War Thunder’s matchmaking system is generally simple, but comes with some key caveats depending on the game mode; these are vital to understand to make the most of your vehicles and lineups. Learn more about rules around which vehicles you will be able to field and face in battle in this article.
Battle rating (BR)
The “battle rating” of a vehicle is the basic determinant of its matchmaking. It is a number assigned to every aircraft, ground vehicle, and naval vessel in the game that correlates with its effectiveness in combat, thus roughly grouping together units of similar efficiency. Roughly speaking, a higher BR signifies an increase in capabilities and performance, but also a corresponding increase in the capabilities of the opponents that the vehicle must face.
Battle rating does not correspond with real-life introduction dates, only the vehicle’s in-game performance.
Even if major technological imbalances existed among the vehicles in real life, the battle rating system allows War Thunder to remain balanced at all ranks by only matching vehicles with similar in-game performance against each other.
Battle rating can differ depending on the game mode. For example, if a vehicle can perform considerably better compared to its opponents in Arcade Battles than in Realistic Battles, it may have a higher battle rating in the former. Aircraft can also have a different BR between Air modes and the combined arms modes of Ground and Naval.
Battle ratings exist in steps of 0.3 or 0.4 (strictly speaking: steps of 0.33 rounded to the nearest tenth), and range between 1.0 and 13.7.
The BR of “Reserve” vehicles is 1.0.
The battle rating of every vehicle can be found at the top of its stat card or in the lower-right corner of its icon in the Research screen. To check the vehicle’s BR in different game modes, select the appropriate mode using the drop-down menu in the lower-right corner of the Research screen.
The battle rating that will be used for matchmaking will always be displayed at the top of the screen, underneath “To Battle!”.
Matchmaking is solely based on the vehicle’s battle rating, no other metrics such as research rank or player statistics are taken into account.
| Air | Ground | Naval | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arcade | Average BR | Highest BR | Highest* BR |
| Realistic | BR | Highest BR | Highest* BR |
| Simulator | BR range | Vehicle list | — |
Matchmaking by highest BR
Relevant to Air RB, Ground AB & RB, Naval AB & RB
In the most common modality, matchmaking is determined by the highest BR of the vehicles in your lineup. In Air Realistic Battles, which does not utilise multi-vehicle lineups, it is simply the BR of the selected aircraft, which is the one that will be available in battle.
The matchmaker operates on two main conditions:
- Battles are formed of lineups within 1.0 BR of each other.
- Lineups can be matched against other lineups within ±1.0 BR.
- The number of players on each team with BRs at the top of the BR range cannot exceed 4.
For example, a 5.3 BR lineup could enter a battle with a BR range of 5.3–6.3 (a so-called “full uptier”). All lineups in the battle would have highest BRs between 5.3-6.3 (thus being within 1.0 BR of each other) and the 5.3 lineup would only face opposing lineups up to 6.3 BR (thus only being matched against other lineups within +1.0 BR).
Likewise, the 5.3 BR lineup could also be matched into a 4.3–5.3 BR battle (a so-called “full down-tier”). Satisfaction of the conditions in this case is left as an exercise to the reader.
Air RB has an additional special condition: the number of bombers on each team cannot exceed 4.
Naval game modes do not allow aircraft more than one BR step (0.3/0.4 BRs) higher than the highest naval vessel to be used in battle. Any aircraft above this limit will not be taken into account when determining the BR of the lineup and will not be available to be used in battle.
Matchmaking by average BR
Relevant to Air AB
Air Arcade Battles follow a similar system for determining the BR range of opponents in a battle. However, the BR of your lineup is calculated as an average of the three highest BR vehicles in the lineup, rather than taking a single BR.
In general:
- Total BR will only be lowered if there is only one aircraft with the highest BR in the lineup (e.g. one 5.0, with all else 4.7 or lower).
- Total BR can only be lowered by a maximum of one BR step below the highest BR aircraft (e.g. 5.0 to 4.7, 3.7 to 3.3).
- Only BR differences within the lineup of up to 2.0 are taken into consideration; otherwise, total BR is taken from the highest BR.
The specific formula is:
where A, B, and C are the three highest BRs in the lineup, in descending order.
However:
- If B or C is more than 0.6 BRs below A, that value will be set as A — 0.6.
- If B or C is more than or equal to 2.0 BRs below A, that value will be replaced by A.
- If there are fewer than three usable aircraft in the lineup, any missing values of B and C will be set as A — 0.6
The final average BR will be rounded to the nearest BR step, or rounded up if it is exactly between two BR steps.
Matchmaking in a BR range
Relevant to Enduring Confrontation (Air SB, Naval EC)
Enduring Confrontation Battles do not use a dynamic BR range like normal PvP battles. Instead, battles are organised into lobbies within a set of possible BR ranges.
In Air SB, the set of BR ranges is rotated every two days:
| 1.0 | .3 | .7 | 2.0 | .3 | .7 | 3.0 | .3 | .7 | 4.0 | .3 | .7 | 5.0 | .3 | .7 | 6.0 | .3 | .7 | 7.0 | .3 | .7 | 8.0 | .3 | .7 | 9.0 | .3 | .7 | 10.0 | .3 | .7 | 11.0 | .3 | .7 | 12.0 | .3 | .7 | 13.0 | .3 | .7 | 14.0 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1.0-2.0 | 2.3-3.7 | 4.0-5.0 | 5.3-6.3 | 6.7-7.7 | 8.0-9.0 | 9.3-10.3 | 10.7-11.7 | 12.0-13.0 | 13.3-14.0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2 | 1.0-2.0 | 2.3-3.3 | 3.7-4.7 | 5.0-6.0 | 6.3-7.3 | 7.7-8.7 | 9.0-10.0 | 10.3-11.3 | 11.7-12.7 | 13.0-14.0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 3 | 1.0-1.7 | 2.0-3.0 | 3.3-4.3 | 4.7-5.7 | 6.0-7.0 | 7.3-8.3 | 8.7-9.7 | 10.0-11.0 | 11.3-12.0 | 12.3-13.0 | 13.3-14.0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 4 | 1.0-1.7 | 2.0-2.7 | 3.0-4.0 | 4.3-5.3 | 5.7-6.7 | 7.0-8.0 | 8.3-9.3 | 9.7-10.7 | 11.0-11.7 | 12.0-12.7 | 13.0-14.0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Each team is given the same two battle rating ranges: Required vehicles and Allowed vehicles. To enter the battle, at least one vehicle in your lineup must have a BR that falls within the Required vehicles range. Other vehicles in the lineup must fall within the Allowed vehicles range to be used in the battle. Players are matched to opponents with lineups in the same battle rating ranges.
Matchmaking according to a specific list
Relevant to Ground SB
In Ground SB, lists of specific vehicles that are allowed to be used in battle are rotated every two days. The composition of these lists is not determined by BR. In some cases, a main list of available ground vehicles will be presented, while aircraft will be allowed within a specific BR range.
Assault Mode
Relevant to Air Assault, Ground Assault
There are five levels of Air Assault battles, which will be initiated depending on the highest BR aircraft in your lineup:
- 1.0 — 2.3
- 2.7 — 3.7
- 4.0 — 5.0
- 5.3 — 6.3
- 6.7 — 12.7
There are six levels of Ground Assault battles, which will be initiated depending on the highest BR tank or helicopter in your lineup:
- 1.0 — 2.3
- 2.7 — 3.7
- 4.0 — 5.0
- 5.3 — 6.3
- 6.7 — 8.0
- 8.3+
Vehicles with a battle rating below that of the specific BR range are also allowed to be used in battle.