To play infantry in War Thunder right now you need a closed beta invitation: apply on the official Infantry page, wait for the email, then join infantry battles from the "Events and Tournaments" section of the normal game client while a test stage is open. The mode is not in public matchmaking yet, and Gaijin has not announced a release date.
War Thunder infantry at a glance
Gaijin revealed infantry with the "Line of Contact" major update in December 2025 and called it a new, standalone game mode. It runs inside the regular War Thunder client, but only for invited testers and only during scheduled test windows.
| Item | Current state (October 2026) |
|---|---|
| Status | Closed beta test, invitation only |
| How to apply | Participation request at warthunder.com/en/infantry |
| Where to launch it | "Events and Tournaments" in the hangar |
| Latest stage | 3.5, October 1 to 2 and October 3 to 4, 2026 |
| Nations tested | USA and USSR/Russia |
| Maps | Granitograd, Al-Massa, Kivu |
| Match sizes | 20 vs 20 and 64 vs 64 |
| Public release | No date announced |
How to get access to the infantry beta
- Submit a participation request on the official War Thunder Infantry page while logged in to your Gaijin account.
- Watch your email. Invitations go out before each test stage to the address on your account.
- Keep the invite. Gaijin states that one invitation is valid for all stages, so earlier testers do not need to reapply.
- Follow the news on warthunder.com or the official forum for the next stage dates, because each stage has a hard time limit.
Once invited, update the client and open "Events and Tournaments" during a live stage. Infantry battles appear there, not in the normal Arcade or Realistic queue. Testers who are in the CBT but cannot see the dedicated forum section should log out and back in, according to Gaijin.
Platform note: Gaijin's original announcement listed PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series. The second phase ran on Windows, Mac and Linux, and when asked about the third phase a developer on the official forum indicated console players were not included yet.
How infantry battles work
You control a single soldier. The very first stage in December 2025 gave each player a small AI squad to command, but from the second stage onward players respawn alone. Instead of bots, you can spawn next to a teammate in your squad, and from stage 3.1 you can also respawn on allies without being in their squad.
Modes and objectives
- Domination, small: 40 players (20 vs 20) fighting over one capture point.
- Domination, large: 128 players (64 vs 64) with three capture points.
- Major Warfare on Kivu: five capture points with its own rules. Holding all points at once triggers "Total Dominance", which drains enemy points faster.
Arcade and Realistic difficulty both exist, but not every stage offers both. Stage 2 was Realistic only, while stage 3.1 was Arcade only. In Arcade, enemy markers no longer show through bushes or at long range, so they confirm targets you can already see rather than revealing hidden ones.
Spawning vehicles
Infantry fight next to armor and helicopters. You earn points during the match, and once you have enough you can respawn in an armored vehicle or a helicopter. Gaijin capped teams at ten ground vehicles at a time in the second phase. On Kivu you can also spawn on any capture point your team holds instead of only at the main base.
The third phase added a passenger vehicle that carries up to five soldiers, and stage 3.1 let passengers fire from the cabin. Use it on Kivu, which Gaijin says is roughly four times the size of the earlier maps.
Classes and loadouts
The second phase introduced four classes, which differ in armor protection and mobility:
| Class | Main weapon type | Best use |
|---|---|---|
| Assault Soldier | Assault rifles | General point fighting |
| Specialist | SMGs and short assault rifles | Building clears, close range |
| Machine Gunner | Light machine guns | Suppressing lanes and holding points |
| Sniper | Marksman and anti-materiel rifles | Long sightlines, Kivu, vehicles |
Every item you carry has weight, and weight affects aim and movement speed. Heavy kits slow you less in Arcade than in Realistic. Since the third phase, RPGs, MANPADS and drones are no longer available to every soldier, so decide before the match who on your team carries anti-vehicle and anti-air gear.
Weapons in the modern stages included the M4A1, M16A4, M249 Para and XM5 for the US, and the AK-12, AK-74M, RPK-74M and AK-15 for the Soviet side. Supporting vehicles included the M1A2 SEP V2, T-90M, LAV-AD, 2S6, AH-64A and Mi-28N. Stage 3.5 switched to late World War 2 and early Cold War weapons, tanks and helicopters, with reworked loadout weight.
Infantry is the first War Thunder mode where your vehicle is a reward rather than your starting point. Players who treat the soldier phase as a warm-up and rush to spawn a tank usually lose the point that pays for the next one. The team that holds objectives on foot is the team with more armor later.
Controls and settings
Infantry uses a standard first-person shooter layout and has its own section in the controls menu, plus separate mouse sensitivity added in the April 2026 test. There is also a dedicated infantry tab under "Graphics", separate from your tank and aircraft settings.
- Set infantry mouse sensitivity first; it is independent from ground vehicle sensitivity.
- Try the angled grip option added in phase three. It improves visibility through the sight.
- Bind your vehicle controls before the match, because you will switch from soldier to tank or helicopter mid-battle.
- Key layouts have changed between stages, so check the Infantry tab after every client update.
Tips for your first infantry matches
- Play the objective. Points win the match and fund your vehicle spawns.
- Use squad spawns carefully. Spawning on a teammate has no spawn protection, so check the minimap for nearby fighting first.
- Restock in buildings. Control buildings contain ammunition and explosive resupply crates.
- Pick your kit for the map. Specialists and machine gunners on Granitograd and Al-Massa streets, snipers and transport on Kivu.
- Respect drones. Launches are limited per battle, but a scouting drone still reveals your position to a tank crew.
When will infantry be released?
Gaijin has not given a date. Its December 2025 announcement said open testing was planned for 2026 and that new maps, nations and hardware would be added over time. So far the mode has moved through stages 1, 2, 2.1 and 3 to 3.5, with each step adding maps, vehicles or rule changes. Expect more stages before any public launch.
The official wiki states that detailed mechanics will be published closer to full release, because the mode is still changing a lot between tests.
Frequently asked questions
Is War Thunder infantry free?
Yes. Applying for the closed beta is free and the test runs inside the free War Thunder client. You only need a Gaijin account and an invitation.
Where do I find infantry battles in the game?
In the "Events and Tournaments" section of the hangar, and only while a test stage is active. It does not appear in the regular battle selector.
Do I need to reapply for each test stage?
No. Gaijin says one invitation is valid for all stages, and players from earlier stages automatically get access to later ones.
Can I play infantry on PS5 or Xbox?
Consoles were listed in the original plan, but the tests so far have been on PC (Windows, Mac and Linux). Console access had not been added as of the third phase.
Can I stream or record the beta?
Yes. Gaijin allows streaming and recording. Bug reports should go to the Community Bug Reporting platform under the "Infantry" category.
Which nations can I play?
All test stages so far have used the USA and the USSR/Russia. Gaijin says more nations will be added later.
Play infantry and vehicles on one account
Infantry battles reward players who already know War Thunder's tanks and helicopters, since those are what you spawn once you earn points. If you want to skip the grind to high-tier ground and air vehicles, browse hand-checked War Thunder accounts on METAMMO, each covered by a lifetime warranty against recovery. More mode guides are on the War Thunder guide hub.
Sources
- Infantry mode in War Thunder, official wiki (updated through October 2026)
- Infantry in War Thunder: Third Testing Phase, July 8, 2026
- War Thunder Infantry: Testing Continues, April 29, 2026
- War Thunder Infantry: The Second Testing Phase, March 23, 2026
- War Thunder Infantry: Testing Details, December 2025
- Line of Contact Update: Infantry in War Thunder, December 4, 2025
- Gaijin Entertainment: Infantry and drones will face off against tanks, December 2025
