War Thunder on Windows 11: Steam or Gaijin Launcher Install Guide

If you want to jump into War Thunder on a fresh Windows 11 rig, the process is simple — but there are important caveats, variations, and troubleshooting steps you should know before you click Install. This guide gives a step‑by‑step installation walkthrough for both Steam and the official Gaijin launcher, explains the hardware and storage numbers you’ll encounter, and lays out the most reliable fixes for the BattlEye/anti‑cheat and Windows security interactions that trip up players on Windows 11.

Background / Overview​

War Thunder is a live‑service military vehicle combat simulator that covers aircraft, ground vehicles, and naval combat across many historical eras. It’s distributed as a free‑to‑play title and is available both on Steam and via the official Gaijin launcher. The installer and client behavior differ slightly between the two platforms, and the game’s disk footprint and engine features (Direct3D 12, ray tracing, DLSS / FSR / XeSS) have changed over recent updates — so the installer you see now may ask for more or less disk space than earlier writeups claim. The official installer and the Steam store list different “minimal” versus “full” client sizes; always verify the space the launcher requests before you commit to installation. The official support and Steam store pages are the authoritative places to check these numbers and the exact install flow.

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System requirements and storage — what to expect​

War Thunder is friendly to mid‑range systems, but the recommended hardware for a smooth experience is modern. Two authoritative storefront and developer listings present the same baseline but different storage numbers — that’s important.

• Minimum CPU/RAM/GPU (broadly): Dual‑core CPU, 4 GB RAM, DirectX 11‑level GPU.
• Recommended: 64‑bit Windows 10/11, Intel Core i5 / Ryzen 5 class CPU, 16 GB RAM, GeForce GTX 1060 / Radeon RX 570 or better.
• DirectX: the game runs on DirectX 11 and has Direct3D 12 renderer options for advanced features.

Storage numbers are inconsistent across official channels:

• Steam lists a Recommended storage of roughly 95 GB (and a smaller “Minimum client” number).
• The War Thunder site and changelogs sometimes list smaller “minimal” and “full” client sizes (20–60 GB ranges), because the developer separates minimal client, full client and optional high‑resolution texture packs. That means the installer you run may download additional packs after the base client. Always check the launcher’s live download size before starting.

Practical takeaway: free up at least 60–100 GB on the drive where you will install War Thunder; use an SSD (NVMe if available) for much faster load times and streaming of textures. Many players report that installing on an SSD vs a mechanical drive produces the single biggest improvement to loading and match entry speed.

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Two installation methods: Steam (recommended for convenience) and Gaijin launcher (official)​

Both methods are valid. Pick Steam if you already use it for library, overlay and friends; pick the Gaijin launcher if you want the direct launcher experience or need the launcher’s specific download controls.

Option 1 — Install via Steam (fastest if you already use Steam)​

• Install Steam and sign in.
• Search for War Thunder in the Steam Store and open the game page. Click the green Play Game / Install button (War Thunder is free).
• Choose the install drive — pick your SSD if you have one. Steam will display the required disk space; note that Steam’s “installed size” and the launcher’s additional post‑install downloads may differ.
• If the download stalls or is slow, change Steam’s Download Region: Steam > Settings > Downloads > Download Region and pick a nearby server; restarting Steam after changing region may help. Steam also supports “Verify integrity of game files” if a later launch fails.

Pro tips for Steam installs:

• Use Steam’s “Verify integrity of game files” if the launcher or game crashes after download. That will force Steam to check and repair local files.
• If you plan to use the Gaijin launcher later, your account works on both platforms — you can run the game from either launcher, but keep in mind some users report different update cadences.

Option 2 — Install via the official Gaijin (War Thunder) launcher​

• Download the small War Thunder installer from the official War Thunder website and run it as Administrator. The Gaijin installer will create the War Thunder folder and then open the launcher.
• The launcher downloads the game and any optional packs (texture/HD packs, etc.. The Gaijin launcher often shows more detailed per‑asset progress and provides pause/resume controls that some users find more robust than Steam’s.

Why pick the official launcher? It sometimes receives patches and hotfixes earlier and provides fine‑grained control over which client components you want (e.g., skip the ultra‑HD texture pack to save space). But it runs separately from Steam, and some users prefer the Steam overlay and library integration.

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Step‑by‑step: common installation traps and fixes on Windows 11​

Windows 11 brings modern security defaults that occasionally interfere with game executables and anti‑cheat systems. The sections below cover the usual failure points and the safest fixes.

