Greetings from HEAT HQ,
If this year had a soundtrack, it would probably be a chaotic mix of engine roars, metal clanks, Raketa going full-copter, and us whispering “please send us your game logs.” Since we’re approaching the end of the year, we wanted to give you a recap of everything we’ve built together. Think of this as our HEAT Wrapped. No top artists, no questionable playlists, just a list of notable moments.
Below is a snapshot of our journey from Alpha 2 to gamescom, from Project CW to HEAT, and from dozens of internal builds to one very big year ahead.
From Alpha 2 to Lodestar Program
Alpha 2 has been our biggest learning moment to date with over 115K players... You rock!
Our test scope:
8 Agents: Kent, Reaper, Raketa, Chopper, Ember, Hound, Anansi, Blitz
15 vehicles: XM1 90, HSTV-L, M60E2, LEO 2K14, T-62A, M1E1, XM1V, M60A3E2, BAT-4M, LEO 1A6A1, LEO 2FK, AGDS, LEO 1A1B
Early economy
Cosmetics
Missions
Factions
Faction Tokens
Cinematic tutorial for new players
Status Effects (dynamic buffs/debuffs)
Live Twitch streams
Your verdict:
The game economy needed rework
Several agents required balance updates
The Alpha 2 Community Tournament was a blast
The tanks matched the expectations of different roles
The currency flow felt counterintuitive
Maps and game modes were diverse and engaging
Status Effects needed more consistency and tuning across the board.
Important Note: Not all the features tested will make it to the game’s release. We’re still testing and learning with our fellow LSP members.
(Thank you for the horse meme, Alpha 2 Discord members!)
We are grateful for how honest and constructive that round was. It set the tone for everything that followed.
Alpha 2 was a big milestone for us, but it also left us with a lot to reconsider. This is where our Lodestar Program is coming in handy. LSP is our long-term testing program where our players help us sanity-check ideas, stress-test builds, and let us know when something is not working. Instead of guessing behind closed doors, we put things in players' hands early, listen carefully, and iterate to include the features that pass the demanding LSP loop.
This year has been huge for our LSP community.
Total number of LSP tests: 18
Total participants: 4983
Regions engaged: EMEA, NA, APAC
Your dedication helped us validate gameplay loops, game balance, and overall experience. Along the way, we also saw the rise of HEAT Labs that forged new friendships and even launched a volunteer project within the LSP community that made the whole team genuinely smile.
Meanwhile, the LSP is unfolding in the upcoming weeks, so feel free to join the ranks! https://heat.ly/3LNomOc
What’s been in our LSP scope so far this year:
New Agents, tanks, maps, and game modes
Multiple updates to existing content
Status Effects updates
Different shell types
New user interface (UI)
New camera angles / camera movements
Economy changes
Battle logs
New modules
Enhancements to sound effects & voiceovers
New in-game missions
Dynamic respawn option
Updates to the visibility system
Vehicle rotation
Important Note: Not all the features tested will make it to the game’s release. We’re still testing and learning with our fellow LSP members.
From Project CW to HEAT
This has been the year we finally said goodbye to our codename. We’re now officially World of Tanks: HEAT, and it feels like flipping a page in a story we have been writing quietly for a long time.
Project CW meant a lot to many early followers. The codename laid the foundation for the core of the game, so we will make sure we preserve the design pillars of CW as HEAT continues to evolve.
gamescom and the Official Announcement
gamescom 2025 was a milestone we will never forget. This is where the game got its official announcement under a new name, and this is also where we met many of you. Sharing the moment together was something the whole team will carry with them into 2026.
gamescom also kicked off our social media era. HEAT is now out there on all the usual platforms, so feel free to follow, comment, or lurk.
Looking Ahead: What’s Next in 2026
Here is what you can expect next year:
New stages of the Lodestar Program
Regular updates on maps, Agents, vehicles, and development decisions
In-depth insights into features and specifics as we lock them
More gameplay and more dev talks
All-in-all, this year has been intense, surprising, funny, stressful, rewarding, and everything in between. We are incredibly grateful to every player who joined a test, sent feedback, or simply stayed curious and engaged.
Thanks for bringing the HEAT.
See you in 2026.