The War Thunder Sky Odyssey update, released on 16 September 2026, changes top tier mostly through stronger radar guided missiles and a wave of new jets, led by the MiG-35, F-14D (VF-11), J-16 and a full Greek aviation line in the Israeli tree. It also adds the Darwin Hill ground map, kill credit for abandoned vehicles and 25 vehicle presets.
Sky Odyssey key facts
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Release | 16 September 2026 |
| New ground map | Darwin Hill, based on the Falkland Islands |
| Missiles revised | AIM-7 family, AIM-120, R-77, R-77-1, PL-12, PL-12A, AAM-4, MICA-EM |
| New nation content | Greek aircraft and ground vehicles in the Israeli tree |
| Presets | Limit raised from 18 to 25 |
| Permanent modes | Nuclear Escalation, Naval Enduring Confrontation, Bullet Hell |
| Abandoned vehicles | Kill credited to nearest enemy at half reward |
The missile changes
The biggest top tier change is not a vehicle. Gaijin writes that "the whole family of AIM-7 missiles and their derivatives was updated, as well as a bunch of ARH missiles", naming the AIM-120 in all variants, R-77, R-77-1, PL-12, PL-12A, AAM-4 and MICA-EM, and adding that "their capabilities have increased quite significantly".
The list covers missile families from the US, Soviet, Chinese, Japanese and French arsenals, so the change touches several nations at once rather than one tree. Jets that carry these missiles, and accounts that already have them researched, gain the most.
New top tier aircraft by nation
Sky Odyssey adds aircraft across most trees. The ones aimed at the top end are:
- USSR: MiG-35.
- USA: F-14D (VF-11) and F-102A.
- China: J-16.
- Sweden: J35J.
- Israel (Greece): F-4E AUP Phantom II, Mirage F1CG, Mirage 2000-5EG and Rafale EG, plus earlier SB2C-5, F-84G, F-86E(M), F-102A, A-7H and a premium A-7E.
- Great Britain: Hawk T1A, a Hawk T1A (FRP) pack, and the CA-27 Mk.32 (Australia).
- Japan: CA-27 Mk.32 (Malaysia), A-4PTM (Malaysia), Ki-93-I Ko and a premium B-26B (Indonesia).
Gaijin's announcement does not list Battle Ratings for every aircraft, so check the in game card for exact placement.
The Greek line is a quiet upgrade for Israel. In one patch its air tree gains the Rafale EG, Mirage 2000-5EG and F-4E AUP, so an Israeli account that is already deep in the tree has new top end targets right away.
Ground forces, helicopters and naval
Ground additions include the M7 (USA), EMBT (Germany and France), Object 416 (USSR), Arjun Mk 1 (India) in the British tree, Harimau (Indonesia) in the Japanese tree, FK-2000 and a PLZ45 pack (China), PzH 2000 (Italy), and a premium ARL-44 Bayard (France). Israel receives the Greek Osa-AKM, Tor-M1 and Leopard 2HEL.
Helicopters gain the H145M (Germany) and AW159 HMA.2 (Great Britain). Naval content includes USS Mahan, Strela, HMS Lion, LCM(65), Algerie, premium R-310 and PT-809, and the RN Giulio Cesare battleship pack.
Gameplay and interface changes
- Kill credit for abandoned vehicles. If a player leaves a ground vehicle or ship, the kill goes to the nearest enemy or the enemy whose shot landed closest, within 3 km for ground vehicles and 20 km for ships, at half the standard reward.
- Bomber damage model. Gaijin "completely overhauled the damage model for bombers", including separate tuning for inline and radial engines and for two to six engines.
- Presets. The maximum rises from 18 to 25, with an optional display of game mode and Battle Rating.
- Map markers. Players can switch between War Thunder default, NATO and USSR marker styles.
- Permanent modes. Nuclear Escalation, Naval Enduring Confrontation and Bullet Hell can now be played at any time.
The tree reshuffle that came with it
A development blog published on 25 August 2026 announced reshuffles to the ground research trees of Germany, the USSR, Great Britain, China, Italy and Israel for this update. Gaijin said the changes "are aimed at improving the research trees structure" and that affected vehicles are marked with a special icon in game.
Because vehicles moved between ranks, older descriptions such as "Rank VIII ground" may not match the current tree. Read the vehicle list, not just the rank.
What it means for your account
An account with researched top jets carrying the revised missiles became more useful overnight, and Israeli trees gained new content to research. Ground trees mainly need a fresh look at what moved.
See how top tier accounts are described on our War Thunder accounts page, or read more in the War Thunder guide hub.
Frequently asked questions
When was the Sky Odyssey update released?
Gaijin published the Sky Odyssey major update on 16 September 2026, adding new vehicles across all branches, the Darwin Hill map and revised missile flight models.
Which missiles were buffed in Sky Odyssey?
The AIM-7 family and derivatives, all AIM-120 variants, R-77, R-77-1, PL-12, PL-12A, AAM-4 and MICA-EM. Gaijin says their capabilities increased quite significantly.
Which nation got the Greek vehicles?
Israel. Greek aircraft from the SB2C-5 to the Rafale EG joined the Israeli aviation tree, and the Osa-AKM, Tor-M1 and Leopard 2HEL joined its ground tree.
What is the new ground map?
Darwin Hill, inspired by the Falkland Islands, with grass plains, small houses, an airfield and open terrain broken up by defilades.
Do I get anything if an enemy abandons their tank?
Yes. The kill is credited to the nearest enemy, or the one whose shot landed closest, at half the standard reward.
Sources
- War Thunder: Meet the Sky Odyssey Major Update
- War Thunder: Reshuffles to the Ground Vehicle Research Trees
- War Thunder: Updates changelog
Want to skip the grind to the new top tier? Every account on our War Thunder accounts page is hand-checked before listing and comes with a lifetime warranty against recovery by the previous owner.
