Game Modes
Contents
Permanent Game Modes
Versus AI
- Unlocked at account level 1
- Maximum number of players: 9 (9 per team; enemy team is entirely computer-controlled)
In a Versus AI battle, a team of players face off against a team of computer-controlled bots. In cases where there are not enough ships in the queue to facilitate a full game of the correct tier, bots are used to complete the team of human players. Bots are denoted by the colons before and after their names (such as ":Halsey:", ":Ushakov:", etc). Credits and experience rewards earned in this mode are notably lower than those earned in Standard battles.
Medals cannot be earned in this game mode.
Standard
- Unlocked at account level 4
- Maximum number of players: 18 (9 per team)
Standard battles are the most popular battle type in the game. Captains are dropped into a game full of other players, according to the matchmaking system. The majority of Standard Battles are 9v9 battles; however, occasionally the matchmaking software will create smaller games (such as 5v5 or 7v7). Players queue for Standard Battles individually and are placed on teams randomly by the matchmaking system solely based on the tier and type of ship selected; player skill is not taken into account. Credits and experience rewards are greatly enhanced from Versus AI battles.
There is no minimum number of players in Standard battles; it is possible for a game to be created as 1v1, though this is exceptionally rare and usually only occurs for high-tier ships that queue up for a Standard battle during off-peak hours, sometimes with the cross-play feature deactivated.
Training Rooms
- Unlocked at account level 11
- Maximum number of players: varies (9 per team maximum)
Training Rooms allow players to generate fully custom scenarios on a map of their choice, choosing the team configurations, the exact number of ships on each team, and more. Unbalanced teams are allowed. Many players utilize this functionality to test game mechanics, perfect their aim at certain ships, or to scrimmage other players in organized leagues. Playing games in a Training Rooms earns zero credits and experience; however, there is no service or ammunition cost and mounted camouflages or boosters are not consumed. A Training Room is economically neutral: players spend nothing to run one and earn nothing in return.
Medals cannot be earned in this game mode.
Temporary Game Modes
Ranked
- Unlocked at account level 9
- Maximum number of players: varies depending on seasons
Ranked battles are only available at specific times and are restricted to certain tiers of ships. A typical "season" of Ranked battles runs for a few days, sometimes a full week, and involves players progressing up a ladder-style ranking system from a high rank (such as "Rank 7") towards a low rank, with Rank 1 being the pinnacle of the ladder. Players queue for Ranked battles individually or in divisions and are placed on teams randomly by the matchmaking system, similar to how Standard battles matchmaking is done. Credits and experience rewards are equivalent to those earned in Standard battles.
Arena
- Unlocked at account level 9
- Maximum number of players: 12 (4 teams of 3 players each)
Arena battles are only available at specific times and are restricted to certain tiers of ships. A typical "season" of Arena battles runs for a few days, sometimes a full week, and involves players progressing up a leaderboard (Top 50%, Top 10%, etc) system from a low to a high ranking, with Top 1% being the pinnacle of the leaderboard. The rewards earned by the players are related to the ranking they were at when the season ended. Players queue for Arena battles individually or in divisions and are placed on teams randomly by the matchmaking system, similar to how Standard battles matchmaking is done. However, although most of the time the matchmaker will automatically replicate the amount of each ship types per team (e. g. 3 cruisers per team, 1 destroyer and 2 battleships per team, etc), it can happen that when players are taking too long to be put into battle, the matchmaker randomly creates team composition; resulting in matches were a team of 2 cruisers and 1 destroyer fights a team of 3 battleships, for example. Credits and experience rewards are equivalent to those earned in Standard battles.
Brawl
- Unlocked at account level 9
- Maximum number of players: 6 (3 per team)
Brawl is only available at specific times and is restricted to certain tiers and types of ships. A typical "season" of Brawl runs for a week, and involves players winning as most battles as possible to earn various goodies. This game mode stands out from the others as it allows for quick and fun close-range engagements with a unique feature: uncommon buffs and nerfs. In Brawl, players can use their favorite ships of the given class with powerful upgrades automatically applied to them (such as +100% main battery shell damage, -50% consumables reload time and more). Outside of these incredible bonuses, the game mode often deactivates a certain type of armament (e. g. no torpedoes, no main batteries, etc); which leads to funny battles that make players experience some diversity that is sometimes non-existent in more classic game modes.
Medals cannot be earned in this game mode.
