Best War Thunder Mods

Key Takeaways

• Mods in War Thunder enhance gameplay with personalized content, like skins, sounds, and tanks – no gameplay mods allowed.
• Popular cosmetic mods like tank skins and faction designs add historical accuracy and immersion to the game.
• Tools like GF Skin Installer and WTExtractor help players create their custom vehicle skins, expanding the game’s style.

A fixture of the PC gaming community, mods allow fans of a game to integrate new, original content into an established world. Sometimes it’s as simple as adding a new weapon or creating a new skin for a vehicle. Other times, mods can be a complete overhaul of the original game, reimagining the original IP into something far beyond what the developers had initially designed.

In Gaijin Entertainment’s 2012 combat-sim War Thunder, players can seamlessly integrate numerous mods into the game, allowing for a truly personalized experience when competing in online multiplayer. Among these mods, this list outlines some of the best.

Updated November 7, 2024 by Benjamin Joe: War Thunder continues to be a very popular battle game among countless fans all over the world. With it being an online game, players shouldn’t use any mods that give them an unfair advantage over others.

Instead, if the player wants to use mods, they should stick to ones that are cosmetic only. Now is a great time to give this article an update with some of the latest popular cosmetic mods for War Thunder.

How To Install Most Mods:

Before starting, players will have to take note that gameplay mods are usually not allowed. War Thunder is a competitive online-only game, meaning anything that alters the gameplay or even some parts of the user interface can be considered cheating. Hence, most mods that players are allowed to install are skins and cosmetics. Follow these steps:

1. Download the mod.
2. Open the mod pack using WinRar or other extraction apps.
3. Extract the contents folder or the contents of the .zip or .rar file to the War Thunder installation directory. This directory is usually located in Program Files.
4. If the mod doesn’t come in a .zip or .rar file, simply copy and paste the folder to the install directory.

22 12 Tank Skins For All Tanks

Lots Of Great And Unique-Looking Tank Skins

There’s no need to go through the trouble of picking several different varieties of tank skins. This mod has a healthy collection. It contains 12 designs, most of which are different shades and colors of camouflage for tanks. It’s also compatible with all tanks from the crude man-mincers of WWII to modern-age beasts. This mod is ideal for those who like to change things up and take on other players in style. Each design is expertly crafted that fit the game’s overall aesthetic very well.

21 Basics Roundels

Inject Some Real-World Signals Into The Game

One of the joys of playing War Thunder is getting to pick a favorite faction. Each of them has its own motif and theme that signals its approach and also acts as its precedent.

War Thunder does seem to suffer from a shortage of faction-themed designs, which is why this mod was created. It adds a great deal to the textures and styles of each vehicle of war. The roundels are also well-researched and historically accurate, with Wikipedia being the primary source.

20 T-34 1940 Hazard Camouflage

A Standout Skin That’s Bound To Strike Fear Into Nearby Enemies

The legendary T-34 is one of the most famous tanks in WWII, particularly on the Eastern Front. In War Thunder, it’s also a solid choice as the main tank in low- to mid-tier battles. Sadly, the game’s usual skins for the T-34 don’t let players appreciate the tank enough. As such, the T-34 1940 Hazard Camouflage is there for the rescue. It’s a peculiar and tactically unsound style for the tank, but it’s enough to strike fear into the hearts of one’s enemies.

19 Pr26.Kirov.1941

A Must-Have Mod For Warship Aficionados

• Author: Killer_Duke
• Link To Mod: Pr26.Kirov 1941
• Release Date: May 27, 2022

All these tank and plane reskin mods; where’s the love for ships? Well, here’s one of the few mods for War Thunder that focuses on beautifying ships. In this case, the ship is the PR26 Kirov 1941, which is Soviet war hardware. It’s apparently one of the more popular ships in the game due to the number of downloads on the skin. Plus, the name is pretty iconic in the gaming community.

In any case, this brings the Kirov’s historical camouflage and decals into the game. They have better gray tones now and a brighter maroon deck. Beyond that, the mod doesn’t really do much, but it’s a simple way of including some love for War Thunder’s warships.

