Steam news
Full Steam announcements and update articles for this title.
Added a “Limited Ammo” option to Test Flight settings.
Fixed an issue in Custom Battles where player statistics were not sent correctly after leaving and rejoining the same battle multiple times.
Adjusted the placement of several German anti-aircraft guns in the “Berlin BFD” mission. Some guns were moved farther from buildings so that they can engage targets more effectively.
Two fuselages, two engines, one pilot — the most unusual "Messer" in history is arriving in Aces of Thunder. The experimental Bf 109 Z-1 "Zwilling" will appear in the game in one of the upcoming updates as a separate DLC!
The Zwilling (German for "twin") was born from a simple yet daring idea: the Luftwaffe urgently needed a heavy fighter, but there was no time to set up production of an entirely new machine. The solution? Take two Bf 109 fuselages, join them with a new center wing section and a shared stabilizer — and there you have a heavy fighter, built from parts the factories had already mastered. The pilot sat in the left cockpit, while the right one was paneled over. The only prototype ever built was damaged in an Allied raid on the Augsburg plant and never took to the air. Now you have the chance to take to the skies in its stead.
This isn't just two "Messers" — it's an entirely different aircraft: heavy, fast in a straight line, with an excellent performance in the vertical, but noticeably less maneuverable than the classic Bf 109. Dogfighting, while possible, is not ideal for this variant. Your tactics are energy and the vertical: climb high, strike down at your targed, extend away at speed, and set up another pass.
As for armament: four 30 mm MK 108 cannons. The punch is devastating — a couple of accurate hits will finish off almost any target. But the ammo supply is modest, so make every burst count: get in close, line up on your target, and make every pass count. For ground strikes, a 250 kg SC250JA bomb or a Flam C 250 incendiary bomb can be mounted under the center wing section. A nice bonus for some attack runs along the way!
And keep the design quirk in mind: visibility to the right is limited — that's where the second fuselage is. Check that direction in advance. Or better yet, position yourself in such a way so that the enemy never ends up on that side.
The Zwilling's pilot sits not in the center, but in the left fuselage. It's an unusual seating position that feels especially striking in VR: the second fuselage stretches out beyond the glazing to your right. Like other aircraft in Aces of Thunder, the Z-1 can be controlled in VR with your own hands: interact with the stick, throttle, flaps, landing gear, radiator, and trim. There's also a handy ammo counter in the cockpit. Given the relatively low ammo supply, it's worth glancing at it often.
In addition to the standard livery, the Bf 109 Z-1 comes with a high-altitude camouflage — unlocked immediately once you pick up the DLC.
See you in the skies!
Improved Mulit-functional Menu interaction. The MFM activation binding has been removed in favor of a more conventional and faster activation system. Items now activate after the selection has been held for at least 0.125s and is then released (e.g. the stick or hat returns to neutral). This greatly eases MFM navigation and helps operate it faster, though it may take a bit of getting used to.
In the controls template selection dialog, connected joysticks are now shown at the top of the list, before gamepads and other controllers (e.g. VrSense/DualSense/Xbox controllers).
Fixed an issue where the UI was missing if the game config contained a malformed resolution entry.
Fixed a rare issue where kills sometimes did not count in kill statistics.
Substantially improved UI rendering performance.
Fixed a rare UI crash when starting single missions.
Fixed the display of already completed daily tasks.
Fixed a bug that produced a malformed URL in the QR code for Support/Bug Report.
Fixed a number of incorrect window titles in English localization.
Updated some localization strings in a number of languages.
Fixed occasionally incorrect text size when running the game in a 4K.
Fixed a bug that would occasionally cause a frag not being awarded if the damaged target crashed.
Fixed the missing "Make a Leader" icon in Squads.
Fixed occasionally incorrect display of actions available for contacts.
A steep dive, a precise strike — the most recognizable "Stuka" of the Luftwaffe is arriving in Aces of Thunder. The Ju 87 D-5 will appear in the game in one of the upcoming updates as new DLC!
This is a classic dive bomber: climb high, enter a steep dive, and land your bomb dead on target. Don't forget the air brake — it makes controlling your bomb release in a dive much safer and reduces the risk of catching flutter. The arsenal offers a wide selection of weaponry for any task: from 50 kg SC50JA bombs to the 500 kg armor-piercing PC500, capable of punching through a ship's deck. The Flam C 250 and Flam C 500 incendiary bombs will wipe out light targets such as artillery. And if you want more firepower, take underwing gun pods: two with 20 mm MG 151 cannons (four barrels) or two with 7.92 mm MG 81 machine guns (twelve barrels!).
