The first M1 Abrams tank originally featured a 105 mm M68A1 gun due to cost concerns in getting the Abrams into service. However, after its acceptance in 1981, the US military began considering the more powerful 120 mm Rheinmetall smoothbore gun for use on the Abrams. Following a trial period with the M1E1 prototype equipped with the 120 mm M256 gun, the vehicle was officially accepted into service in 1984 as the M1A1 Abrams, with production lasting from 1985 to 1993. The M1A1 would set the standard for the modern Abrams design, becoming the most numerous base version produced, with around 5,000 units manufactured (including retrofits of older M1 and IPM1 tanks to M1A1 standards). It would most notably see combat in US campaigns in the Middle East, such as the 1991 Operation Desert Storm and the 2003 Operation Iraqi Freedom. The M1A1's ubiquity paved the way for various M1A1 upgrades, foreign sales, and the improved M1A2 Abrams.

This special version of the M1A1, created for the winners of the 2019 YouTube Cup tournament, was introduced in Update 1.89 “Imperial Navy”. Its main difference from the standard M1A1 is a unique camouflage pattern. Otherwise, it retains all characteristics of the base vehicle: high survivability, excellent mobility, and effective ammunition, making it one of the top-performing main battle tanks.