Update 1.22: Map Balance Improvements

World of Tanks maps have seen a lot of innovation recently. You played on night locations, tried out random events, and saw last year’s Recon Mission ‘graduates’ enter Random Battles. Maps in their classic form have also been given the attention they deserve: with Update 1.22, ten of them will receive a batch of improvements of different scales. Based on feedback and data gathered, these adjustments will make your playing experience even more enjoyable.

All changes—be they major or minor—are based on the same design principles. Everywhere, the goal was to improve map balance while also making the gameplay more varied and nuanced, allowing more tactical approaches to be employed and the strengths of various vehicles of different types to be used. Let’s have a look at the changes!

Extensive Map Changes

Mountain Pass received multiple augmentations to improve the quality of life for both sides. The zone for heavily armored vehicle clashes was expanded and refurbished. A lot of lines of fire that previously allowed for hitting vehicles en route to positions at the start of battle were blocked. The hill in the south often used by snipers and arty was significantly reshaped, and it is no longer possible to shoot at the bridge from the top of its northern counterpart.

Fisherman‘s Bay now offers more opportunities to the northern team than before. The route to the city blocks (which lost a couple of buildings) has been made safer. More view-obstructing foliage has been planted in the middle of the map, and a new firing position has appeared in the K7 square.

The brick factory on Studzianki has been made larger, creating more space for well-armored brawlers. The village has also been expanded. The trench splitting it in two now offers better protection from shots fired from the factory.

Oyster Bay has become friendlier to the northern side than it used to be. A sub-direction on the heavies’ flank (squares E6 and F7) has become more exposed to fire from the main sniping positions on the northern side; pushing it will now be less easy for the southern side. Select mountains have gained in height to give better protection from artillery fire. A few bushes and a coastal defense gun have also been moved.

Improvements to Gameplay Experience

Three more battlefields underwent lesser but still significant changes along the design principles outlined at the beginning of the article.

Several map balancing changes have been introduced, making the overall situation better than before for the southern team.

The sniping position in the J9 square has been improved.

The route toward the forest in the H7 and G8 squares has been made safer.

With the changes in terrain shape, the position in the F8 square has become better protected.

The spot in the F9 square is now safe from fire from the hill in the E8 square.

There is now less foliage in the D0, F0, and G0 squares, so firing over positions there is easier.

The road, the hill, and the bushes in the E6 and E7 squares have been moved southward to even out the balance for those playing in light tanks.

In the Encounter mode, the base has been moved into the E2 and F2 squares. Vehicle spawning points have been repositioned closer to the hills.

Several adjustments have been implemented to get rid of some overly advantageous positions and to make playing on the map more comfortable.

The center of the map is now less exposed to fire from the southern side’s base (the J3 square) which will make life easier for heavies coming from the north.

The stone in the G5 square has been made larger, to block a line of fire that had been used to hit heavily armored vehicles. A house has been added to the G6 square to protect against attacks made from the H9 square, mirroring the tactical setup on the opposing side of the map.

The terrain depression in the D4 and D5 squares has been removed. The rock in the D5 square is now lower, which allows for fire over the E6, F6, E7, and F7 squares from the northern base.

There is now a safer arty zone in the A4 square, to balance the existing one on the southern side of the map.

Climbing on the cliff in the F7 square is no longer possible.

The map has received a few changes to improve the overall playing experience.

The approaches to the city blocks from both the northern (squares A5 and A6) and the southern (squares C1 and D1) bases have been reworked, making them safer for slow vehicles.

More cover has been added to the A7, E0, and F0 squares to create more variability when attacking and defending the northern base.

A swampy area in the K8 square has been dried up to give the southern side the same range of tactical opportunities that their opponents enjoy.

Heavies can now clash with more convenience due to a slight expansion of the city block in the A3 square and several destructible buildings in the A2 square made indestructible.

Selective Adjustments

Three locations have received relatively minor changes to improve the overall playing experience.

In the mountain gorge on Lakeville (squares from C1 to H2), the type of ground has been changed (both mechanics-wise and visually) and vehicles will now traverse it with more ease.

On Ensk, the locations of spawning points have been slightly changed for both teams, and priorities for spawning have been allocated based on vehicle types. For Encounter battles, the spawning points on the northern side have been rearranged for the sake of map balance, and vehicle-type priorities for spawning have been set for both teams.

For Assault battles on Siegfried Line, the attacking team’s spawning zones have been merged into a single one, located in the E3 and F3 squares.

We will monitor the influence of these changes on map balance as well as player satisfaction to ensure that our favorite game remains fun to play and that tankers’ wishes are met.

See you on the updated battlefields, Commanders!