The closed beta for War Thunder: Infantry has reached its third phase. And it comes with the largest map yet for this game mode, where players fight on foot instead of in vehicles.
Actually, inWar Thunderwar is usually fought from behind the wheel of tanks, planes, or ships. The military simulation was primarily known for its vehicle battles.
But with the new game modeInfantrythe developer studio Gaijin Entertainment is now trying its hand at foot combat, which—given the gameplay—is definitely reminiscent of Battlefield.
Just take a look for yourself:
Here’s how you can currently play War Thunder: Infantry
Infantry is currently still in aclosed beta, which officially launched at the end of 2025 with the latest winter update. However, not everyone can join—access requires successful registration or an application.
- Two factions(the U.S. and Russia), which differ from one another based on the weapons and vehicles available to each
- Weapons:Players on the U.S. faction can use the M4A1, M16A4, SCAR-L, XM5, TAC-50, M249 Para, MAC-11 PDW, and M110 SDMR, for example. The Russian faction, in turn, has access to the AK-12, AK-74M, AK-15, RPK-74M, PP-19, SVDM, KSVK, and Kord 6P6.
- Vehicles:The U.S. already has the M1A2 SEP V2 main battle tank, the LAV-AD anti-aircraft vehicle, and the AH-64A Apache attack helicopter. Russia, on the other hand, offers the T-90M main battle tank, the 2S6 Tunguska anti-aircraft system, and the Mi-28M attack helicopter.
- When it comes to game modes, you can also choose betweenArcadeandRealistic. The latter mode does away with enemy markers and faction-specific equipment, among other things, and features stricter respawn rules.

Here’s What’s New and Different in Phase 3 of the Closed Beta
The brand-new third beta phase is here with all kinds of new content; we’ve picked out the most important changes for you:
- the new map set in Central Africa called Kivu, which is the largest map for Infantry mode to date. On it,64 vs. 64 (for a total of 128) playerscan compete against each other per session.
- Both factions currently available feature new equipment and character models tailored to the map’s setting.
- Humveesas light transport vehicles with room for up to five soldiers.
- various gameplay and balancing adjustments based on player feedback to date.
- For example, a revamp of the four different classes, meaning that special weapons (such as RPGs and anti-aircraft missiles) and drones are no longer available to every soldier. The spawn and respawn mechanics have also been revised to avoid excessively long travel distances on the new map.
For all further details on War Thunder: Infantry and the latest updates for the closed beta can be found in theofficial blog post.
And what’s currently happening with Battlefield? It’s a bit… mixed. The latest map, Cairo Bazaar, has recently generated a lot of excitement among players. And then a change that fans had been eagerly awaiting was announced, only to turn out to be a mistake after all. You can find more information about this under the links above.

