For a long time, World of Tanks has struggled to find a format that can be enjoyed by viewers. The potential has always been there as the game blends tactical team play and individual skill perfectly, but it has changed since the original inception of the esports format (seven tanks and 42 tier points) making it no longer viable for spectators.

After the grand finals in Warsaw, Poland, it was clear that changes needed to be made, and in cooperation with players Wargaming began working on an entirely new format for World of Tanks esports to be played in.

Key points of the new format

• Attack and defense

The first objective was to have a game mode that forces the teams to make a move and is also impossible to draw in. The obvious solution was to have clearly defined roles for each team - one must attack and the other must repel this attack.

• 54 tier points

Next, a suitable amount of tier points which allowed for the most variety but also kept the most entertaining vehicles in use were required, so these were upped from 42 points to 54. This means that teams can use five tier 8 tanks and two tier 7s or six tier 8 tanks and one tier 6.

• 7 minute battle time

This removes any dead time in the game, forcing the teams to keep their moves dynamic and fluid.

• Two base capture points

Perhaps the most important change of all - the defender must carefully choose how he spreads his forces and the attacker must do the same. Obviously the attacker still has the element of surprise, however, and that’s where tactical cunning will come into play.

You can read all the changes in full over here.

This new game mode has been added to the client with patch 9.4, so if you haven’t checked it out yet you should definitely have a go - it’s a blast!

Season 5 of the Wargaming League Europe kicks off on the 17th of November at 18:30 CET over on Twitch.tv/wgleu, with the 12 top teams in Europe to battle for the title of best in Europe and a slot at the grand finals.

Stay up to date with the latest Wargaming League Europe news over on the official Facebook and Twitter accounts!