Sometimes a crossover is so bizarre, so unexpected, and so outlandish that it’s actually genius. When I tell you that the world’s most realistic tank game is working with cutesy anime girls, though, you might pause for thought. Thing is, this World of Tanks and Girls und Panzer event makes so much sense that this isn’t even the first time they’ve done it.
I’d love to have been a fly on the wall when the Wargaming team talked about putting anime girls in their hyper-realistic vehicles of mass destruction in World of Tanks. Considering Girls und Panzer is an anime about school girls who forgo sports in favor of vehicular warfare, the tank game crossover makes sense. At least, I think it does. The girls pilot the World War II-era tanks in high school competitions, as doing so is considered traditional. It’s called sensha-dō, or “the way of the tank.”
While World of Tanks prides itself on realism, I think we’re all starting to see where Girls und Panzer fits in. The returning event will add two more crews from the series, a number of voicelines recorded by the original actresses for World of Tanks, two new tanks in the BT-42 Jatkosota HS and Tiger II Kuromorimine, and a plethora of customization options like decals.
So when you’re next playing World of Tanks and hear an exasperated schoolgirl over comms and a white flag stick out of the top of their vehicle, now you’ll know why.
I wonder what the crossover between anime fans and hardcore World of Tanks players is? If you thought Kingdom Hearts was an ambitious crossover, I think this event has something to say about it.
The World of Tanks and Girls und Panzer crossover returns on Thursday May 16 and will be in the game for a limited time. You can play World of Tanks for free on Steam.
If anime girls are what finally convinces you to play World of Tanks, or if you just want more like it, we’ve got all the best war games and anime games you can check out right now.
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