But don't write off the Stuka after it has dropped its bombs — this aircraft, with its unmistakable inverted gull wings and fixed, spatted landing gear, became one of the most feared silhouettes of the war, from the Battle of Britain to the Eastern Front. With gun pods equipped, the D-5 is dangerous in the air as well: a careless fighter that has bled its energy in the heat of a dogfight risks catching a devastating salvo. And your six is covered by a strong rear gunner — his bursts not only fend off pursuers but also warn the pilot: danger behind, time to break off.
We've created a brand-new, highly detailed cockpit for the Ju 87 D-5 — one of the most beautiful in the game. Like other aircraft in Aces of Thunder, the Stuka can be controlled in VR with your own hands: interact with the stick, throttle, flaps, landing gear, air brake, and trim. With full engine controls enabled, you also get control over the water and oil radiator shutters.
In addition to the standard livery, two historical camouflages are available for the Ju 87 D-5: a winter camouflage and the camouflage of Stab III./SG 1 (Vitebsk, March 1944). Each is unlocked by completing a task to destroy a certain number of ground vehicles.
This is just one of the new additions coming in the update — we'll tell you about the others very soon. See you in the skies!
The Steam Summer Sale is here! Both editions of Aces of Thunder and all available DLC are now 35% off. This is a great chance to take to the skies for the first time or expand your hangar.
Don’t miss your chance to grab the Deluxe Edition, which includes five iconic aircraft — F4U-4, Spitfire Mk Ia, Hurricane Mk IV, SBD-3, and P-40E-1 — each of which is also available separately as part of the sale.
Slight HUD performance optimization in battle.
Fixed a bug that could occasionally cause a single stuttering frame while looking around the cockpit.
Simultaneous press of Increase and Decrease axis actions now cancels out, instead of always applying Increase.
Fixed a bug in the Join-in-Progress mechanic that occasionally prevented players from joining battles.
Fixed a rare crash when exiting the game with joysticks connected.
While we continue polishing new aircraft and missions, working on more complex usability improvements and pushing hard to allow players from different platforms to meet in battles, some fixes and improvements need not be delayed.
In this update (0.1.0.51):
A bug that prevented new players from accessing matchmaking options right away was fixed, now they have a greater chance of fighting other players in our skies.
Quadrant labels on the maps now have more contrast, readability was greatly improved in some cases.
Online battles should no longer end prematurely when there are no human players left on one of the teams. The respawn rules are now the same for bots and players.
\ Controls template added for another popular HOTAS system: X-56 Rhino.
Fly safe!
We continue to read your feedback and work on improving the game experience. This update (0.1.0.46) focuses on control settings — and upcoming updates will bring further improvements to the control setup process, including VR-specific ones.
The control template selector in the controls settings has been replaced with a toolbar featuring dedicated buttons to revert and save changes. Template control has been moved to a separate window accessible via a dedicated button — the previous template carousel has been removed to avoid confusion and accidental misuse. This makes changing settings clearer and safer. As before, only one template is active at any given time, and all settings are saved after explicit confirmation — when leaving the controls menu or pressing the corresponding button.
A button to launch the quick setup wizard has been added to the controls settings window when a joystick is connected — it walks you through binding the essential actions for your first sortie step by step. We'd love to hear your feedback on how it works.
Added buttons to save and revert all changes made to controls.
All bundled control templates now explicitly set the correct autotrim value for each device class — previously this depended on runtime conditions and could behave unpredictably. Important: as a result of this fix, your autotrim setting may have changed value for technical reasons, since it was being saved to different locations due to a bug.
Progress in single missions and custom battles is now counted toward your overall player progress — this allows you to unlock new modifications, complete daily tasks, and earn achievements, including in offline mode.
Fixed an issue where switching between flat-screen and VR mode at the moment of spawning into battle could block available loadout options for aircraft, leaving only the basic loadout.
The HMD position reset option in the multifunction (radial) menu is now disabled outside VR mode, as this action has no effect on flat-screen.
Fixed an issue where it was sometimes impossible to scroll through a long list of changes in the controls settings confirmation dialog.
Scrolling in the EULA and 3rd Party Licenses windows now works regardless of the cursor position.
Players who have not yet customized their controls will now see an initial template selection window when entering the controls settings. It displays all available templates sorted by relevance (with templates for connected devices listed first).
Added the ability to revert an individual changed binding back to its previously active value.
The detailed axis settings view has been moved to a separate window — this improves usability by keeping all information about a specific axis in one place to reduce the amount of scrolling required.
The autotrim option has been moved from the "Comfort" section to "Controls → Trim", where its location is more logical. The new name is "Trimming Mode".
Added control templates for popular joysticks: Thrustmaster HOTAS Warthog, VKB-Sim Gladiator Mk.II, Thrustmaster T.Flight Hotas One, Logitech Extreme 3D Pro, and Thrustmaster T.16000M FCS Flight Pack.
