Update 1.21 CT1: New Events and Improvements (FL, SH:Reborn, BP Season XI)

Hot on the heels of Update 1.20.1’s release last week, the first Common Test of Update 1.21 has (already!) officially launched, featuring the recently-announced Steel Hunter: Reborn mode — a new interpretation of the old Steel Hunter format with friendlier and simpler rules. You will also be able to explore a new Frontline desert map and experience other improvements to the mode soon. Additionally, the redesigned Service Record page has been implemented for a better visualization of your performance statistics and combat achievements, along with some other fresh UI updates and an early preview of Battle Pass Season XI. Check it out!

Feature Availability During the Common Test

Steel Hunter: Reborn

The exciting battle royale mode returns with a revamped format and big gameplay changes, making it more enjoyable than ever!

Steel Hunter: Reborn is a new variation on the classic Steel Hunter but with friendlier rules. It features respawns, reworked vehicle balancing, and even situational AI-driven opponents. It is still competitive and even more dynamic, but it’s easier to get involved and play—especially for newcomers. As for Steel Hunter veterans, they will surely notice fresh game mechanics and experience the standard rules from a different perspective. Let’s dig deeper into the details.

Respawn Mechanics

Now you will have a second chance to take revenge on your opponents at an early stage of battle! When playing solo, you’ll be able to automatically respawn in a safe location after your vehicle’s destruction—but only during the first five minutes of the battle.

Platoon players will have two respawns per Platoon. You will be able to respawn next to your Platoonmate within the first eight minutes, but to do so, your ally must remain out of battle for 10 seconds.

When you respawn, the following happens:

• You retain your vehicle tier.
• You return to the game with the default set of shells and abilities, as at the start of the battle.
• If you use up your respawn(s), you can get more when collecting Airdrop loot.

Marauders (AI-Driven Opponents)

Steel Hunter: Reborn features AI-driven enemy models called Marauders, which are weaker opponents than real players. They spawn at certain points on the map—destroy them to get additional Combat XP and loot, thereby boosting your progress in battle.

There will be three different types of Marauders that demonstrate individual behaviors and react differently to your presence, as follows:

• Hares are small and dynamic vehicles that try to run away from you after being spotted.
• Wolves are aggressive, versatile opponents that will attack you from a distance.
• Bears are the most powerful enemies guarding the loot. They will engage you in close combat but will stop fighting when you move away from them.

Matchmaking Changes

In Steel Hunter, your experience and individual mastery have always been your main advantages. But in the battle royale format—where only the best wins—it may be challenging for new players to compete with more experienced Hunters.

To make the gameplay more enjoyable for both newcomers and veterans, we’ll implement new matchmaking rules that will take your performance in the mode into account and try to automatically find opponents close to your battle results.

Progression System

Steel Hunter: Reborn will have its own progression system with enjoyable in-game rewards, notably including two new 2D styles! To get them all, you need to complete easy daily missions in the mode.

The new Steel Hunter: Reborn 2D styles are as follows (previews courtesy of WoT Express):

“Dreamland Veteran”

“Arzagir Storm”

Vision System

The vision system that uses Vision Cones will be retired. Instead, Steel Hunter: Reborn will have a standard all-round vision system, matching the one used in Random Battles and other modes. It will help you better spot enemies and collect loot.

Other Gameplay and Balance Changes

• We also reduced the gap in power between vehicle tiers. If you are playing in, for example, a Tier V vehicle and you are opposed by a Tier VII tank, you have a better chance of defeating it.
• Now it’s easier to cause damage in Steel Hunter. All special vehicles in the mode have less armor and fewer spaced screens, so you’ll have a better chance at penetrating your opponents. We’ve also increased shell velocity and implemented the lock-on (auto-aim) feature—which wheeled vehicles have—on all the mode’s special vehicles to make it easier to cause damage on the move.
• Collecting loot is now faster. It will take you three seconds to collect standard loot and five seconds to grab Airdrops.
• We decreased the cooldown time of the Recovery ability (healing). Now you can use it more frequently. Also, this ability will always be contained in every Consumables loot marked with green smoke.
• The number of players in solo battles will decrease from 20 to 15. You can also enter battles as a two-player Platoon. There can be a maximum of 10 Platoons per battle.
• We reduced reload time by 50% when upgrading your vehicle’s gun, including autoloading ones.
• Finally, ou will NOT have to earn Steel Seals to unlock rentals of any vehicles — all special vehicles will be available from the start!

Frontline 2023

In the first launch of Frontline 2023, you’ll be able to experience same-tier 30v30 battles on a brand-new desert map called Fata Morgana. This huge 3×3 km location will take you to the heated sands of Northern Africa.

Fata Morgana has a wide variety of landscapes: Here you will find a rocky canyon, the ruins of an ancient castle, shady caves, and lush oases. But the most spectacular parts of this sandy locale are a huge oil refinery and a coastal town with traditional architecture. Check it out!

Balance Improvements

In the upcoming Episode of Frontline, all players will get an additional 1.5% bonus to their crew major qualifications for each General they have in their team. The maximum number of Generals on a team for which you can get a bonus is limited to 10.

Combat Reserves now get new levels all together and simultaneously. You will upgrade them to Level II upon reaching the Captain rank and to Level III upon reaching the Major rank.

Field Repairs will restore all damaged modules upon activation.