Fleet Battles
- Unlocked at account level 11
- Maximum number of players: 10 (5 per team)
Fleet Battles is a game mode that allows players to team up with other members of their fleet to fight against another fleet. They are only available at specific times and are restricted to certain tiers of ships. A typical "season" of Fleet Battles runs for an entire update, and involves players from a fleet to division up and battle together, representing their fleet. Although the game mode itself doesn't grant players rewards directly, it comes with a special set of weekly missions which grant each player a certain amount of steel for every battle won in this mode. As of now, there is no official ranking and leaderboard for this game mode. Credits and experience rewards are equivalent to those earned in Standard battles.
Medals cannot be earned in this game mode.
Only divisions of 5 players are allowed in this mode. All members of the divisions need to be part of the same fleet, and the division leader must be either the Commander or one of the Deputy Commanders of the fleet.
Battle Modes
How to Win
All modes of battle are scored using a points system. Each team starts with a fixed amount of points and gains or loses points for various events, depending on game mode. Battles are on a 15 minutes timer, with four possible victory conditions:
- Destroy all enemy ships
- Reduce enemy team's score to 0 points
- Score 1000 points before time expires
- Have more points than the enemy team when time expires
If time expires and both teams have an equal number of points, the game is considered a Draw. This is treated as a loss for both teams for the purposes of experience and credit gains.
If the battle ends because the last ships destroy each other by ramming, the team with more points wins. That ramming does not change the points. If the teams have the same number of points, it is a draw.
When no more humans are playing or watching, a Versus AI battle ends immediately and the team with more points wins.
Points for Destroying Enemy Ships
| Ship Class | Reward for Killing | Penalty for Death |
|---|---|---|
 Destroyers
|
+30 points | -45 points |
 Cruisers
|
+35 points | -50 points |
 Battleships
|
+40 points | -60 points |
 Aircraft Carriers
|
+45 points | -65 points |
When you kill an enemy destroyer, your team gets 30 points and the enemy team loses 45 points.
Capture The Base
In a Capture The Base battle mode, each team has a single control area (their base) that starts the game under their control. Each team starts with 300 points. There are 2 control areas, displayed as colored squares with flags in them. Each team will constantly accrue points at the rate of two (2) points every six (6) seconds for maintaining control of their control area. In addition, each team scores points for killing enemy ships — and has points deducted for the death of friendly ships — per the above table.
Sailing into the enemy's control area will immediately prevent them from accruing points from it, as well as beginning the capture of it (unless they also occupy it). Taking damage will cause a ship to lose half of the capture points it has accrued. If an enemy ship enters your control area, the capture indicator will rotate to indicate that the point is being contested. Capture progress for the enemy team is indicated by the point marker border changing from blue to red. One ship will fully capture the enemy base in 180 seconds; two or more will do so in 120 seconds. A team that captures the enemy base gets 1000 points and wins the battle.
Domination
Domination mode games feature a map populated by two, three, or four control areas. They are displayed as white diamonds with the letters A-D on them. Teams earn control of a capture point by having ships within the designated control area; additional ships within the boundary will increase the speed of capture: one ship within a boundary will capture an area in 60 seconds; two or more will capture an area in 40 seconds. (For Ranked and Fleet Battles, these values are lower.) Capture progress is halted at its present level in the capture area if ships from both teams are present. Once captured, each capture area gives points to the team that owns it on a regular interval per the table below, unless an enemy ship is in that capture area.
Sailing into an enemy's control area will immediately prevent them from accruing points from it, as well as beginning the capture of it (unless they also occupy it). Taking damage will cause a ship to lose half of the capture points it has accrued. If an enemy ship enters a control area that is controlled by the enemy, the capture indicator will rotate to indicate that the point is being contested. Capture progress for the enemy team is indicated by the point marker border changing from blue to red.
Epicenter
In Epicenter mode, a circular area and two ringlike areas around it are located in the middle of the map. As for the other battle modes, each team scores points for killing enemy ships — and has points deducted for the death of friendly ships — per the above table. Sailing into an enemy's area will immediately prevent them from accruing points from it, as well as beginning the capture of it (unless they also occupy it). Taking damage will cause a ship to lose half of the capture points it has accrued. Capture progress for the enemy team is indicated by the point marker border changing from blue to red.
To know which battle mode can appear on each of the game's maps, check the related article.
