Author - Jerry Paxton

Wargaming, the developer and publisher of the leading historically accurate naval multiplayer game World of Warships, is ringing in the new year with another jam-packed update bringing new Commanders, ships, events, and more. Players can look forward to a host of new European battleships as they drop anchor into Early Access, French submarine Surcouf arriving as part of the newest “Salvage for Victory” event and a new Commander in collaboration with the YouTuber martincitopants. Beyond the game, World of Warships is launching the Naval Museum Atlas 2026 Calendar, its newest heritage project in collaboration with 12 renowned U.S. ship museums, anchored by a collectible wall calendar and supported by a series of free combat missions.

European Battleships Sail into Early Access

Kicking off the new year are new battleships sailing into Early Access. Players will be able to get hands on with seven brand new Pan-European battleships across increasing tiers: Yavuz Sultan Selim, Tegetthoff, Laudon, Chios, Enigheten, Gustav den Store, and Thor. Each ship comes equipped with long range torpedoes to deal significant damage, the strength of which scales as ship tiers progress, as well as good concealments for battleships. From Tier V, these ships also come equipped with a time-based Emergency Engine Power consumable for quick repositioning, and ships from Tier VIII upwards also feature the Surveillance Radar consumable.

A new Event Pass arrives to celebrate these additions, offering two progression lines and packed with rewards, including camouflages, two of the new European vessels, and containers for the “Honor, Integrity, Virtue” Collection. This 60-piece collection is themed around Royal Australian Navy Vice-Admiral John Augustine Collins, and players who complete the collection will receive Collins as a Commander, marking the first Commonwealth Unique Commander in the game with unique talents and improved skills.

Legendary French Submarine Surcouf Headlines new “Salvage for Victory” Event

Starting from 5 February in the final week of the update, players will have the chance to dive into a new “Salvage for Victory” event. By combining and trading resources, they’ll unlock enviable rewards, amongst which include Tier VIII Premium Pan-Asian cruiser Narai, Tier VIII Italian Premium battleship Marcantonio Colonna and Soviet Tier IX Premium battleship Zarya Svobody.

Headlining these prizes is Legendary French submarine Surcouf, a historic ship armed with four forward torpedo tubes, two stern-based triple launchers, a turret equipped with two 203mm cannons, as well as anti-submarine warfare airstrike capabilities. The tier X Surcouf has depth restrictions on its tools, and no sonar or acoustic torpedoes for enemy submarine engagements, making it most optimal as a surface vessel with diving reserved for stealthy repositioning.

Martincitopants Leaps into World of Warships

Naughtical nonsense is coming to the high seas, as YouTuber martincitopants joins the game as Commander Captain Mart, and with him a martincitopants special permanent camouflage. Players can unlock Captain Mart and additional goodies from a special mission, unlocked via a code that will be revealed on social media in the near future. A custom Captain Mart flag will also be available to unlock in the Armory.

New Naval Museum Atlas Calendar Celebrates 12 months of U.S. Maritime History

Finally, bringing World of Warships into the new year, is the Naval Museum Atlas 2026 calendar. Developed in close collaboration with 12 renowned U.S. ship museums, the Naval Museum Atlas 2026 Calendar celebrates iconic vessels that shaped America’s maritime legacy. The project includes a collectible wall calendar available for purchase at: merch.worldofwarships.com, as well as a free online calendar open to all players starting in January.

Through in-game combat missions tied to the online calendar, players can explore the stories of participating museum ships and experience them directly for a limited-time. As part of the initiative, World of Warships will donate its share of the wall calendar’s profits to support the Historic Naval Ships Association (HNSA) and its ongoing work to preserve historic naval vessels.