A. Game won’t launch — basic checks and quick fixes​

• Check Task Manager for aces.exe or other War Thunder processes still running; End task and relaunch if they’re stuck.
• Run the launcher or the game EXE as Administrator for the first run.
• Add the War Thunder folder to Windows Security exclusions if the launcher or BEService is blocked. Use Windows Security > Virus & threat protection > Manage settings > Add or remove exclusions. (Windows may warn — add only the game folder, not wide system folders.

B. BattlEye anti‑cheat errors (the most common install/launch roadblock)​

War Thunder uses BattlEye anti‑cheat. On Windows 11, BattlEye can fail to start, fail to update, or even trigger BSODs for some users — community reports show this is usually caused by driver or certificate issues, or conflicts with virtualization/security features. Practical remedies that work for many players:

• In the War Thunder install folder, delete the BattlEye folder and then force the launcher/Steam to verify files. This triggers a fresh BattlEye reinstallation. Many players report success with this approach.
• Ensure Windows and root certificates are up to date — some BattlEye failures are tied to certificate checks. Run Windows Update and reboot. Community troubleshooting points to certificate updates resolving “insufficient resources” or update failures.
• If BattlEye fails due to Memory Integrity (HVCI) or other virtualization protections, temporarily disable Memory Integrity (see next section) and reinstall BattlEye. Re‑enable Memory Integrity after confirming the game runs, but be aware that disabling security features should be temporary and done with understanding of the security trade‑offs.

Flag and caveat: There have been user reports over time of BattlEye causing hangs or BSODs on particular hardware (some reports point to BEDaisy.sys). If the anti‑cheat consistently destabilizes your system, test the game on another machine or contact Gaijin/BattlEye support. Community discussion shows evidence of intermittent platform/driver interactions and suggests careful diagnosis rather than indiscriminate driver removal.

C. Memory Integrity and other Windows security features (what they are and how to toggle)​

Windows 11 ships with virtualization‑based security features such as Core Isolation / Memory Integrity (also called HVCI). These are beneficial for security but can block anti‑cheat drivers or older unsigned drivers.

• Path to toggle: Windows Security > Device Security > Core isolation details > Memory integrity. Microsoft documents this exact path and recommends keeping the setting on for security, but also acknowledges it can block some drivers and suggests a temporary disable for troubleshooting.

If you must disable Memory Integrity to get BattlEye to install:

• Open Windows Security > Device Security > Core isolation details.
• Toggle Memory integrity off and reboot.
• Reinstall BattlEye via the launcher or run the War Thunder executable to allow BattlEye to install.
• After confirming the game runs, try re‑enabling Memory integrity and test again — if it breaks, leave it disabled and discuss with Gaijin/BattlEye support or update drivers where possible. Microsoft’s docs explain the trade‑offs and troubleshooting steps.

Important security note: disabling Memory Integrity reduces kernel‑level protections. Re‑enable it after troubleshooting where feasible.

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Troubleshooting download stalls, slow speeds, and verification tips​

• Steam download region can be changed under Steam → Settings → Downloads → Download Region; switching to a less congested region often helps. Clearing Steam’s download cache is another standard fix.
• For the official launcher, switch CDN servers in launcher settings if a particular mirror is slow. Delete the launcher cache (.launcher_cache) if downloads hang — the launcher will rebuild the cache when restarted.
• If installations appear corrupted or the game crashes, use Steam’s Verify Integrity of Game Files or the launcher’s verify/repair option to force a clean reinstallation of missing/failed components.

Community evidence collected across forum threads and moderators’ posts indicates that clearing caches and forcing fresh BattlEye installs resolves a large fraction of launch failures — but not all; if these steps don’t help, collect logs and contact Gaijin support with diagnostic files.

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Optimizing War Thunder for best performance on Windows 11​

Once installed, apply these settings to get consistent FPS and lower input lag:

• Windows power mode: set to Best performance (laptops: plug in and choose High performance). This keeps CPU states higher and reduces frequency ramp latency.
• GPU driver: download the latest driver directly from NVIDIA/AMD — OEM drivers sometimes lag behind game‑specific fixes. Use the GPU control panel to set War Thunder to “High performance” for dedicated GPU selection on laptops.
• In‑game settings: prefer the game’s frame limiter instead of forcing V‑Sync in the driver control panel for lower input lag. Turn off overlays (Steam, Discord, Xbox Game Bar) if you need extra FPS.
• Upscaling and ray tracing: War Thunder’s recent updates added Direct3D 12 renderer support, ray tracing improvements and modern upscalers — DLSS, DLAA, FSR and XeSS are present in recent updates and can dramatically increase framerates while preserving quality. Use DLSS/FSR/XeSS when you want higher FPS at high resolutions and reserve full ray tracing only if you have a high‑end GPU. The War Thunder developer blog and changelogs document these features and the D3D12 update that enables them.

