War Thunder
What War Thunder is
War Thunder is the most comprehensive free-to-play, cross-platform, MMO military game dedicated to aviation, armoured vehicles, and naval craft, from the early 20th century to the most advanced modern combat units.
The sentence of its Steam description that best says what it is, picked by Jev. The developer's own words.War Thunder is the most comprehensive free-to-play, cross-platform, MMO military game dedicated to aviation, armoured vehicles, and naval craft, from the early 20th century to the most advanced modern combat units. Join now and take part in major battles on land, in the air, and at sea.
What people say
Grind complaints in War Thunder come down to slow vehicle progression, the time it takes to play, slow jet unlocks and premium as the only practical shortcut.
Written by an LLM from the lead report's counts.Read the reportBefore you buy War Thunder
Written reviews sit close to the store score.
Steam's score counts every review over the game's life; this report reads the reviews in its window, so a recent update or event moves it first.
Reviewers who enjoy the gameplay praise it: 14% of written reviews, and those playing with friends praise something at 88%. Skip it if grind bothers you: 14% of written reviews raise it, and 8% raise pay to win.
Of the people who wrote a review
Watch out for
- Grind14%Most often slow vehicle progression
“I'm tired of them messing with the RP you get.”
- Matchmaking and balancefading9%
- Pay to win8%
Share of written reviews that raise each one.
Who it suits
- Collecting and completing94 reviewers; most raised: grindComplain73%Praise57%
- Playing with friends38 reviewers; most raised: matchmaking and balanceComplain46%Praise88%
- Competitive play35 reviewers; most raised: grindComplain70%Praise67%
Steam reviews over its whole life
796,704 reviews in every language, counted per month by Steam itself. Dots mark months far above the median. How to read a review bomb.
What War Thunder reviewers say
One public report on War Thunder reads 2,024 Steam reviews from the last year. The report “What people complain about and love in 2026” was last updated Oct 29, 2026. Of its 2,024 judged reviewers, 52% complain, 53% praise something, 3% make a request and 2% say they're quitting. The top complaint is grind at 25% of complaints, then matchmaking and balance (14%) and pay to win (12%). Top praise: gameplay is fun, at 22% of praise. Top requests: new feature or option (42%) and more content (18%). Two audience differences stand out. Long-time user: say they're quitting 5.9x as often as everyone (10% vs 2%). Not recommended: mention developer and updates 1.9x as often as everyone (8% vs 5%).
One public report on War Thunder. Each title is written by the person who shared it; the line under it says how the reviews were picked.
Made with OneStar's Steam review analyzer. Run one on your own game or a competitor's, free with no card. Wondering whether a wave of thumbs down is real? Read how to tell a review bomb from a real problem.