31 October, 2012 — Wargaming today announced the release of Update 8.1, adding the highly anticipated British line of armored vehicles to the free-to-play MMO action game World of Tanks. The newly added national tech tree contains 22 finest models from the Royal Tank Corps across three main tank classes. World of Tanks Update 8.1 will be available on October 31 for the European players and on November 1 for the American community.
The infantry/cavalry concept of the British armored warfare has been modified to fit into World of Tanks’ three class system of light, medium, and heavy machines. The slow and clunky but powerfully gunned and thickly armoured British heavy tanks can rival the vast majority of top tier machines, while the fast yet firepower lacking medium and light tanks can prove to be invaluable for scouting in combat.
Besides the familiar Matilda, Valentine, and Churchill models that are present in the game as the Soviet Lend-lease premiums, the British line features a wide selection of tech modifications for the Black Prince, Vickers and Cruiser tanks. Further up the tech tree, the selection of armored vehicles includes a diverse range of agile cruiser tanks, such as the Covenanter, Crusader, Cromwell, and the Comet. The Medium branch is topped with two ferocious modifications of the Centurion tank, while the top tier heavies include the maneuverable Caernarvon, the powerful Conqueror, and the intimidating FV215.
Along with the massive addition of new vehicles, Update 8.1 also introduces an overhauled rendering system for Province, El Halluf, Dragon Ridge, and Abbey battling arenas, while the list of premium vehicles now includes the Soviet SU-122-44, the German Pz IV Schmalturm VI, and the Panther M10.
