War Thunder has rolled out its latest major update, "Heavy Cavalry" (Update 2.57), and the name tells you the theme: bigger bodies, bigger guns and a shove forward for the game's top tier lineups. Gaijin Entertainment shipped it on June 24, 2026, with new ground vehicles, aircraft, helicopters and naval units plus a batch of system changes.
For a game living between accessible arcade combat and serious vehicle simulation, the top of the tree is where the community's attention actually sits, and Heavy Cavalry aims straight at it.
Modern Armor Takes the Spotlight
The headline ground additions are newer Abrams variants for the United States: the M1A2 SEPv3 and the M1A2 Trophy HV, both packing stronger turret protection and access to the nasty M829A3 APFSDS round. Britain picks up new Abrams options too, including an Australian M1A1 squadron vehicle and a researchable M1A2, which spreads modern main battle tank firepower across more than one tree.
Other nations get their turn. Italy receives the Palmaria self propelled howitzer, while Israel gets the Hunter armored fighting vehicle, armed with Spike LR missiles and a 30mm cannon.
Air and Sea Get Their Cut
Heavy Cavalry is not just a ground update. The air and naval branches pick up their own reinforcements, from the Welkin and the IA.58A Pucará to the USS North Carolina, a battleship joining the naval roster.
Here is the quick version of what Update 2.57 brings:
- New US Abrams, the M1A2 SEPv3 and M1A2 Trophy HV with the M829A3 round.
- British armor, an Australian M1A1 squadron vehicle and a researchable M1A2.
- Other nations, Italy's Palmaria SPH and Israel's Spike armed Hunter AFV.
- Air and naval, the Welkin, the IA.58A Pucará and the USS North Carolina.
The Maps and Systems Got a Pass Too
Past the vehicles, Gaijin reworked existing battlegrounds and tuned a handful of systems. The ground maps Ash River and Winter Ardennes got visual upgrades while keeping their layouts intact, so you get a fresher look without having to relearn the terrain.
The update also folds in quality of life and mechanical changes: new damage models, updated MFD screens, man in the loop missile control, aiming points for salvo firing, and even rewards when an aircraft crashes near you without you doing anything. It is the usual War Thunder pattern, marquee vehicles up front with a layer of simulation tuning underneath.
The Takeaway
Heavy Cavalry is a top tier update that gives modern armor fans exactly what they came for, multiple new Abrams, a fresh battleship and additions across every branch, while quietly improving the maps and systems those battles happen on. If you have been grinding toward high rank, Update 2.57 is a real reason to come back. And because War Thunder is free to play, trying the new lineups costs you nothing but the research grind.
Sylvia covers live service games and the studios behind them for PerfoGames, from the US. We play, we test, and every guide or review comes out of real hours in the game.
