World of Tanks developer Wargaming has announced a release date for its new spin-off, World of Tanks: Heat. A standalone tactical vehicle-shooter, the free-to-play game launches on May 26 for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S, and is designed to be a faster take on the armored warfare of the original World of Tanks game.
The developer says that World of Tanks: Heat has been built completely from the ground up inside of its new proprietary engine, which is designed to offer dynamic gameplay and modern visuals. It’s optimized for use across a wide variety of hardware configurations, including Steam Deck for PC players.
The launch day version of Heat will offer plenty of content, including Agents who each have access to two vehicles, three battlefield roles–Defender, Assault, and Marksman–15 vehicles that can be customized through equipment upgrades, and eight maps to battle on. Four PvP game modes will also be available, with players having the option to battle other teams in Hardpoint, Control, Kill Confirmed, and Conquest matches across an alternative timeline set after World War 2.
The game will also offer cross-play and cross-progression on each platform, allowing players to join matches on console and PC from one account. First announced at Gamescom Opening Night Live last year, World of Tanks: Heat was described as a “free-to-win” game, as microtransactions focus on cosmetics and battle passes.
Meanwhile, World of Tanks continues to soldier on following last year’s big 2.0 update, and it even had unlikely crossovers with ’90s gaming icons and 2K Games’ Mafia series.