Update 15.4: Hunt for Bismarck, Italian Submarines Early Access, Clan UI Upgrades & more
15.4 brings the Bounty Hunt: Bismarck event, Early Access to Italian submarines (with an Event Pass to match), Repair Party added to most mid-tier cruisers, a major Clan interface overhaul, the return of Warhammer 40,000, Ranked Season 29, and the last hurrah for Asymmetric Battles.
Key dates (UTC)
- Update 15.4 release: May 21, 2026
- Bounty Hunt: Bismarck: May 21, 2026 02:00 → Jun 4, 2026 02:00
- Early Access to Italian Submarines: May 28, 2026 02:00 → Jul 16, 2026 02:00 (starts Week 2)
- Italian Submarines Event Pass: May 21, 2026 02:00 → Jun 18, 2026 02:00
- Hunt for Bismarck Wishing Wharf: May 21, 2026 03:00 → Jun 18, 2026 02:00
- Warhammer 40,000 return: May 21, 2026 03:00 → Jun 4, 2026 02:00
- Ranked Battles Season 29: May 21, 2026 08:00 → Jul 15, 2026 23:00
- Brawl #1: May 25, 2026 08:00 → Jun 1, 2026 01:00
- Trade-In: Jun 4, 2026 02:00 → Jun 18, 2026 02:00
- War is Over Containers return: from Jun 11, 2026 02:00
- Dockyard ZH-1 & Asymmetric Battles end: Jun 18, 2026 02:00
Dates above are in context with the EU server. See Patch Notes for NA and ASIA.
Bounty Hunt: Bismarck
A historically themed Bounty Hunt event inspired by the 1941 pursuit of battleship Bismarck. Players can play as either side and earn Bounty Hunt Tokens for free.
- Hunters: Play Random Battles on any Tier V–X ships or superships and destroy enemy ships marked as Bounties. Up to 3 confirmed targets per day count toward Tokens.
- Bounties: Sail Tier VI+ battleships, cruisers, or destroyers. The Bounty marker can be claimed from half of the Special Free Random Bundles in the Armory's event category, and lasts 24 hours or 5 Random Battles, whichever comes first. As a Bounty, you earn Tokens by playing 5 battles, destroying enemies, earning Assisted in Destruction ribbons, or surviving.
- Playing certain ships that took part in the real historical Hunt for Bismarck earns bonus Tokens (full list in a separate publication).
Bounty Hunt Tokens are spent on rewards including the new Hunt for Bismarck permanent camouflage, the new Hunt Continues camouflage for King George V, the new Last Sortie enemy destruction effect, and "The Hunt for Bismarck" collection containers.
The Special Free Random Bundles also drop the "Hunt for Bismarck" flag and patch.
Early Access to Italian Submarines
The first Italian submarines enter Early Access in 15.4: Foca, Pietro Micca, and Pietro Calvi. Foca is available in the Event Pass (see below) while the other two arrive to the Armory in Week 2 of the Update.
- Strong main guns with access to an improved Main Battery Reload Booster
- Combat Instruction charges from main gun hits → boosts ship speed and torpedo launcher reload
- Exhaust Smoke Generator, a first for submarines, and Repair Party from Tier VIII upward
- Powerful torpedoes with decent range, but slow max speed
- High battery replenishment, but small dive capacity
- Improved marked sector duration, but a long sonar ping reload
New permanent camouflages also arrive for Pietro Micca, Pietro Calvi, and cruiser Ferrante Gonzaga. Ferrante Gonzaga is out of rotation but will be available in the event's Random Bundle.
Italian Submarines Event Pass
A 20-level pass with two progression lines. Foca is the final free track reward.
Free Track
Italian commander Salvatore Capitano, Fields of Tuscany permanent camouflage, 3 Days of Warships Premium account — final reward: Tier VI Italian submarine Foca.
Paid Track
Unlocks with new British historical commander William Pakenham as an instant bonus. Rewards include Hot Wind permanent camouflages for V. Cuniberti and L. Tarigo, and Tier VI Premium German cruiser Leipzig — with the final reward being a new permanent camouflage "Remembering Skagerrak" for Leipzig.
Compensation if you already own:
- 900,000 Credits for Hot Wind permanent camouflage for L. Tarigo
- 1,200,000 Credits for Hot Wind permanent camouflage for V. Cuniberti
- 4,500,000 Credits for Foca
- 8,250,000 Credits for Leipzig
Individual levels can be skipped for 1,000 Doubloons each after unlocking the second progression line. Extra levels give: Free Track → More Signals container; Paid Track → Rare Bonuses container.
Balance Changes & Gameplay Improvements
Repair Party for mid-tier cruisers
Most Tier VI–VIII cruisers that didn't have Repair Party now get one with 2 base charges. Cruisers that already had it either keep their current setup or are bumped to 3 charges.
For some ships, Fighter or Spotting Aircraft will share a slot with another consumable to give Repair Party its own dedicated slot. Key bindings update accordingly.
Exceptions: Belfast, Belfast '43, Bayard, and their variants do not receive Repair Party. Vrijheid and Congress keep 2 charges.
