In a recent revelation, Gaijin Entertainment, the masterminds behind War Thunder, found themselves entangled in a web of controversy generated by their latest key art. The artwork, unveiled alongside the upcoming Seek & Destroy update, showcases the arrival of new jets in the game. However, keen-eyed spectators were quick to recognize a hauntingly familiar debris cloud in the background – a subtle nod to the tragic Challenger Space Shuttle explosion. While the image underwent slight alterations, its distinctive shape and falling debris remained unmistakable.
“Dear players, it has come to our attention that the Challenger disaster explosion inadvertently made its way into one of our key art pieces. We deeply apologize for this oversight, as the image was sourced from an aerial explosion reference pack utilized by our artists without proper context,” expressed a community manager named “magazine2” on the official War Thunder forum. A similar statement was echoed on Reddit, promising immediate rectification and future precautions against such mishaps.
Although the update blog surfaced on June 19, it took a few days for the unsettling discovery to ripple through online discussions. A pivotal Reddit user shed light on the recognizable cloud, sparking widespread investigation. At present, the contentious artwork remains displayed and serves as the focal image for the update on YouTube.
War Thunder stands as an immersive online multiplayer game, delving deep into hyperrealistic military vehicular combat and flight simulation. While controversies have occasionally plagued the community, they typically originate from external sources rather than the developers themselves. Notably, a string of incidents involving players leaking classified military intelligence have surfaced since September 2023. These leaks, documented comprehensively on Steam, often expose potential design flaws within the game’s vehicle models.
In an exclusive interview with Task and Purpose, Gaijin founder Anton Yudintsev illuminated the studio’s relentless efforts to enhance moderation practices in response to these recurring challenges.
