War Thunder Eagle’s Shadow Update: F-15EX, the H-39 Battleship, DLSS 5 and Everything Revealed So Far

War Thunder Eagle's Shadow is the next major update for Gaijin's military vehicle game, and the dev blogs so far promise a lot: the F-15EX and Israel's F-15IA Ra'am at Rank IX, Germany's giant H-39 battleship, cluster bombs in Air Battles, NVIDIA DLSS 5, and a rebuilt look for dirt, snow, water, muzzle flashes and the sky. Gaijin hasn't announced a release date yet, saying only that the update is "not far off now". Here's everything revealed up to November 10.

Eagle's Shadow at a glance

When is the War Thunder Eagle's Shadow release date?

Not announced yet. In the H-39 dev blog on November 10, Gaijin says the update is "not far off now" and to "stay tuned". Dev blogs usually run in the weeks before a major update, so watch for the official date and the changelog. Gaijin also notes that vehicle specifications "may be subject to revision" before release.

What are the F-15EX and F-15IA Ra'am in War Thunder?

The update's namesake jets arrive at Rank IX for the USA and Israel. Gaijin's dev blog says the F-15EX will be "the most heavily armed fighter in the game" and one of its best fourth-generation fighters:

• Up to 12 active radar-homing missiles, including the satellite-assisted AIM-120D.
• Up to 22 precision-guided bombs per sortie, plus anti-radiation and anti-ship missiles and the SLAM-ER.
• An AESA radar, helmet-mounted display targeting, radar warning receiver and a voice warning system.
• New, more powerful engines and more countermeasures.
• The Israeli F-15IA gets SPICE guided bombs; in air-to-air combat both versions are identical.

What is the H-39 battleship?

The H-39 becomes Germany's new top ship at Rank VII: over 63,000 tons and about 277 meters long, the longest ship in the game. It carries eight 406 mm guns in four dual turrets (similar in performance to the American 406 mm guns on South Dakota and North Carolina) and eighteen 533 mm torpedoes. Its outer belt is slightly thinner than Bismarck's, but the inner armor is stronger, so it's better protected overall, except at the bow and stern. The downsides: a slower reload than Bismarck (2 shots a minute with a trained crew) and limited anti-air defense.

What other vehicles are coming?

• Su-15TM (USSR, Rank VI): the Soviet Union's most produced jet interceptor, with a top speed over 2,200 km/h, a strong climb rate and the new R-98MR and R-98MT missiles, exclusive to it. It has no flares or chaff.
• Fulmar Mk.II (Britain, Rank I): Britain's first researchable monoplane fighter at that rank, with eight 7.7 mm machine guns and 8,000 rounds, the largest base ammo count of any fighter in the game.

Are cluster bombs coming to War Thunder?

Yes, in Air Battles. Gaijin says cluster bombs will arrive in Eagle's Shadow for several nations, including the American CBU-87 with 202 submunitions that combine shaped-charge, fragmentation and incendiary effects. They're aimed at groups of lightly armored targets such as anti-aircraft systems, IFVs, APCs and trucks, especially AI vehicles around bases in Air Battles and Nuclear Escalation.

Is War Thunder getting DLSS 5?

Yes. Gaijin says DLSS 5 with NVIDIA's 3D-Guided Neural Rendering comes in Eagle's Shadow for RTX devices. On GeForce RTX 50 Series cards and RTX Spark devices it unlocks the engine's full potential, including path tracing and other ray-traced effects, with what Gaijin describes as more realistic lighting, wet surfaces and weather.

What graphics changes are in Eagle's Shadow?

Two dev blogs, on visual effects and the new renderer, list:

• Rebuilt dirt, dust and snow on tanks, with 3D snow that builds up during snowfall and melts on hot engine decks and gun barrels after firing.
• Muzzle flashes reworked for every tank and naval gun from 12.7 mm to 460 mm, with shock waves that lift dust and ripples on water.
• Volumetric smoke tracers that twist in turbulence and drift with the wind.
• Flame exhaust on petrol-engined tanks and working brake lights on vehicles that have them.
• Humidity-based wing vapor: almost none on a dry day, up to three times stronger over the sea or under low cloud.
• Reflections on water from fires, searchlights and muzzle flashes (High and Ultra water settings).
• Godrays are back, high-altitude banding is gone, and clouds no longer repeat.
• Better bullet hits on aircraft, nozzle smoke and bright flashes from incendiary and HE shells.

Watch the Eagle's Shadow dirt and snow preview

Gaijin's official preview of the new snow, dirt and dust effects is on the War Thunder YouTube channel. A full Eagle's Shadow trailer hasn't been released yet.

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