Bindings are now configured in a separate modal dialog that clearly describes the process and lets you choose what to do next. To reassign an axis or button combination, click on it in the controls window. Previously, the binding process was non-modal, which caused inconvenience and required extra steps to fix accidental bindings. As before, all settings are saved atomically after explicit confirmation when leaving the controls page.
Improved the automatic server selection algorithm for multiplayer. It now relies on actual network latency and prefers servers with the lowest ping for you.
Fixed country selection in TDM mode. Resolved an issue where a squad member's country was forcibly changed to the leader's country when joining a session. Country is now synchronized with the leader only if the player's chosen nation is not available on the leader's team side in the current mode.
Adjusted matchmaking settings: priority has shifted toward increasing the number of live players in a session. Average maximum wait time will increase only slightly — by no more than 25 seconds.
Fixed an issue causing UI navigation hints to randomly disappear. Hints are only shown when a gamepad — or a device recognized by the system as a gamepad — is connected.
Fixed outdated axis parameter values (non-linearity, correction, etc.) being displayed in the control settings window.
Time to take to the skies! From May 7th (11:00 UTC) to May 14th (11:00 UTC), the base edition of Aces of Thunder is available on Steam with a 20% discount. Realistic aerial combat with stunning visuals awaits every pilot — whether you're flying with a VR headset or playing on a regular monitor.
And for those craving twice the aerial action, we've prepared a special offer — the Aces of Thunder + Wings of Prey bundle on Steam. It comes with an additional 10% discount that stacks on top of the bundle's current price.
A perfect chance to add two outstanding aerial combat games to your library: the recently released simulator Aces of Thunder and the classic Wings of Prey: Special Edition, where you'll take part in the most iconic battles aboard legendary aircraft of World War II.
The multifunctional radial menu no longer blocks control via the virtual stick and throttle (spatial controls), which previously could lead to ground collisions while extending or retracting the landing gear.
The algorithm for the experimental “Mouse-Joystick” control mode has been updated. It now allows more complex maneuvers and more closely matches the capabilities of other control methods available in the game.
Fixed an issue that caused a sharp drop in frame rate when scrolling long texts (e.g., the license agreement).
Fixed an issue where 20 mm MG FF/M belts for the Fw 190 A-4 were not awarded when destroying two strike aircraft in under a minute. Previously, an issue that prevented counting two player aircraft destroyed within a minute was fixed; now all aircraft destroyed by the Fw 190 A-4 should be counted correctly.
Fixed a login screen freeze: resolved an issue where, if the connection was lost during the later stages of logging in, the login window couldn’t be closed and would remain visible even during a test flight.
Fixed a bug where player nicknames in the Contacts list could be shown as question marks.
Eliminated shimmering of panel textures and ghosting artifacts that appeared during motion.
Fixed the rendering of airfield objects when viewed through rear-view mirrors; previously they could appear to be floating or sitting on large “hills” (that didn’t actually exist).
Fixed incorrect rendering of the pilot’s glove shadows when interacting with the spatial interface.
Fixed the ammunition indicator on aircraft (particularly German ones): when ammo is fully expended, the counter now correctly shows zero instead of resetting to a visually full load.
Added the missing description for the British decal (No. 602 Squadron).
Added the ability to configure matchmaking wait time for each country in the Historical Battles mode.
Added the “Team Deathmatch: WWII Aircraft” mode, in which either side of the conflict can include representatives of any country.
Fixed a bug where 20 mm MG FF/M belts for the Fw 190 A-4 were not awarded when two enemies were destroyed in under a minute.
Fixed a bug that prevented applying decals to aircraft in VR mode, forcing a switch to flat-screen mode.
The game version has not changed; updating local files is not required.
From March 19th (17:00 GMT) to March 26th (17:00 GMT), Aces of Thunder is participating in the Steam Spring Sale — a 15% discount applies to both the Standard Edition and the Deluxe version.
The Deluxe Edition includes: F4U‑4, Spitfire Mk Ia, Hurricane Mk IV, SBD‑3, and P‑40E‑1. A great reason to expand your library or upgrade to the enhanced version! See you in the skies!
Added the ability to use the game client in VR without the need for VR controllers.
Fixed an issue where a VR player could end up outside the cockpit upon respawn.
Fixed an issue with low-quality glove textures when high texture settings were selected. In this case, the pilot’s hands are now displayed correctly and in detail.
Developer comment: "We know how much you’ve been waiting to play in VR without VR controllers. The current implementation works in most scenarios: menu navigation supports mouse and keyboard input, devices compatible with gamepad/controller interfaces (or recognized by the system as such), and hand interactions (as before). We’re aware of some issues and are continuing to improve the display and layout of elements, but we released the functionality early so you can use it right now. Please send your suggestions and bug reports through our reporting service."
