Linux Review:

War Thunder

War Thunder is the most comprehensive free-to-play, cross-platform, MMO military game dedicated to aviation, armoured vehicles, and naval craft, from the early 20th century to the most advanced modern combat units. Join now and take part in major battles on land, in the air, and at sea.

War Thunder

NATIVE SUPPORT


War Thunder - Linux Technical Documentation

War Thunder is a free-to-play MMO military game featuring a vast collection of vehicles across aviation, armored warfare, and naval combat. The game offers a comprehensive experience spanning multiple eras of military technology.

Status Check

War Thunder has a native Linux version. However, user reports indicate Proton can offer advantages in some cases.

TWEAKS & TRICKS

  • Random Crashes & Freezes: Frequent game freezes and crashes, especially when using aircraft or via the Steam client.
    • Solution: Run the game through the native launcher instead of Steam.
  • Input Lag: Problematic input lag impacting gameplay.
    • Solution: Use Proton launch options to fix input lag, but be aware this may cause systematic crashes at the start of games.
  • Fullscreen Window Issues: Mouse does not snap to the window, and the fullscreen window leaves Waybar on top.
    • Solution: Launch with Gamescope: gamescope -O DP-2 -w 2560 -h 1440 -r 144 -f --force-grab-cursor -- %command% or gamescope --rt -W 1920 -H 1080 -r 280 -f --force-grab-cursor -- %command%
  • Performance Boost: Higher FPS compared to Windows.
    • Solution: Disable Raytracing and set Anti-Aliasing to X8.
  • NTSync: Potential for improved performance.
    • Solution: LD_PRELOAD="" PROTON_USE_NTSYNC=1 game-performance mangohud %command%

Verdict

Despite a native Linux version, persistent random crashes and freezes severely impact the gaming experience. While higher FPS and fixes for input lag/window management are possible with Proton and Gamescope, the instability makes it difficult to recommend War Thunder for Linux gamers unless the user is comfortable with occasional loss of progress due to crashes.