here is a sneak peek at the planned activities. You can expect Snowflakes (battle performance bonuses), gifts, and a range of special events, including the celebratory Dockyard.

The Dockyard will feature  IX Admiral Schröder (Ship Stats) as the main reward and  VII Renown '44 as an interim reward. Renown is currently present in the game as part of the newest British battleship branch. However, many of you have pointed out that you'd like to see this ship as she was in 1944, with modernized AA defences and secondary armament. WG decided to add such a version to the game and make it a free reward available to all players.

Map Updates

Last year, WG updated the game graphics and introduced HD versions of a number of maps. Next year, we'll keep adding new maps and update the already available ones. For now, WG plan to update the following maps: Mountain Range, Strait, North, Northern Lights, Estuary, Shatter, Neighbors, New Dawn, Polar, Islands, and Land of Fire.

Lunar New Year

Traditionally, Lunar New Year is celebrated after New Year. You can expect themed content and activities. We'll prepare a new collection and a unique Pan-Asian Commander. The Commander will have personalisation's and talents, just like Commanders from other nations.

Dirigible Derby: Round 2

At the beginning of this year, WG presented a new temporary mode—Dirigible Derby—where each of the teams is tasked with escorting their allied dirigible to the destination point and trying to prevent the opposing team from accomplishing the same goal. In winter, the mode will be back with a number of improvements.

During its first appearance in the game, Dirigible Derby became one of the most popular temporary battle types and received great feedback from players.

It's no secret that WG regularly test new mechanics in temporary modes with a view to adding them into the game on a permanent basis. Dirigible Derby is just such a case. You often ask us to add new modes to the main battle types. So, if the reworked version of the mode proves to be well received, Dirigible Derby can be the main candidate for introduction into Random Battles in the future.

Other Improvements

WG plan a number of technical improvements for the end of this year.

The game Settings menu will be updated. WG are going to change the interface design to make it more convenient. Settings will be stored on the server, and we'll be able to easily add new settings, when necessary, thanks to "under-the-bonnet" improvements.

Notification for players in the Port will be updated. WG plan a number of improvements to make them more structured and informative.

---

2023

Bounty Hunting

WG frequently hold special in-game activities where players need to spot one of the volunteers and contributors in battle and sink them to earn a valuable prize. Such events will be officially supported in the game client in the future. The "hunt" targets will be specifically indicated in the game.

Collective Combat Missions

Collective combat missions are missions with special conditions that require the joint effort of the entire server to be completed. They will be completed as usual combat missions but will be common for all players. Each participant will make a contribution to the overall completion progress. If players manage to complete a collective combat mission, each player who took an active part in the process will receive their reward.

Achievements

WG are working on new achievements to be added to the game, including achievements for different game modes (e.g., Clan and Co-op Battles). This will allow the gameplay to be additionally diversified and highlight players' progress in the game.

New Ships

U.S. Hybrid Battleships

A branch of U.S. hybrid battleships awaits players in the winter. Three new ships—Nebraska, Delaware, and Louisiana—are in development. WG can safely say that they will be armed with 406 mm guns. The hulls for these ships are designed based on the battleship branch headed by Montana, and the primary unique feature of the new ships will be the ability to launch squadrons similar to aircraft carriers and other hybrid ships.

European Destroyers

Another branch of European destroyers will be introduced next year. It will bring in representatives of several European countries, such as Poland, Norway, Turkey, and Greece. These will be Tier V–X destroyers with powerful artillery armament having a calibre of up to 140 mm.

WG says they will keep releasing special videos of the Waterline series once per quarter! We'll share new information and WG's plans for the upcoming 6 months with you, as well as explain why WG make any changes to the already announced plans. Stay tuned!