Time-based consumable modifiers
Existing signal flags, upgrades, commander skills, and talents will now extend the total usage time for time-based Smoke Generator, Engine Boost, Spotting Aircraft, Main Battery Reload Booster, and Repair Party consumables.
Ship balance changes
Tuning to several ships' combat parameters based on performance and feedback — full details in these two Development Blogs: Balance Changes pt. 1 and Balance Changes pt. 2.
A free commander skills reset will be available in a future update alongside Unique Commander talent changes.
Clan UI Upgrades
Major overhaul of the Clan interface:
- Revised Clan Base main page
- Treasury tooltips with info about resources and how to get them
- Improved Hall of Fame and Clan Missions tabs
- Updated Port notifications, Clan menu markers, and "online" status in the members tab
- Access to any Clan directly from a member's profile
- Cooldown for changing Clans reduced from 3 days to 2 hours (existing limits on receiving Clan bonuses still apply)
Full breakdown in an upcoming dedicated article.
Dockyard: ZH-1 continues
The German Tier IX destroyer ZH-1 Dockyard from 15.3 carries over. Combat missions run for the first three weeks of 15.4, with the final week available for Dockyard completion with Doubloons. The Dockyard closes with the release of 15.5.
Phase prices, starter packs, and structure remain unchanged from 15.3.
Asymmetric Battles — Last Stand
Asymmetric Battles run until the end of 15.4. Two changes for this final run:
- Alternative scenarios become the default for all modes/tiers; bots have tweaked HP and damage output, making battles a bit easier (especially Tiers VI–IX)
- Economic earnings reduced to match other battle types' challenge/reward ratio: −10% Credits and −15% XP, with exact values depending on Tier
Same format: 5 players (Tier VI–X + superships) vs 12 bots, two tiers lower than each tier represented in the player team.
Warhammer 40,000: Back from the Warp
Warhammer 40,000 ships and commanders return for two weeks. Available again: Tier VIII Ignis Purgatio, Cross of Dorn, Ragnarok, and Ship Smasha, plus their commanders and thematic permanent camouflages. Full briefing in a dedicated article.
Ranked Battles — Season 29
Begins with 15.4.
| Tier VIII — Bronze | Tier IX — Silver | Tier X — Gold | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Format | 7v7 | 6v6 | 6v6 |
| Restrictions | ≤1 CV or 1 SS, ≤4 BB, ≤4 DD, ≤6 CA | ≤3 BB, ≤3 DD, ≤5 CA | ≤1 CV or 1 SS, ≤3 BB, ≤3 DD, ≤5 CA |
Star-saving rule is uniform across all leagues this season: only the top XP earner on the losing team keeps a Star.
Brawls
Three Brawls in 15.4, one with chaotic ship-parameter buffs:
| Brawl | Format | Special recalibrations |
|---|---|---|
| #1 | 5v5, Tier VIII (≤1 CV, no subs) | Buffs to HP, speed, armament & consumable reload, torpedo damage, and accuracy — specific to each ship type |
| #2 | 3v3, Tier VI (≤1 CV, no subs) | None |
| #3 | 2v2, Tier X (≤1 CV, no subs) | None |
Division size matches team size in each Brawl.
Armory
Hunt for Bismarck Wishing Wharf
A special Wishing Wharf event where purchased "Tries" pull from a large reward pool. Possible new rewards include:
- Naval Legacy ship Tier VIII Eiserner Kanzler, based on Bismarck '41 with a historically accurate battle-scarred hull. Owners get bonus access to the four-piece Operation Rheinübung collection (rewards: Seasoned Commander Ernst Lindemann with enhanced skills, Eiserner Kanzler flag, and the "Operation Rheinübung" achievement)
- British battleship Tier VIII Prince of Wales
- German battleship Tier VIII Bismarck '41
- Hunt Continues permanent camouflage for Cossack
- Rheinübung permanent camouflage for Prinz Eugen
- Plus other ships that took part in the real historical Hunt
Bismarck '41 and Prince of Wales are also available for direct purchase in Admiral Packs in the Armory and Premium Shop.
Trade-In (Jun 4 → Jun 18)
Trade-In returns for the last two weeks of 15.4 with expanded ship lists on both sides.
- Trade in your Tier V+ Premium and Special ships (including those obtained from Event Passes)
- Click any eligible ship to see Trade-In options
- Possible new ships include Uncommon Premium and Special ships
- Half of your old ship's value (in Doubloons) is subtracted from the price of the new one
- One trade at a time
Full ship lists in the Development Blog.
War is Over Containers return (from Jun 11)
Refreshed War is Over containers return for players who haven't finished the "39–'45 Chronicles" collection (completion rewards: San Diego + the "39–'45 Chronicles" achievement).
- War is Over standard container: 6,000 Coal each
- War is Over Premium container: in batches of 5 and 25 for Doubloons (also available for real money in the Premium Shop)
Other Changes
To address a long-standing community request, a new Spanish commander voiceover has been added. The existing one can be found in Audio Voiceover settings as Spanish (Mexico), while the new European one is listed as Spanish.