World of Tanks 1.0 Bringing Massive Graphic Overhaul in 2018

Wargaming‘s World of Tanks has been around since 2010, but they will finally reach the 1.0 update around March 2018. To celebrate the event, the game is getting a major overhaul. This includes a complete visual makeover courtesy of a new graphics engine. World of Tanks development director Milos Jerabek promises that the “spirit of the game remains the same”. The new graphics engine is a welcome change considering the age of the game. It will be bringing a considerable boost in image quality as well as higher resolution support.

More Changes with Update 1.0

The free-to-play 15 vs 15 tank MMO is also going to get audio and maps fine-tuning. Wargaming has teamed up with over 40 composers and musicians from all around the world. This is for the sole purpose of recording over 15 TB of rough audio data to improve your immersion in battle with authentic sound.

Update 1.0 brings resonating music with each map setting, creating a unique atmosphere. Kazakh musicians will play traditional instruments on the Lost City map for example. Meanwhile, Gregorian chants will echo through on Mountain Pass. Naturally, El Ahlluf, Airfield and Sand River gets various Arabic music arrangements for an authentic feel.

According to Wargaming, the use of a new in-house engine is necessary. This is because a lot of what they wanted to do was not possible with the old engine. At least not possible without imposing steep hardware requirements. The new engine is highly optimized and will not leave those with an older or mid-range PC out of the battlefield. So far, Wargaming has 25 maps redesigned for the new engine, with several more to go before the March launch. Players can expect photorealistic skies, responsive water, volumetric flora, and advanced lighting effects. This includes bloom, god rays, chromatic aberration and screen space reflect effects. Destructible objects via Havok Destruction technology also makes the battles much more immersive.

For those wondering how this new graphics engine would run, Wargaming actually offers a free demo for download. It is called World of Tanks enCore available by following this link.