War Thunder May Events: KV-8, Decals & WTCS Major II [Guide]

Q: How do you unlock the KV-8 in the Legend of Victory event?

The Legend of Victory: KV-8 event runs from May 6th to May 18th (11:00 GMT). You earn mission points in Ground Battles at Rank III or above across Arcade, Realistic, and Simulator modes. Each stage requires 30,000 mission points, and completing 6 stages total gets you the non-tradable KV-8 coupon. Stages refresh every two days at 11:00 GMT, specifically on May 8th, 10th, 12th, 14th, and 16th. If you fall short before a stage resets, you can buy the remainder with Golden Eagles at a sliding discount: reach 85% completion and the GE price drops by half, hit 95% and it drops to one-fifth of the base cost. At 26,000 mission points earned, a stage costs 299 GE; at 29,000 points it drops to just 119 GE. Event vehicles from Rank I and II with a named event on their stat card also count toward mission point totals, which gives newer players a way to contribute even without high-rank lineups.

Q: What makes the KV-8 worth grinding for?

The KV-8 is a Rank II Premium USSR heavy tank built on the KV-1 chassis. Historically, the first prototype was completed in December 1941 and passed trials near Moscow in early January 1942, with serial production starting in April 1942. Over 100 units were built before production shifted to the lighter KV-8S variant. In game, the KV-8 carries the 45 mm 20-K cannon alongside the ATO-41 automatic flamethrower and a DT machine gun, all mounted in a single turret. The 45 mm caliber was a deliberate compromise: fitting a 76 mm cannon alongside the flamethrower hardware was mechanically impossible. The barrel is covered by an external casing that mimics a 76 mm gun visually. The KV-8's real selling point is its protection. At Ranks I and II, very few vehicles can reliably deal with its armor, which is what lets you get into flamethrower range in the first place. The Churchill Crocodile operates on a similar principle in the British tree.

Q: What are the May monthly decals and how do you get them?

The May monthly decals are available from May 13th (11:00 GMT) until June 11th (09:00 GMT). All tasks require vehicles at Rank III or higher. There are 9 decals total covering USA, France, USSR, Japan, Germany, Britain, China, Italy, Norway, and Argentina. After the monthly period ends, these decals move to their corresponding permanent category rather than disappearing entirely, but you can only earn them through the tasks during the active window.

Q: How does the WTCS Pro League Major II work?

The War Thunder Championship Series 2026 Major II uses a 4v4 top-tier aircraft format. Teams need a roster of 7 players. The schedule runs as follows: Open Qualifier I: May 9th to 10th at 15:00 GMT Open Qualifier II: May 16th to 17th at 15:00 GMT Playoffs: May 23rd to 24th and May 30th to 31st at 15:00 GMT Four teams advance from each Open Qualifier to the Playoff stage. Streams start at 14:45 GMT and broadcast in English, Russian, German, Polish, and French on both Twitch and YouTube. Twitch Drops run during both Open Qualifier weekends and the Finals, offering boosters and Premium Account time. To qualify for drops, link your Gaijin account to Twitch and click Allow in the permissions prompt.

What's happening in War Thunder this May?

War Thunder is packed with limited-time content this May, and missing any of it means waiting until next year at best. Three major things are running simultaneously: the Legend of Victory event where you grind for the KV-8 flamethrower tank, a fresh batch of monthly historical decals, and the second major of the War Thunder Championship Series 2026. Here's everything you need to know to get the most out of each one.

How do you unlock the KV-8 in the Legend of Victory event?

The Legend of Victory: KV-8 event runs from May 6th to May 18th (11:00 GMT). You earn mission points in Ground Battles at Rank III or above across Arcade, Realistic, and Simulator modes. Each stage requires 30,000 mission points, and completing 6 stages total gets you the non-tradable KV-8 coupon.

Stages refresh every two days at 11:00 GMT, specifically on May 8th, 10th, 12th, 14th, and 16th. If you fall short before a stage resets, you can buy the remainder with Golden Eagles at a sliding discount: reach 85% completion and the GE price drops by half, hit 95% and it drops to one-fifth of the base cost. At 26,000 mission points earned, a stage costs 299 GE; at 29,000 points it drops to just 119 GE.

info

After completing a stage, you must manually collect your reward. Go to your in-game name, select "Legend of Victory: KV-8," and hit the "Get Reward" button or you'll leave items unclaimed.

Event vehicles from Rank I and II with a named event on their stat card also count toward mission point totals, which gives newer players a way to contribute even without high-rank lineups.

What rewards do you get at each stage?

Loading table...

