World of Tanks news » 8.5 Public Test

Tankers!

The 8.5 Public Test is here! If you want to be on the cutting edge of what's about to hit the battlefields in World of Tanks, joining our Public Test is the best way to experience this up and coming content. For full details on how you can participate, see the details below.

How the Public Test Works

To participate in the test you need to do the following steps:

• Install a small launcher update found HERE (9.2 МB)
• Update World of Tanks® via the launcher (4.66 GB, approximately)

Be sure to install the test game launcher in a different folder, rather than the current game client version. Also, switch off the game client before installing the update. Only players who have registered prior to  0:00 UTC 01.04.2013  can participate in the Public Test.

Please, keep in mind certain features of the public test server:

• Payments are not accepted on the public test server.
• For the first iteration, all test accounts will receive a one-time credit of:
  
  • 100,000,000 XP
  • 100,000,000
  • 20,000
  • Progress won't be transferred to the main NA server.
  • Credits and experience rates will not be increased for this test.

Scheduled Server Restarts

Changes from v8.4 to Public Test v8.5

New Vehicles

• Added the following branches to the German line of medium and light tanks:
  • VK 20.01 (D) (MT tier IV)
  • VK 30.02 (D) v1 (MT tier VI)
  • Indien Panzer (MT tier VIII)
  • Prototype der Arbeitsgruppe A (MT tier IX)
  • Leopard 1 (MT tier X)
  • Aufklarerpanzer Panther (LT tier VII)

• Added to the branch of USSR light tanks:
  • Т-60 (LT tier II)
  • Т-70 (LT tier III)
  • Т-80 (LT tier IV)

• The following tanks have been added, but will only be available to Super Testers:
  • British HT tier V  A33 Excelsior
  • USSR tier X "Object 907"
  • USA MT tier X М60
  • German HT tier X  VK7201

New & Updated Maps

• New Map: Pearl River
• Updated Maps: Siegfried Line, South Coast, and Malinovka
• Minor changes and improvements made for the following maps: Redshire, El-Halluf, Karelia, Sand River, Steppes, Himmelsdorf, and Live Oaks

Gameplay Changes & Additions

• Premium consumables (med kits, repair kits, etc.) are now available for credits (matching the gold/credits exchange rate similar to that of premium shells)
• The creation of platoons for three players is now available for non-premium accounts
• The creation of tank companies is now available for non-premium accounts
• Reduced the credit cost for temporary camouflages, emblems, and inscriptions
• Changes and improvements made to the after-battle stats screen
• Added new inscriptions for five nations
• Inscriptions resolution size increased
• Added additional matchmaking rules to keep the balance of scouts even for both teams

Tank Changes & Updates*

*More specific information will be made available with the release of the final patch notes

• USA premium SPG Sexton tier III moved to the British tree and added to in-game shop
• Fixed the depression angles of the gun for the M4A2E4
• Improved visual models for the following vehicles: IS-3, Valentine AT, Pz V Panther, Pz IV/V, Object 263, VK 3001H, Conqueror, IS-4М, Matilda Black Prince, IS-7, ARL-44, Black Prince
• Max speed of the IS-7 increased from 50 to 59.6 km/h.
• Changed velocity of all shells for the 17сm PaK K72 gun from 850 to 925 m/s.
• Added fixes for collision models on the following tanks: PanzerJager I and JagdPz E-100

Minor Fixes & Updates

• Changes made to the "Expert" medal requirements
  
  • Those who have already received these medals (but are having it displayed in gray) will regain the medal
  • Neither "Master Tanker" nor "Expert" by nation achievements will "fade" after new tanks are introduced in later patches
• Other medals that appear in gray (Master Tanker) will need to complete the list of objectives (found on mouseover) to earn the medal
• Fixed the situations causing large vehicles to become stuck under overhanging objects
• Fixed a rare bug causing shells to disappear after hitting an enemy gun of a higher tier
• Fixed a bug limiting the damage of HE shells to external modules after penetration
• Fixed a bug that caused shells to appear as if they were exploding in the air
• Fixed a bug that caused a failure of the indication of a damaged or destroyed fuel tank to appear
• Destroyed vehicles no longer absorb damaged cauased by HE shells. HE shells now always explode on the surface of destroyed vehicles
• Vehicles stacked on top of one another will both suffer damage
• Fixed disappearing of emblems and inscriptions on vehicles after alt-TAB or adjusting AA settings
• Fixed the wording of the memory leak warning message
• Fixed errors when creating a private chat channel: not displaying channel creator, freezes of chat window when attempting to close it, etc.
•  Fixed description of achievements:  "Raider ", "Reaper", "Dumitru’s Meda", "de Langlade's Medal"
• Fixed description of consumables:  "100-octane Gasoline" and "105-octane Gasoline"
• Updated the description of the skill "Situational Awareness"
• Fixed minor errors in the names of vehicles and modules
• Chinese tanks based on the “IS” tank are now included in condition for obtaining "The Lion of Sinai" achievement
• Fixed minor bugs in the battle tutorial
• Fixed a bug causing the loss of the benefits from camo net and binoculars when attempting to move a vehicle with a destroyed track
• Fixed a failure of the Sixth Sense indicator from appearing after rapidly being respotted once hidden
• Optimized the look of  vehicles' motion effects (dust and dirt from under the tracks)
• Reduced terrain resistance when driving a tank on certain destroyed objects
• Fixed the display of lag indicator with green color when server operational load is close to 100%
• Fixed the display of tank collision effects when tanks are at the same location but at different altitude
• Fixed some models of ambient objects
• Reworked multiple ambient object destruction effects