Added the ability to respawn in online matches in the same aircraft (the limit of four respawns per match remains unchanged).
Added display of the number of remaining respawns in online matches.
Added display of the game client version in the “Extras” tab in the Options.
Added QR codes for quick and convenient access to the support contact form and the bug report form.
Added the ability to pause the game in Test Flight via the multi-functional menu.
Fixed missing Firefly FR Mk V camouflages in the customization menu.
Fixed an issue where destroyed ground targets were not counted when playing the Bf 110 G-2.
Fixed a rare issue where a player could not respawn in battle.
Want to expand your hangar with your favorite aircraft? You can now purchase the Deluxe Edition aircraft separately — choose exactly the one you want to fly. The Deluxe Edition bundle still remains the best-value offer, but for those who prefer à la carte purchases, five legends are available: F4U-4, Hurricane Mk IV, SBD-3, P-40E-1, and Spitfire Mk Ia.
The single-seatted fighter F4U-4, with superior speed and altitude performance, was developed in the mid-1940s. Deliveries of the new fighter began in February 1945 and continued until 1947. Fighters of this modification participated in combat operations during the final stages of World War II in 1945. Like other American "Corsairs," the F4U-4 remained in service with the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps until the mid-1950s, after which they were replaced by jet aircraft.
The F4U-4 is capable of reaching a maximum speed of over 700 km/h at an altitude of 9,000 meters, making it one of the fastest planes in the game. The fighter is armed with six 12.7-mm Browning machine guns, and 100, 250, 500, and 1000-pound bombs, as well as HVAR rockets.
The Hurricane Mk.IV was a ground-attack variant of the single-engine Hawker Hurricane fighter. In the spring of 1943, the Hurricane Mk.IV entered service with the Royal Air Force. Its main distinguishing feature was a newly designed wing.
The aircraft's forward-firing armament consisted of two 7.7 mm Browning machine guns. For external armament, it could carry either eight RP-3 rockets, two 40 mm Vickers S automatic cannons, or be equipped with 250- or 500-pound bombs.
The SBD Dauntless was the workhorse of the U.S. Navy, serving as its primary carrier-based dive bomber from 1940 until the end of 1944.
The SBD participated in many battles in the Pacific Theater, with one of its most significant successes being the sinking of the Japanese aircraft carrier Shōhō during the Battle of the Coral Sea in May 1942.
Its forward-firing armament consisted of two 12.7 mm Browning M2 machine guns. The external ordnance included 100-, 500-, 1000-, and 1600-pound bombs. For self-defense, it was equipped with two 7.62 mm Browning machine guns mounted in the rear.
The P-40E was an American fighter aircraft from World War II, developed by the Curtiss-Wright Corporation. In total, almost 14,000 P-40 fighters of all modifications were built, which were in service with 26 air forces around the world (including 2,243 aircraft delivered to the USSR under the Lend-Lease program).
The P-40E Warhawk is an excellent boom-and-zoom style fighter-bomber. It develops a maximum speed of about 560 km/h at an altitude of 3,800 meters. It is equipped with six 12.7 mm Browning M2 machine guns. Suspended weapons are represented by 100 and 500 pound bombs, which are unlocked after completing in-game missions.
The Spitfire was one of the most successful aircraft series in history: over 20,000 units were built during its production years. The prototype made its first flight on March 5, 1936. The Spitfire quickly became a symbol of the war, especially due to its effectiveness against the Luftwaffe during the Battle of Britain and in the years that followed.
The aircraft had excellent rate of climb and a relatively high maximum speed of about 580 km/h at an altitude of 4,300 meters, but its main advantage lay in its extremely tight turning radius. This allowed the pilot to confidently lure any opponent into a dogfight and come out victorious. The fighter was armed with six 7.7 mm machine guns.
Choose your favorite aircraft, or grab the Deluxe Edition if you want everything at once with the best value. Share in the comments which one you’ll pick up first — see you in the skies!
Fixed an issue where, in some cases, it was impossible to interact with the game UI after loading into a battle.
Fixed an issue where an aircraft on an aircraft carrier would fall off when the carrier was moving.
In Team Deathmatch in the Custom battles, when selecting “Country selection: By mission,” only aircraft from nations that are historically appropriate to the scenario can participate.
Added the mission \ Berlin to the Random Battles rotation, where the USSR, USA, and Britain fight against Germany. Adding new missions will speed up matchmaking for players choosing aircraft from these nations.
To optimize matchmaking, the period during which additional players can be backfilled into an already started battle has been increased.
