America's primary heavy tank for the majority of World War II was the Heavy Tank M6 that saw production in 1942. However, the US Armored Force saw no need for a heavy tank and so the M6 heavy tank production was cancelled after 40 vehicles were produced. Despite that, Ordnance Department continued to envision new utilities for the heavy tank and developed an upgunned M6A2E1 with a 105 mm T5E1 gun in anticipation of fighting fortifications in Europe. Planning to convert their existing heavy tanks with a new gun and uparmoured front hull for this role, it was ultimately rejected by General Eisenhower in August 1944 as impractical for the European theater. Only two M6A2E1s without the uparmoured front hull were constructed in order to test components for the T29 heavy tank.

The M6A2E1 in War Thunder, a premium vehicle introduced during Update "Ixwa Strike" as a reward for Battle Pass: Season III, "Strength athletics", presents itself in its full might with the 105 mm gun and a stronger front hull glacis. The profile of the tank is large, with the gun and turret being gigantic compared to the size of the hull. The 105 mm can handle the majority of the enemy the M6A2E1 will encounter, though this is balanced by the fact that the hull is very vulnerable.The only respectable armour plate of the M6A2E1 is the hull and turret front, but the former can be rather easily penetrated by other heavy tank armament except in very long ranges. The best armour on the M6A2E1 is the turret front, which pairs well with a hull-down gameplay and the turret's -10 degree gun depression for fighting the enemy. The main complication then for players is to find a suitable enough terrain that can hide the majority of the vulnerable hull while giving the turret the clearance needed to attack the enemy.

However, one may chose to forgo the "traditional" hull armour of the M6A2E1 entirely by using the huge engine block as a crude yet effective form of protection. This is because engine block is so large and thick that it can dissipate most rounds before it could harm the vulnerable crews. Because of this, the engine block be further exploited by driving the tank in reverse and facing your engine towards the enemy at all times, with a comparatively minor downside of increasing the chance of being immobilized.