18 World War II Countries Paints

A Historically Accurate Paint Mod

Most of the time, War Thunder has to sacrifice some historical accuracy to make gameplay more fun. Additionally, some censorship concerns are ever-present regarding certain notorious symbols. But if games find themselves craving for a more historically accurate representation of their favorite factions, then World War II Countries Paints does a good job. It’s a collection of 12 faction paints that the author feels best constitutes the elements of known history. This mod is ideal for those who want to immerse themselves in a more realistic environment.

17 he51c1 Red Baron

A Truly Unforgettable Plane Skin

Speaking of historical accuracy and striking fear using nothing but style, the Red Baron is another scourge of war history whose aesthetics are tried and tested. He finally made his way into War Thunder thanks to the he51c1 Red Baron mod. It replaces the texture and skin of a certain biplane with a crimson German Air Force design back in World War I. It’s not only great for roleplaying but also some serious ranked matches. This hard-hitting design is something that will strike fear into all nearby enemies.

16 GF Skin Installer

Create Your Own Skins

A useful tool for any aspiring modder, the GF Skin Installer gives players everything they need to start developing their own vehicle skins in War Thunder. Included are step-by-step guides on how to apply a designed skin and to which vehicle. Included in the download are also a few skins developed by the author, giving the player a few ideas to work with, as well as free custom content from the get-go. Being able to design their skins is a feature that players will thoroughly enjoy.

• Author: CynicRus
• Link To Mod: WTExtractor
• Release Date: September 8, 2014

Perhaps slightly more technically minded than the GF Skin Installer, the WTExtractor is another tool aimed at helping modders implement their content into the game. Specifically, it serves as an extractor for vromfs.bin and dpx.bin resources in the game files. Simply put, this allows players access to War Thunder‘s textures and all the fun that goes along with it. It’s a simple mod that gives the player countless options that really expand the game’s overall feel, functionality, and style.

14 B-25J-20 Night Bomber

Great For A Stealthy Approach

The B-25J-20 Night Bomber mod brings something new to the table, as it is specifically designed to not be seen. The all-black camouflage is well suited for its nighttime operations, and the detailed shark face decal on the nose of the plane adds to the overall intimidation factor for anyone unlucky enough to get close. This mod gives the player the ability to sneak up on unsuspecting enemies and unleash a barrage of bullets from above.

13 Tank Crew Sound Mods

Brings In Character Voices From Company Of Heroes 2

While technically a collection of several smaller mods, the tank crew sound mods made by author TDSEB integrate character voices from Relic Entertainment’s Company of Heroes 2 and offer fans of the franchise a chance to hear some of their favorite character voices from the RTS title. Integrating these tank crew mods into War Thunder fleshes out the overall experience and makes for much more lively combat dialogue. This mod works best for players using a high-quality headset as the additional sounds increase the player’s immersion.

12 Blank P38-E Skin

Design Your Own Plane Skin

While most game mods will include some form of original content to spruce up the overall game, the Blank P38-E skin offers players a unique opportunity: a completely blank canvas to experiment and tinker with. Author Akaba777 has removed all paints and decals from the iconic World War II-era fighter and gives the player everything they need to customize the plane as they see fit. More customizability is always a good thing!

11 AG-20G With Normandy Invasion Stripes

Bring A Historic Design To Life

A faithful re-creation of the combat paint used on June 6, 1944, the AG-20G Normandy Invasion Stripes mod looks straight out of a colorized history textbook. The alternating black-and-white stripes located on the wings and fuselage blend seamlessly with the olive drab of the plane’s main body, and the U.S. star aileron is an excellent accent piece. All-and-all, the creator of this mod put in a great deal of time and effort to be as historically accurate as possible, which makes this the perfect mod for those who want a more immersive experience.

10 Ki-45 Ko Toryu Midnight Muncher

A Japanese Recreation

In much the same vein as B-25J-20 Night Bomber, the Ki-45 Ko Toryu Midnight Muncher sports a menacing all-black paint job, one which highlights the numerous custom accents dotted over the plane. These include several Japanese characters, as well as several claw marks raking their way across the wing of the fighter, giving the plane a battle-hardened look not seen in the base skin. Overall, this skin is a very intimidating one that will stand out on the battlefield.