The choice of an ammunition belt directly affects the damage you deal, the ability to set enemies on fire, penetration, and the visibility of your bullets. The same aircraft can feel very different solely because of the belt composition. This article briefly covers ammo types, the benefits of “Stealth” belts, and effective setups for the P-47D-22-RE, Bf 110 G-2, Yak-3, and other aircraft.
In basic “Standard” belts, you often find practice rounds. They’re fine for training, but weak in combat. Replace them with a task-specific belt as soon as you unlock modifications. Tracer rounds provide clear visual correction but slightly worsen ballistics (especially on the 12.7 mm Browning M2) and give away your firing position. This is where the usefulness of the “Stealth” belt comes in, as they have no tracers. Because of this, they’re harder to correct with, but that does mean it’s also harder for the enemy to tell where the shots are coming from.
Against light fighters, the “Air Targets” belt with a predominance of HE and HE-I work best, as they quickly rip up the skin and often start fires. Against attack aircraft, the “Universal” belt is more convenient, as the HE shatters structures and fuel tanks, while AP reaches radiators and engines. For ground targets, take “AP”/“Ground Targets” and if possible, a larger caliber; HE is effective against soft targets (trucks, open-top AA guns).
On a number of German fighters, load the stock 7.92 mm MG 17 with a “Stealth” belt for higher damage, and let the cannons do the main work. If you install additional wing-mounted 20 mm MG 151s, choose “Air Targets” with an emphasis on HE, making it the fastest way to break aircraft apart. On the Soviet La-5FN and Yak-3, the 20 mm ShVAK is especially effective with “Ground Targets” or “AP” belts, thanks to the higher share of AP, helping to destroy tough modules. The American 12.7 mm Browning M2 on the P-51C-10, P-63A-5, F4U-4, P-47D-22-RE, and P-40E-1 works reliably with the “Universal” belt, as the balance of incendiary and AP suits most tasks.
A note on heavy calibers. This is where the right ammo choice pays off the most. The pod-mounted 37 mm BK 3.7 on the Bf 110 G-2 and the 37 mm NS-37 on the Yak-9T can destroy ground targets with a single well-placed shot. Use AP against armor and HE against soft targets and unarmored modules. These calibers are dangerous against aircraft too, but the result depends on hit placement.
If you’re getting acquainted with a new cannon, start with “Air” or “Tracer” belts and only then switch to “Stealth”.
Share your experience! Which belts do you take on the MG 151 for hunting fighters, what do you load in the NS-37 for ground-pounding, and what do you put in the Brownings on American planes?
The kneeboard map can now be freely dragged around the cockpit and left wherever is most convenient.
Fixed an issue in Test Flights where selecting the “Stealth” ammo belts was ignored and the weapons were loaded with “Tracers” instead.
Three-digit page numbers on the Monthly Leaderboards screen now fit correctly on the navigation buttons.
On the War Tales mode screen, a hint has been added showing the conditions to unlock the next mission if it is unavailable.
Fixed the display of aircraft cards when purchasing DLC, the top part of the cards is no longer cut off.
Menu fonts have been updated and unified for better readability.
Custom battles: fixed an issue in the \ “Berlin” mission where it was impossible to respawn when choosing the German side.
Fixed a crash related to the Steam Overlay and some other third-party overlays.
Fixed blacklist behavior: you can now add a player to your blocklist even if they have already blocked you.
In custom matches, check out the new \ mode — four missions for fast-paced aerial duels with no ground targets, pure dogfighting from takeoff to victory.
The missions are available on Oahu and Korsun, as well as on two locations debuting in Aces of Thunder — Tunis and Pas-de-Calais. This is your custom battle: configure the number of players, a set of nations available to each team, the number of available respawns, weather and time of day, and fuel and ammunition limits — fight the way you like!
We’d love to hear your impressions of the mode and maps: tell us what worked and what you’d like to see improved. Perhaps, it’s worth adding these missions to random battles?
Additionally:
New missions have been added to the Custom Battles: \ Flanders and \ Dover Strait.
Fixed a freeze on PC that sometimes occurred when using OpenXR.
What sets an experienced pilot apart from a novice? Not just the number of battles and kills: a seasoned virtual pilot understands how an aircraft’s systems work and when to “tweak” each one to squeeze out the full 100% from the machine. You have manual control of propeller pitch (RPM), coolant and oil radiator flaps, fuel mixture, and the altitude corrector, as well as supercharger gear selection and turbocharger control. These are tools that let you hold combat power longer without overheating, climb more efficiently, and keep your speed where automation tends to play it safe. This is especially noticeable in dogfights and prolonged climbs, which are situations where a pilot with MEC still has a couple of moves left.
