Update 1.1: Exploring New and Revamped Maps

Gnomon: Hey, everyone!  Happy Friday!  I wanted to talk to y'all about the new and revamped maps coming in 1.1.  First, I highly recommend you check out our article on the maps, as it contains some interactive stuff (like music, screenshots, and more): Update 1.1: Exploring New and Revamped Maps Here are some basics over the maps: Minsk Minsk occupies a special place in our hearts — it’s where it all started for World of Tanks. A city with a vast heritage and wonderful people, it will finally take its place in the list of maps in World of Tanks. The whole team is very excited as it nears full release; after all, we’ve been planning to pay homage to the city for years. The first playable prototype was created around the same time we introduced Kharkov and Stalingrad, but didn’t make it past this stage. We learned an important lesson before resuming work on the map: while historical accuracy might be appealing, it doesn’t always provide an enjoyable experience (unless you’re looking for a virtual tour rather than a battle, of course). That’s why we’re designing the map around real locations (Victory Square, the State Circus, Gorky Park, etc.) while also changing its general layout to keep the gameplay exciting and rewarding. This urban map recreates the central part of Minsk in the beginning of the 1970s. Though we changed some details for the sake of gameplay, the Plošča Pieramohi (Victory Square) and the circus building, for example, are very realistic. Other houses and landmarks are also recognizable for those who have visited Minsk or currently live there. Studzianki Studzianki was the location of a weeklong battle between the invading German forces and the native Polish 1st Armoured Brigade and Soviet 8th Army on the Eastern Front. For the allied forces, it was a resounding success and was later commemorated in 1969, becoming Studzianki Pancerne (Armoured Studzianki). The map features large fields, lots of vegetation, and small village houses centered around a tall Catholic church. A small brick factory sits right in the middle of this map. PilsenPilsen felt too small and gave little in terms of gameplay to turretless TDs and thinly armored vehicles. Medium tanks kept away from the center of the east flank since it offered no cover from arty shells. The west flank had way too many shoot-through zones, which prevented both teams from pushing/defending certain directions and turned battles into a fine frenzy. Once you entered this area, you were effectively stuck there with no way to retreat or advance. Finally, the central area promoted camping since the impassable big hangar there was a death trap for anyone reckless enough to move past it. Addressing your feedback, we enlarged the map to 1x1 km, added cover spots and increased the distance between hangars on the left flank, removed some of the buildings in no-man's land in the center, and completely redesigned the eastern (right) flank. These changes should foster a more versatile experience, while also making the map friendly for all vehicle classes. The far-right edge of the map now features a long, straight railroad with dense shrubs and hardly any other cover. Circumventing the enemy would take you a few steps closer to winning the battle. Make sure you’ve got support in the hills before you head there, though. You’ll need them to distract enemy TDs after you spot them. Then, move ahead to destroy enemy arty that’s likely to hide there. Stay alert: without any hard cover, you should expect SPG fire if you are spotted and staying still. There were also changes made to Glacier, Siegfried Line, Mines, and Province. Please check the article I previously linked, as there are widgets that you can interact with to see the changes.  Thanks, everyone, and hope you have a great upcoming weekend!