Minefield will now have a three-second activation timer after being deployed. During this time, mines will not be active and won’t cause damage to enemy vehicles.

The Service Record page in the Garage in its current form has not changed for a long time. To update it and make it more informative and useful, its interfaces have been redesigned, WTR has been added, and the ability to customize your combat achievements has been implemented.

In addition to the familiar parameters, such as the total number of battles fought and average damage, now your main statistics page will display several new ones: maximum blocked damage, assistance and damage records, as well as the total number of vehicles destroyed. Take a look!

You’ll also have the ability to customize your combat achievements on the main statistics page in a few clicks. Show off your favorite medals and other rare achievements that you are most proud of—and spark envy in other Commanders!

Personal Rating has now been replaced with WTR as a more representative system of the player’s actual performance and reworked its visuals. It will be divided into the following five groups:

Each group consists of three mastery levels, meaning there will be 15 levels in total, each with its own unique visual style. A certain number of WTR points is required to achieve each level. Now you can also get a better idea of how many WTR points you need to earn to reach a new level.

Your current WTR rating visualization will directly depend on your results: The more effectively you perform in a battle, the higher your mastery level.

NOTE: During the Common Test, you won’t see your current WTR rating from the live server. This is due to the fact that the Common Test WTR is based on your overall previous Common Test performance. Therefore, it may differ noticeably from your WTR rating on the live server. Your battles on the Common Test server do not affect your current WTR rating.

Battle Pass 2023: Season XI

NOTE: It has been speculated that balance changes to the Type 5 Heavy may come in a later CT iteration, since that particular vehicle is slated to receive balance changes (and it would make sense to receive these before its inclusion in a Battle Pass) according to the 2023 Preview — however, nothing has been confirmed at this time. Stay tuned for further info! UPDATE: It appears this will NOT be taking place in Update 1.21.

In Season XI, all Battle Pass core mechanics remain unchanged, but both Reward Tracks will receive some important updates:

• Base Rewards will now include pieces of Experimental Equipment.
• Improved Rewards will now contain gold.

As always, you’ll be able to earn Tokens, a special reward currency exclusive to Battle Pass. They accumulate over the course of the year from all the Seasons of Battle Pass you take part in throughout 2023. Season XI will be the first season where you can unlock the  IX  KPz 3 Projekt 07 HK, and the IX BZ-58-2 will also remain available through the end of the year (and beyond).

Patchnotes: Update 1.21 CT1

Frontline

• The new Fata Morgana map has been added.
• The General Rank Bonus mechanic has been added.
• The upgrade system for Combat Reserves has been reworked.
• Experimental Equipment has been added to the progression rewards.
• The reduced cooldown time for Combat Reserves has been removed.
• Some balance changes have been made to the Kraftwerk map to increase the victory rate of the attacking team.
• Balance changes have been made to the Field Repairs and Minefield Combat Reserves.
• The vehicle panel on the respawn screen has received a filter for rental and Premium vehicles.
• A new access point to the mode has been added (banner in the Garage).
• Some changes to the interface have been made, and system messages have been improved.
• The performance of the mode has been improved.

Steel Hunter: Reborn

• The Reborn mechanic has been added.
• The Marauders (AI-controlled vehicles) have been added.
• The number of players in the Solo mode has been changed from 20 to 15.
• All vehicles in the mode become available from the start and without restrictions.
• The matchmaker
• creates teams based on the skill of the players in the mode.
• The visibility system has been changed from a cone to a circle.
• A significant rebalance of the vehicles and Combat Abilities has been performed.
• The loot composition has been changed and the loot collection time has been reduced. Consumables are now guaranteed to contain shells and a charge for Recovery, and also restore durability. Supplies contain a charge for a Repair Kit or one of the Combat Abilities.
• The mode progression has been added. The rewards featured in the Common Test are subject to change after their release on the live servers.
• The visual component (maps, Garage, vehicles, music) has been changed.

Service Record

• The Service Record tab has been visually and functionally updated: the interface has been reworked and the functionality to edit the Valuable Awards panel has been added.
• New indicators have been added to the main page of the tab: maximum damage blocked by armor, assistance damage, and total number of enemy vehicles destroyed, as well as average and record indicators.
• Personal Ratings have been replaced by the WTR system, which is divided into five groups: Bronze, Silver, Gold, Master, and Legend. Each group is made up of 3 skill-based levels (15 levels in total). Each level has its own unique visual style and requires a certain number of WTR points to be achieved.

Interface

• Some elements of the game interface will be temporarily hidden for new players. These elements will gradually be added as new players progress in the game.
• The functionality to visit the in-game Store has been added to the exterior menu.

Battle Pass, Summer Season 11

Added:

• New customization and crew members
• New rewards (gold, Experimental Equipment)
• New Collection

The progressive styles featured in the Common Test for the last Season will be replaced when the Update is released on the live servers.

The progression is not available for last Season’s Collection due to the technical characteristics of the Common Test.

Vehicles

Germany

• The following vehicle has been added for testing by Supertest players: Kampfpanzer 07 P(E)

U.K.

• The following vehicle has been added for testing by Supertest players: GSOR 1010 FB

Fixed Issues and Improvements

• The loading screen of the game client has been updated.
• Fixed the issue of the view range circle being incorrectly displayed on the minimap. Now its radius corresponds to the current view range of the vehicle.

Known Issues

• Clan chat is disabled in CT1

Join the Common Test and give your feedback, Commanders!