In this article, we’ll go over the key systems of Manual Engine Control (MEC) in Aces of Thunder, offer practical aircraft-specific tips, and warn about common pitfalls that can make your engine quit before your opponents even have to try.
On the pilot’s tablet, open the Controls menu and scroll to the Engine category: these are your main MEC settings.
Red: the MEC master switch — turns manual engine control on or off as a whole.
Green: toggles for individual automations (e.g., prop pitch, radiators). Note: if a given aircraft historically lacked a propeller governor or automatic radiator flaps, then with MEC enabled those systems are manual-only, and there won’t be an automatic mode for them.
Blue: axis bindings (throttle, prop pitch/RPM, mixture, radiators). We recommend assigning these to physical axes on your joystick/throttle/knobs. If you use a keyboard, be sure to enable relative control: instead of jumping from 0 to 100%, you’ll change a parameter in small steps (e.g., by 1–5%), which is critical for precise control of thrust and temperatures. That way, pitch, mixture, and radiators are adjusted with “fine” controls rather than crude toggles.
In a VR headset with controllers, when MEC is enabled you can use your hands to operate the radiator, mixture, and propeller levers in the cockpit.
Use the multi‑function radial menu to activate the MEC
Propeller pitch sets how “heavy” the blades are in the airstream. Fine pitch makes the prop “light,” RPM rises, and low-speed thrust is higher. Coarse pitch makes the prop “heavier,” RPM drops, but efficiency at high speed increases.
On aircraft with a propeller governor (constant-speed unit, CSU), the pitch/RPM axis sets the target engine RPM, and the governor adjusts blade angle to hold that RPM. On aircraft without a governor but with a variable‑pitch propeller, the same axis in the game changes blade angle directly, and RPM is a consequence of throttle setting and airspeed. The Bf 109 in “automatic prop pitch” mode holds RPM on its own; in manual mode the automation is disabled and that same axis sets blade angle directly, as on a variable‑pitch prop without a governor.
On most fighters, MEC lets you keep pitch around 90–100% for takeoff and combat, while for cruising and long dives, it’s beneficial to bring it down to about 70–85%. That way, RPM won’t run away, and the engine will run cooler and burn less fuel.
There are important nuances by aircraft family. On the Yak-3 and Yak-9T with VK-105 engines, the propeller governor (CSU) is hydraulically actuated and responds with a slight delay. Snapping the throttle open with the governor set to 100% easily causes an RPM overshoot and subsequent damage. The correct technique is: for takeoff, first set the governor a bit lower (about 70–80%), smoothly advance throttle to 100%, wait for RPM to stabilize, and only then bring the governor up to the 100% combat. The same trick helps after idle throttle in a dive. First add power smoothly with a moderate governor setting, then return to the combat value.
The Bf 109 F-4 has an automatic prop governor. It does an excellent job, and we don’t recommend turning it off without experience, as the risk of overspeeding the prop at full throttle is too high. On the Fw 190 A-4, the Kommandogerät system automates the prop and several related parameters even further. With MEC, you’re essentially watching temperatures and power rather than “twisting blade angle.”
American aircraft with conventional props like the P-40E and the carrier-based SBD-3 like high RPM in combat and climb, but benefit from coarsening the prop in cruise. A pitch around 75–85% lowers RPM, leaving thermal headroom for sudden emergency power (WEP). One more tactic to remember is with the throttle reduced and pitch increased, the prop can act as an effective air brake. On fast German aircraft this effect is especially strong, but with manual pitch even a small mistake at high speed can damage the engine. Use this deliberately and with care.
As you climb, the air gets thinner and without boost the engine “suffocates.” A mechanical supercharger fixes this via a gear-driven compressor; on many piston aircraft it has two speeds. The rule is simple: to switch to high gear when you see a noticeable drop in boost pressure and thrust, watch the boost/manifold pressure gauge and choose the setting that gives higher pressure at your current altitude. On Yaks with the VK-105 engine in the game, the switch point is usually around 1.9–2.0 km; below that the low gear is better, above it the high gear is. The main thing is to remember to switch back to low gear when you descend again, because at low altitude the “second gear” only robs you of power.
Turbocharging is a different story. The P-47D-22-RE uses a turbocharger with automatic control, which helps the Thunderbolt keep excellent performance at altitude. Here, manual meddling is more often harmful, but it’s enough to watch oil temperature and avoid prolonged WEP. On the Typhoon Mk Ib/L, a classic two-stage supercharger is paired with a powerful engine. Here, it’s especially important to keep a close eye on the boost gauge, as the correct gear for the altitude gives a noticeable gain in acceleration and climb.
