- 4players
- 30–90 min
- PC
- PS5
- Xbox
A free vehicle combat game where planes, tanks, helicopters and warships from a century of military history fight in large team battles.
Who can play
- No split-screen on any platform.
- Online for up to 4 players on PC, PS5 and Xbox.
- Crossplay between PC, PS5 and Xbox. Squads can mix platforms. Xbox players must turn on cross-platform play to meet PC and PlayStation players.
- Free to play.
- PS5PlayStation StoreSee price (opens the store in a new tab)
- XboxMicrosoft StoreSee price (opens the store in a new tab)
How it plays
Friends form a squad of up to four and enter team battles side by side, each with vehicles from their own research tree.
Arcade battles are quick to pick up, while realistic and simulator modes reward callouts and teamwork.
Progress is slow and the controls take learning, so it suits groups who enjoy military hardware.
It is free, and PC and console players can squad up together.
Is it good
71%
Mostly positive on Steam
“War Thunder is extremely easy to slip into”
Rock, Paper, Shotgun “Most Historically Educational Way to Destroy Planes”
GameSpot “With fun, exciting combat combined with plenty of customization and room for personal skill, this game is sure to be a fan favorite.”
MMORPG
- 81MetascoreMetacritic (Metascore; opens Metacritic in a new tab)
- 75Top criticsOpenCritic · Jul 2018 (OpenCritic top critic average, 12 reviews, as of Jul 2018; opens OpenCritic in a new tab)
- 46%RecommendOpenCritic · Jan 2025 (OpenCritic critics who recommend it, 13 reviews, as of Jan 2025; opens OpenCritic in a new tab)
31k playing on Steam, counted dailySteam Deck Verified
Every way to play together
Crossplay between PC, PS5 and Xbox. Squads can mix platforms. Xbox players must turn on cross-platform play to meet PC and PlayStation players.
- 4
Squads of up to four join team battles on maps built for 32 players; co-op Assault missions face waves of AI. Friends can also host a password-protected custom battle.
Quick facts
- Developer
- Gaijin Entertainment
- Publisher
- Gaijin Network Ltd
- Platforms
- PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S
- Released
- Aug 15, 2013 on PC
- Controllers
- Full controller support on PC, PlayStation controllers too
- Languages
- Text in 18 languages, voices in 10
- Age rating
- Teen (ESRB): Violence
In these lists
Answers
- Does War Thunder have couch co-op?
- No. War Thunder has no same-screen multiplayer; play it together online instead.
- How many players can play War Thunder together?
- Online co-op and versus for up to 4 on PC, PS5 and Xbox.
- Is War Thunder crossplay?
- Yes. Crossplay between PC, PS5 and Xbox. Squads can mix platforms. Xbox players must turn on cross-platform play to meet PC and PlayStation players.
- One of 147 PC and PS5 crossplay games
- Do you need two copies of War Thunder?
- No. It's free to play.
- One of 1,371 co-op games where one copy is enough
- Can you play the War Thunder story together?
- Yes: the main campaign is playable together online.
- What platforms is War Thunder on?
- PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S.
- One of 290 co-op games on PS5
- Does War Thunder work on Steam Deck?
- Yes: Steam rates it Verified for Steam Deck.
- Is War Thunder free?
- Yes, it's free to play.