The random trophy chests can contain 50,000 to 100,000 Silver Lions, SL and RP boosters, Wagers and Orders, 1 to 3 Universal Backups, a random camouflage for a vehicle you own, or 1 day of Premium Account.

Can you sell the KV-8 coupon on the market?

Yes, but it takes extra work. The coupon you receive is non-tradable by default. To sell it, you need the "Upgrade for coupon" item, which you earn separately by accumulating 500,000 mission points during the event period. Once you apply the upgrade, the coupon becomes tradable after 6 days. The upgrade item itself expires on May 22nd (11:00 GMT), so don't sit on it.

Event stage progress tracker

What makes the KV-8 worth grinding for?

The KV-8 is a Rank II Premium USSR heavy tank built on the KV-1 chassis. Historically, the first prototype was completed in December 1941 and passed trials near Moscow in early January 1942, with serial production starting in April 1942. Over 100 units were built before production shifted to the lighter KV-8S variant.

In game, the KV-8 carries the 45 mm 20-K cannon alongside the ATO-41 automatic flamethrower and a DT machine gun, all mounted in a single turret. The 45 mm caliber was a deliberate compromise: fitting a 76 mm cannon alongside the flamethrower hardware was mechanically impossible. The barrel is covered by an external casing that mimics a 76 mm gun visually.

warning

The flamethrower is only effective against lightly armored targets with open fighting compartments and only at close range. Don't expect it to punch through anything with meaningful armor.

The KV-8's real selling point is its protection. At Ranks I and II, very few vehicles can reliably deal with its armor, which is what lets you get into flamethrower range in the first place. The Churchill Crocodile operates on a similar principle in the British tree.

What are the KV-8's weaknesses?

Mobility is below average, which is standard for KV-series heavies. The 45 mm gun is underpowered for its rank outside of the APHE and sub-caliber rounds it carries. Tank destroyers and anything with a large-caliber gun represent a genuine threat, so positioning matters. Playing the KV-8 aggressively against equal-tier mediums is viable; sitting in the open against a dedicated tank destroyer is not.

What are the May monthly decals and how do you get them?

The May monthly decals are available from May 13th (11:00 GMT) until June 11th (09:00 GMT). All tasks require vehicles at Rank III or higher. There are 9 decals total covering USA, France, USSR, Japan, Germany, Britain, China, Italy, Norway, and Argentina.

Loading table...

info

Monthly decals are tracked under Player Profile > Decals > Monthly Decals. Click "Track progress" on each decal to pin it to your hangar view.

After the monthly period ends, these decals move to their corresponding permanent category rather than disappearing entirely, but you can only earn them through the tasks during the active window.

How does the WTCS Pro League Major II work?

The War Thunder Championship Series 2026 Major II uses a 4v4 top-tier aircraft format. Teams need a roster of 7 players. The schedule runs as follows:

Open Qualifier I: May 9th to 10th at 15:00 GMT
Open Qualifier II: May 16th to 17th at 15:00 GMT
Playoffs: May 23rd to 24th and May 30th to 31st at 15:00 GMT

Four teams advance from each Open Qualifier to the Playoff stage. Streams start at 14:45 GMT and broadcast in English, Russian, German, Polish, and French on both Twitch and YouTube.

Twitch Drops run during both Open Qualifier weekends and the Finals, offering boosters and Premium Account time. To qualify for drops, link your Gaijin account to Twitch and click Allow in the permissions prompt.

What can you win from WTCS Major II Discord and Twitch giveaways?

During the tournament, the Official War Thunder Esports Discord is running giveaways for the AH-64DJP Pack, ZTZ96B Pack, Vickers GBT155 Pack, and Alpha Jet A Pack. Twitch is separately dropping 10 Esports Bundle 2026 Season packs at random during broadcasts.

danger

Tournament coupons must be selected within 10 days after the event ends. Don't let prize coupons expire unclaimed.

May sale: which packs are being retired?

The Gaijin Store May Sale ran from May 7th to May 14th with 50% discounts on bundles and individual packs. Several packs are being permanently retired after this promotion ends:

Hawk 209 Pack
Su-22M4 WTD 61 Pack
MiG-21 Bison Pack
F-20A Tigershark Pack
AV-8B Night Attack Pack
J-7D Pack

If any of those were on your list, the window has closed. For everything else, the standard Gaijin Store rotation continues.

For more strategies across all vehicle types and game modes, the War Thunder guides collection covers the full range of ground, air, and naval content. War Thunder sits firmly in the shooter games space but blends combined arms depth that most pure shooters never approach, which is exactly why events like this one reward players who understand multiple vehicle classes rather than just one.

War Thunder May WTCS Major II Guide