Open radiator flaps give you cooling but steal speed. Coolant and oil need different handling. Coolant is more inert and prefers steady airflow, while oil reacts faster to load and can suffer a pressure drop when overheated. A universal principle during a long climb is to not hesitate to keep the radiators 80–100% open, especially in hot conditions (yes, locations affect temperature too); before a battle, approach with the engine already cooled and close the flaps just enough to avoid entering the red zone. If the temperature indicator on your tablet moves into the yellow–orange area, that’s normal for combat, but a flashing red indicator means it’s time to add cooling immediately.
Tip: without pulling the throttle back, reduce RPM by 100–300. The thrust will hardly drop, but heat output will fall, letting you close the radiators more and sustain combat power longer while preserving speed and engine life in a chase or duel.
Judging by the black smoke, this Bf 110 has overheated its engines and won’t get far.
Mixture determines how much fuel and air reach the cylinders. Down low, engines like a rich mixture: easier starts, more stable running, and higher instantaneous thrust. As altitude increases there’s less air, and to avoid “drowning the engine in fuel,” you lean the mixture. In-game it’s convenient to think in percentages. 60% is a good all-purpose setpoint, but it’s better to squeeze out efficiency by fine-tuning for engine type and altitude.
VK-105 engines on the Yak-3 and Yak-9T respond especially well to this. At 6–8 km they often pull better with mixture around 40–50%, whereas down low and at medium altitudes it’s sensible to hold 55–65% and increase before an aggressive acceleration. American aircraft like the P-47D-22-RE and even the simpler P-40E-1 reward careful mixture management. At medium altitudes the Thunderbolt performs better at 70–80%, and the trusty Warhawk is noticeably livelier down low on a rich mixture and recovers faster after short bursts of WEP. On some aircraft (e.g., certain German types), the mixture is automated and may be unavailable under MEC. That’s normal; fly by boost and temperature.
Manual Engine Control isn’t a “secret advantage,” but a tool automation lacks. It doesn’t know whether you’re about to get into a hot fight, go on the chase, or have time to cool the engine before the engagement. By taking control, you tune the aircraft to your intent, reinforcing strategy and tactics and squeezing a hundred percent out of the machine, and even a bit more. MEC isn’t about memorizing magic numbers, it’s about getting used to scanning the gauges and feeling what your specific aircraft wants right now.
If you’re an experienced Aces of Thunder pilot, share with newcomers how you set prop pitch, mixture, and radiators. The more practice and tips we collect, the faster the community will learn to fly not only beautifully, but also with solid technique. Safe flights and cool engines!
Fixed an issue where, for some players, the game failed to launch and displayed the message “Cannot find precompiled shaders for this videocard…”.
Restored support for TrackIR and similar devices.
Improved reliability of authentication and network requests.
Fixed a crash when launching the game at very low screen resolutions.
The control issue indicator in Settings now more accurately detects connected devices.
Fixed several rare crashes and stability issues.
Thank you for your interest in Aces of Thunder! We’re keeping an eye on comments on social media, discussion threads, and Steam reviews — please keep posting them! Here, we’ll answer the most common questions we’ve seen.
Due to a number of bugs we discovered too late before release, it’s currently not possible to interact with the GUI in VR without VR controllers or hand tracking. We’re working hard to restore this ability as soon as possible.
Both options are available in the Comfort Settings and Control Settings. If they’re enabled but don’t work for you, please submit a bug report via the CBR.
All of the above features (propeller RPM control, radiators, etc.) are already implemented in the game. Some controls require Manual Engine Control to be enabled and can be toggled individually between automatic and manual modes.
We’re working to make these functions more convenient to use and to encourage players to learn to fly with full controls. We’re also considering additional improvements to the flight model and aircraft systems, while aiming to strike a balance between a hardcore simulator and gameplay that’s accessible to inexperienced casual pilots. We are not trying to make a study-level simulator.
For now, a cold start is not planned, but we can consider it if there’s strong demand. Collisions with friendly aircraft are disabled on the runway but work as intended in flight.
Yes — plans are in place and work is underway. You can help us a lot by detailing exactly what you find problematic, and we’ll do our best to take your suggestions into account.
Implementing a truly good, immersive tutorial for a VR project has proven much more difficult due to technical engine constraints, so it isn’t in the game yet. We’re working on it! We hope that once it’s in, Aces of Thunder will be more accessible to less experienced virtual pilots.
You can learn to fly in the test flight, and there’s a flight principles manual that you can find on the pilot’s tablet next to the game mode selection button.
Please submit a report with all relevant details. On a base PS5 in VR mode, the game delivers a stable 90 FPS, as it does on many of the PC builds we tested. The system requirements reflect this.
That’s definitely a bug, and we can’t reproduce it on our side. Please submit a detailed report — we’ll be happy to fix it.
This is definitely a bug. There should be no smearing, and we can’t reproduce it on our side. Please contact us via CBR and provide more details.
