It was almost three years ago that Gaijin Entertainment first announced its War Thunder spinoff, Aces of Thunder. Whilst there have been several updates since then, including new gameplay trailers and even a launch date, the title has remained elusive. Now, finally, a release has been locked in. Aces of Thunder lands on PSVR 2 and SteamVR next month.
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Aces of Thunder Gameplay
While the hugely popular, free-to-play War Thunder covers all areas of military warfare, from Land and Sea to Air, Aces of Thunder is entirely focused on the skies.
Delivering a mixture of arcade and simulation gameplay, players can choose to use a controller or deploy a full HOTAS setup if they have one. The aircraft can even be controlled via hand-tracking, depending on the device.
Featuring 29 highly detailed aircraft from World War I and World War II, the game includes both single-player and multiplayer modes. If you’re a fan of War Thunder, then you know the multiplayer is where most will be headed. The historical campaign will recount famous events in the world of combat aircraft across 15 key theatres of war. Additionally, there will be a proving ground allowing you to test various aircraft in a variety of locations, weather conditions, and combat situations.
Lastly, a mission editor will enable players to create their own unique wartime scenarios.
Launch Date
After news last summer that said Aces of Thunder would arrive in September 2025, we now have a proper date. The official news from Gaijin Entertainment is that Aces of Thunder will launch on the PlayStation Store for PSVR 2 and Steam for PCVR headsets on 3rd February 2026.
The game will retail for $29.99 USD/ £24.99 GBP/ €29.99 EUR, with wishlisting now available on both stores.
War Needs Combatants
Multiplayer VR games aren’t always the easiest to pull off. For the one or two that do make it, ten more don’t manage to muster the numbers to keep going. Even if they’re actually good to play. Hopefully, this won’t be the case for Aces of Thunder for a couple of reasons.
Firstly, while it is a VR-focused game, Aces of Thunder will support flatscreens, meaning PS5 and PC players can easily join in. Secondly, thanks to War Thunder, the aerial game has a strong legacy to work off of. Lastly, in the case of PSVR 2 at least, the headset is crying out for major games.
Are you excited for the arrival of Aces of Thunder? Will this be a day one purchase? Let us know in the comments.
Now the real question is, will Aces of Thunder make a future Best VR Flight Simulators list.
