At Gamescom 2025, Wargaming officially unveiled its latest project, World of Tanks: HEAT. This isn’t merely an update to the existing game but a completely standalone title, previously known to the community by the codename “Project CW.” While the new title draws on the roots of the famous series, it shifts toward more dynamic and action-packed gameplay featuring a 10v10 format. The game is set in an alternate history and post-war era, blending realistic hardware with futuristic technologies.
Unlike the original World of Tanks, where tactics and realism play a major role, HEAT profiles itself as a frenzied tank brawler with no pretensions of simulation. The developers promise a faster and more explosive experience, diverging from the slower pacing of traditional World of Tanks battles.
Meet the Agents
A key innovation is the Agent system. Each Agent possesses unique active and passive abilities that can fundamentally turn the tide of battle – ranging from calling in airstrikes and deploying smoke screens to temporarily boosting tank stats. Players will take the helm of experimental machines that can be customized in detail using advanced weapon systems, armor modules, and visual modifications.
The trailer introduced a heroine named Rey, piloting a modern M1 Abrams tank equipped with ATR EDS Railgun (M1R) technology – an electromagnetic cannon capable of destroying opponents from across the map.
A Modern Edge
The game abandons the strict historical accuracy of World War II, shifting instead to an alternate history era and the near future. This gave developers a free hand in vehicle design. Consequently, World of Tanks players will finally see the arrival of long-awaited modern hardware that is missing from the original game.
New game will feature machines inspired by tanks such as the Abrams, T-90, and Leopard 2, alongside futuristic prototypes equipped with technologies that remained only on paper in the real world. Each tank has a limited “budget” for upgrades. You will have to decide whether to strengthen armor at the expense of mobility, or sacrifice durability for crushing firepower.
„Your tank is more than just steel and firepower – it is a tool shaped by your decisions. Every upgrade matters. Each vehicle has a limited upgrade budget, so choose your loadout wisely: Will you boost firepower, or prioritize armor? The path to victory lies in making the perfect trade-offs to match your playstyle,” the Wargaming adds.
New Battlefields
The game will offer maps such as “Project Phoenix” or the futuristically styled “Moonshot,” which combines an industrial environment with technological elements. Game modes are based on classic multiplayer shooters. In Domination / Conquest modes, you will need to capture and hold key points on the map. In Kill Confirmed mode, a variation of Team Deathmatch, you will need to collect dog tags from destroyed enemies.
The title will be available on PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and newly on the portable Steam Deck. A key feature is full support for cross-play and shared progress (cross-progression) across all platforms. The developers promise a “free-to-win” monetization model focused primarily on cosmetic customization and a Battle Pass.
A release date has not yet been set, but at the time of its announcement in August 2025, the game was in an advanced stage of development. Wargaming has launched the “Lodestar” program, allowing selected players to participate in testing early versions of the game and directly influence development with their feedback. Fans of combat hardware will therefore have to wait a little longer for the official launch.
In the meantime, you can pass the time with the established World of Tanks title and my articles covering, among other things, the upcoming update that will bring a new line of American medium tanks.