There is no frame generation implemented in the game. It doesn’t work well with many important aspects of flight sim gameplay. The game is optimized to not require it on most hardware configurations, specifically for gameplay reasons.
We had to temporarily disable it at release due to technical issues. It will be back very soon!
Please file a bug report. The game does not limit or block any devices. However, for obvious reasons, we can’t test every possible hardware combination. The game is known to work with the Moza devices we have on hand, and we’d like it to work with as many devices as possible.
Thank you to everyone sharing feedback and reports after release. We’re closely following community discussions and are already working on a number of improvements related to control usability, the VR experience, TrackIR support, and technical stability. Some of the reported issues are already in progress and will be fixed in future updates. We’ll keep you posted on our progress—thank you for staying with us and helping make the game better.
General fixes
Fixed an issue where the Controls screen could freeze when remapping buttons in certain cases.
Improved assigning mouse movement to axes on the Controls screen.
Fixed a critical bug that caused the game to crash when opening the Mission Creation tab.
Fixed a freeze when switching from fullscreen to windowed mode in the game settings.
Fixed localization errors.
Fixed issues that prevented binding control axes to any device.
Fixed button and axis icons not displaying in certain cases.
We are aware of compatibility issues with OpenXR Toolkit. We recommend disabling it for now, as it can cause crashes. At the moment, we cannot say whether this will be fixed, since the software is no longer maintained by its developer. We will continue investigating, but we cannot make any promises.
Thank you to everyone for sharing their feedback and reports since release. We’re closely following community discussions and are already working on a number of improvements to control usability, the VR experience, TrackIR support, and technical stability. Some of the issues raised are already in progress and will be refined in future updates. We’ll keep you updated on our progress. Thank you for staying with us and helping make the game better.
Experience aerial combat like never before! Aces of Thunder is a VR flight simulator with stunning visuals optimized for the latest VR headsets and unmatched immersion. The game allows you to experience realistic air combat both with and without VR equipment.
Fly legendary aircraft from the First and Second World War: from the Spitfire and Mustang to the Bf 109 and Fw 190. Take control of the powerful Yak‑9T, the famous IL‑2 “flying tank” attack aircraft, the nimble A6M3 Zero, as well as Great War icons like the Fokker Dr.I and SPAD S.XIII. All aircraft feature authentic flight and damage models, with highly detailed cockpits and armament.
Online battles take you to key theaters of war, from Western and Eastern Europe to the Pacific across 15 atmospheric maps. Engage in intense online duels against pilots from around the world, play through the “War Tales”, or hone your skills in single player missions, inspecting your aircraft in the hangar between sorties.
Aces of Thunder is available in two editions: Standard and Deluxe. If you purchase the Standard edition, you can upgrade to Deluxe later.
The Deluxe Edition, in addition to the base game, includes five extra aircraft:
F4U‑4 — a single‑seat fighter developed in the mid‑1940s, offering higher speed and altitude performance than earlier F4U variants. This modification saw combat in the final phase of World War II in 1945.
Spitfire Mk Ia — one of the most successful aircraft in history and a symbol of the war, particularly thanks to its effectiveness against the Luftwaffe during the Battle of Britain and beyond. Its main advantage is an exceptionally tight turning radius, allowing pilots to draw opponents into a turning fight and win.
Hurricane Mk IV — the ground‑attack variant of the single‑engine Hawker Hurricane fighter. Entered RAF service in spring 1943, featuring a redesigned wing.
SBD‑3 — the workhorse of the US Navy, serving as the primary carrier‑based dive bomber from 1940 through late 1944. The SBD fought in many Pacific battles; one of its most notable successes was sinking the Japanese carrier Shōhō during the Battle of the Coral Sea in May 1942.
P‑40E‑1 — an American World War II fighter developed by Curtiss‑Wright. The P‑40E‑1 excels as a boom‑and‑zoom fighter‑bomber.
Are you ready? Time to put on your VR headset or sit in front of your monitor! See you in the skies today!
Follow us on Facebook, X, Instagram, Telegram, YouTube and Steam to make sure you don’t miss news, patch notes, and major events.
Aces of Thunder launches tomorrow! Strap into the cockpit and take to the skies to fight realistic aerial dogfights where every maneuver decides the outcome. Are you ready?
About
This page aggregates Steam news feeds, patch notes, and developer announcements for Aces of Thunder, sourced from official Steam community posts.
Major updates, balance changes, and seasonal events often correlate with player-count spikes — cross-reference announcements here with the live charts on the main Aces of Thunder statistics page.
Articles link back to Steam for full changelogs. SteamScope refreshes news entries as new posts are published to the game's Steam hub.
FAQ
Browse related Steam game intelligence pages and categories.