World of Tanks: HEAT launches today: It’s like Battlefield and Valorant had a little tank baby

World of Tanks is taking another swing at the hero shooter market with the launch of World of Tanks: HEAT, a new free-to-play spin-off swapping out the slower, methodical tank battles of the ever-popular main game for something a lot more arcadey.

Available from today on PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and via NVIDIA GeForce NOW, HEAT has been built on a brand-new proprietary engine and supports full cross-platform play and progression from day one.

Rather than simply driving big, dirty tanks around muddy battlefields, HEAT goes full into class-based multiplayer shooter territory. Players pick from a roster of “Agents”, each tied to their own pair of vehicles and combat role. At launch, there are eight Agents in total spread across Defender, Assault, and Marksman classes.

The game’s Launch Season is already live and includes five free weekly Battle Passes, five unlockable tanks, and a steady drip-feed of rewards. Players start with three Agents immediately available, while the remaining roster can be earned through progression rather than paid unlocks.

The launch lineup includes 15 vehicles in total, all of which can be customised with modules and equipment depending on how aggressively, or cautiously, you want to play. The game also ships with eight maps covering different environments and four PvP modes, including Hardpoint, Conquest, Kill Confirmed, and Control.

While the main World of Tanks has always leaned more toward tactical positioning and slower-paced attrition warfare, HEAT sees Wargaming trying to carve out a new space somewhere between the myriad of shooters already vying for your minutes.

Whether that is enough to stand out in an already crowded multiplayer market remains to be seen, but at least the experienced publisher is going all in from the start with crossplay, seasonal progression, and free content drops.

Product Director Artyom Yantsevich said: “Launching HEAT is a huge milestone for us, but in many ways, this is only the beginning,” said Artyom Yantsevich, Product Director. “I want to thank our team, as well as our players for helping bring HEAT to life. We’re excited for what’s ahead and can’t wait to grow HEAT together.”

World of Tanks: HEAT is free to download now on Steam, Wargaming Game Center, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S.