Key points
- Servers went down November 11 from 08:00 GMT for the release of the “Eagle’s Shadow” major update (Gaijin, Steam news, November 10); the full changelog was published on the official forum on November 11 at 8:05am.
- 32 new vehicles, counted from the official changelog: the F-15EX and F-15IA Ra’am II (up to 12 active radar-homing missiles, up to 22 precision-guided bombs), the Leopard 2A8 and Leopard 2A8NO, the German battleship H-39, the Su-15TM, the AW249 Fenice helicopter and more.
- Cluster munitions arrive in Air Battles, alongside enhancements to munition guidance (DIRCM, CCRP), DLSS 5 support for NVIDIA 50-series cards on PC, custom battle ratings for aircraft, login streak freezes and new ground-vehicle modules.
- Sun City and American Desert get visual overhauls, with new rendering and visual effects for dirt, snow, water, muzzle flashes, smoke and fire.
- A submarine testing event follows the update.
Eagle’s Shadow lands today
Gaijin took the servers down November 11 from 08:00 GMT for the release of the “Eagle’s Shadow” major update, and the full changelog was published on the official forum the same morning. The update’s namesake is the new F-15EX, which Gaijin calls the most sophisticated aircraft in its series, and the vehicle list is the widest of any recent major update.
The headline vehicles
Counting the official changelog, the update adds 32 new vehicles: 9 aircraft, 11 ground vehicles, 1 helicopter and 11 ships. The headline jets are the F-15EX (USA) and the F-15IA Ra’am II (Israel) at Rank IX, each carrying up to 12 active radar-homing missiles or up to 22 precision-guided bombs. On the ground, Germany and Sweden both get the Leopard 2A8 (the Norwegian 2A8NO for Sweden), and Germany’s new top-rank Bluewater ship is the battleship H-39. Other additions include the Su-15TM interceptor, the Fulmar Mk.II, the BTR-90, the Stingray II and the AW249 Fenice attack helicopter.
Cluster munitions, dynamic battle ratings and DLSS 5
The systems change is as big as the vehicle list. Cluster munitions arrive as an entirely new category of aircraft weapon, with enhancements to munition guidance (DIRCM and CCRP) alongside them. Aircraft get custom battle ratings, ground vehicles get additional modules for tactical depth, and the game gains DLSS 5 support for NVIDIA 50-series cards on PC, a login streak freeze function, and a broad visual-effects pass. Sun City and American Desert both get visual overhauls. A submarine testing event follows the update.
What it means for buyers
Eagle’s Shadow is a free update, so there is nothing to buy to get the F-15EX or the Leopard 2A8 — they are earned in-game. Several headline vehicles are pack or premium only (the F/A-18D, Stingray II, JAS39-5 and Q-5D among them), so check whether a listing names a pack vehicle or a tech-tree one before paying. See the War Thunder page for the verified sellers listed there.
Sources
- Gaijin: War Thunder “Eagle’s Shadow” — Changelog (official forum)Nov 11, 2026
- Gaijin: Eagle’s Shadow major update (Steam news)Nov 10, 2026
- War Thunder: Meet the “Eagle’s Shadow” Major Update!Nov 11, 2026
We report from official announcements first and name the outlet when a detail comes from one report. Found an error? Tell us, and see our editorial policy.