9 P-40E Checker-Tail Tigershark

Yet Another Shark Skin

Shark-style planes have been proven to be popular on the battlefields of many wars. They are also popular in War Thunder. The level of detail is evident right from the start with this mod. Everything from the checkerboard design on the tail wings to the chipped paint at certain rivet points practically screams attention to detail. It’s no wonder that creator foxlight713 has revised the original design over three times on nexusmods.com, with each iteration offering slight but noticeable enhancements to the overall vehicle skin.

8 Cursed Kennedy’s – M22 Locust – RED Skins

Inject A Little Warhammer Into War Thunder

It’s definitely polarizing, especially for those aiming for historical realism, but the Cursed Kennedy mod for the M22 Locust is just too hard to pass up. It essentially turns the M22 tank into a Warhammer 40,000 Space Marine Vindicator. It’s great for those who are tired of the usual camo and default skin.

The color schemes are a bit limited as they all come in different shades or motifs of red, white, and black, but there are varied styles. Some even have generic insignias fitting the color combination. Just think up something to suspend disbelief for a bit.

7 Raw Steel/Chrome Tanks

A Great Mod For Those Who Enjoy A More Modern Style

While perhaps not best suited for missions relying heavily on camouflage or stealth, the Raw Steel/Chrome Tanks mod is sure to grab the attention of friends and foes alike. Rather than attempt a stealthy approach, this mod instead strips away all semblance of paint or camouflage and instead opts for a polished, metallic surface as if the tank were fresh off the assembly line. The mod is also versatile, as it can be applied to all in-game tanks, giving the player a number of options to choose from.

6 Spitfire Pack

A French Spitfire Skin Pack

• Author: Alaire
• Link To Mod: Spitfire Pack
• Release Date: September 21, 2014

This detailed skin brings in 6 colors that can be applied to the spitfire. A lot of effort went into the design of these skins. Everything from the colors to the way light shines off the planes has received a lot of attention. Since there are a total of 6 different colors and styles, there’s something to suit everyone. Swoop in from above with these unique French-style skins. Similar to many of the other entries on this list, this mod is ideal for those who want to have a more historically accurate experience.

5 Ukranian Skin For T-35 “Slava Stepanovi Banderi”

A Skin Based On A Tank From Stalin’s Heavy Tanks

This skin comes straight out of the book Stalin’s Heavy Tanks 1941-1945. The tank that this skin is based on was abandoned near Zhidin, Lviv Region. The mod creator has done a fantastic job at bringing this formerly broken tank back to life in War Thunder. The design is sleek, and it fits in with the game perfectly. Every detail has been recreated, even the small and easy-to-miss ones like the text on the side of the tank. This mod injects a little more history into a game that is already filled with interesting historical pieces.

4 P-51 Miss America

A Standout USA Skin

• Author: spogooter/brocollocalypse
• Link To Mod: P-51 Miss America
• Release Date: April 13, 2014

One of the more visually striking mods available for download on nexusmods.com, the P-51 Miss America skin is a detailed recreation of a real-world aircraft. The star-spangled paint job mirrors the one applied in 1969 to honor the Thunderbirds of the U.S. Airforce and does so down to the most minute details. This skin commands attention and does so in a seemingly effortless fashion. Whether flying alone or with friends, this mod is a must-have for all those fans of the US military.

3 IFN1 Vehicle Re-Name Mod

Give Tanks A More Fitting Name

Here’s a little something for historical nuts and sticklers. The IFN1 Vehicle Re-Name Mod is a simple overhaul that replaces the names of most of the vehicles, guns, and ammunition in the game with something more historically accurate compared to the default naming schemes.

Not only that, but the mod also makes the names more detailed. Whether this will help or hinder players with gameplay or practicality depends on the depth of their historical understanding and memory. But the mod is a good display of attention to detail nonetheless.