Quick practical tuning checklist:

• Update Windows and GPU drivers.
• Install War Thunder on an SSD (NVMe preferred).
• Enable DLSS/FSR/XeSS as appropriate (NVIDIA users: DLSS/ DLAA; AMD: FSR; Intel: XeSS) and set quality/performance modes based on your framerate target.

Be aware: community threads report occasional GPU‑specific bugs (DLSS toggling off when tabbing, or ray tracing hitting performance cliffs on certain maps). If you see strange behavior, toggle the renderer between DX11 and DX12, and test with different upscaler settings.

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Step‑by‑step quick cheat sheet (install + troubleshoot)​

• Free up 100 GB on your SSD and update Windows and GPU drivers.
• Install via Steam or Gaijin launcher: run installer as Administrator.
• If the launcher fails to download: switch CDN / Steam download region or clear caches.
• If the game won’t launch: check Task Manager, run the EXE as admin, add folder to antivirus exclusions.
• BattlEye error: delete the BattlEye folder, verify files, ensure Windows root certificates and Windows Update are current. If Memory Integrity blocks installation, toggle it off temporarily (Windows Security > Device Security > Core isolation details > Memory integrity). Re‑enable after installation if possible.
• If persistent instability or BSODs appear after installing BattlEye, collect system logs and contact Gaijin + BattlEye support.

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Strengths, risks and critical analysis​

What War Thunder gets right:

• Depth and variety: aircraft, ground and naval gameplay in one title is rare and gives players exceptional scope for growth and variety. The developer’s steady content cadence delivers new vehicles, nations and maps.
• Modern graphics pipeline: the addition of Direct3D 12, ray tracing and support for DLSS/FSR/XeSS shows Gaijin’s commitment to keeping PC visuals up to date for modern GPUs. These features let mid‑range and high‑end rigs scale visuals while preserving competitive framerate.

Risks and friction points:

• Anti‑cheat friction: BattlEye is a double‑edged sword. It’s necessary for a fair online environment, but it runs at a low system level and is a common cause of launch failures and even BSODs on some setups. Community reports show multiple root causes (certificate issues, driver conflicts, virtualization/security interactions). The official remedy path (reinstall BattlEye, update certificates, toggle Memory Integrity) works often, but long‑term stability can depend on future driver/anti‑cheat updates.
• Changing storage and asset architecture: official store pages and the launcher differ on minimal vs full client sizes; War Thunder’s optional HD packs mean disk use grows over time. Always verify the runtime disk claim from the launcher before installing.

Unverifiable or evolving claims flagged:

• The exact “95 GB” figure appears on the Steam recommended listing but Gaijin’s site lists smaller full/minimal client numbers; because the client modularizes optional packs, the ultimate download requirement can change between builds. Treat any fixed GB number in older guides as an estimate until you see the launcher’s live size.

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Final thoughts​

Installing War Thunder on Windows 11 is straightforward when you follow the right steps: pick Steam for convenience or Gaijin launcher for direct control, keep GPU drivers up to date, use an SSD, and be prepared to handle BattlEye‑related hiccups that sometimes require temporarily changing Windows security settings. The game’s modern renderer, ray tracing improvements and support for DLSS/FSR/XeSS make it friendly to both mid‑range and high‑end rigs — but those same modern systems also mean that anti‑cheat and driver interactions are the most likely sources of trouble on Windows 11.
This article aggregates the official installation steps, developer changelogs and community troubleshooting practices into a single, practical guide so you can be in the air, on the ground, or at sea with a minimum of friction. If you hit a stubborn problem, collect logs and contact Gaijin support (the official support article explains the install/uninstall steps and recovery options), and consider testing the client on another machine to isolate hardware/driver issues. For readers using Windows 11 now: make backups, keep an eye on your security settings while troubleshooting, and expect the game to expand its disk use over time — allocate extra SSD room now to avoid reinstall headaches later. (Note: this guide synthesizes official Gaijin documentation, the Steam store listing, recent War Thunder developer notes about ray tracing and upscalers, Microsoft guidance on Memory Integrity, and community troubleshooting reports to present a practical, up‑to‑date installation and optimization roadmap for War Thunder on Windows 11.

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Source: How2shout How to Install War Thunder Game on Windows 11