World of Warships
Steam News 20 May 20261d ago

Update 15.4 | Hunt for Bismarck & Italian Subs in Early Access!

Here's an overview of the major highlights introduced in Update 15.4. Be sure to check out the full details on our website: EU NA ASIA Bounty Hunt: Bismarck Inspired by the legendary 1941 pursuit of the iconic German ba…

Update log

Full World of Warships update

The complete published notes, normalized for clean reading and source attribution.

Extracted changes

0 fixes9 additions11 changes1 removal
  • Gameplay
  • Events
  • Balance
  • UI and audio
addedHere's an overview of the major highlights introduced in Update 15.4. Be sure to check out the full details on our website:
addedHunt for Bismarck Wishing WharfTry your luck in this special Armory event for a chance to get Naval Legacy ship Eiserner Kanzler, based on Bismarck '41—with a battle-scarred hull from her last sortie. Other possible rewards include Tier VIII Bismarck '41, Tier VIII Prince of Wales, the "Hunt Continues" camouflage for Cossack, and the Rheinübung camouflage for Prinz Eugen. Owners of Eiserner Kanzler will gain access to the new four-piece Operation Rheinübung collection, rewarding Seasoned Commander Ernst Lindemann.
addedEarly Access: Italian SubmarinesThree new gun-toting Regia Marina submarines, Foca, Pietro Micca, and Pietro Calvi , surface during the update's second week.
changedEarly Access: Italian SubmarinesArmament highlights: - Strong main batteries, SAP shells, and access to an improved Main Battery Reload Booster. - Combat Instructions (charged by main gun hits) boost ship speed and torpedo reload time. - Powerful torpedoes with decent range but slower maximum speed."
changedEarly Access: Italian SubmarinesHigh battery replenishment rate, balancing out a small dive capacity. Improved marked sector duration but with a longer sonar ping cooldown.
addedEarly Access: Italian SubmarinesNew permanent camouflages for Pietro Micca, Pietro Calvi, and cruiser Ferrante Gonzaga.

Here's an overview of the major highlights introduced in Update 15.4. Be sure to check out the full details on our website:

EU NA ASIA

Bounty Hunt: Bismarck

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Inspired by the legendary 1941 pursuit of the iconic German battleship. Become a high-value Bounty or relentless Hunter to earn rewards.

  • Bounties: Sail Tier VI+ battleships, cruisers, or destroyers with a Bounty Marker—claimable from special free random bundles in the Armory. The status lasts 24 hours or 5 battles.

  • Hunters: Fight Random Battles playing any Tier V+ ship or supership and destroy enemies marked as Bounties (up to 3 confirmed targets per day).

  • Earn Bounty Hunt Tokens to spend on the Hunt for Bismarck permanent camouflage, the "Hunt Continues" camouflage for King George V, the Last Sortie enemy destruction effect, and "The Hunt for Bismarck" collection containers.

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    Steam post image
  • Bonus Tokens will be given for playing ships that took part in the historical hunt.

Hunt for Bismarck Wishing Wharf

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Try your luck in this special Armory event for a chance to get Naval Legacy ship Eiserner Kanzler, based on Bismarck '41—with a battle-scarred hull from her last sortie. Other possible rewards include Tier VIII Bismarck '41, Tier VIII Prince of Wales, the "Hunt Continues" camouflage for Cossack, and the Rheinübung camouflage for Prinz Eugen. Owners of Eiserner Kanzler will gain access to the new four-piece Operation Rheinübung collection, rewarding Seasoned Commander Ernst Lindemann.

Early Access: Italian Submarines

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Three new gun-toting Regia Marina submarines, Foca, Pietro Micca, and Pietro Calvi, surface during the update's second week.

  • Armament highlights- Strong main batteries, SAP shells, and access to an improved Main Battery Reload Booster. - Combat Instructions (charged by main gun hits) boost ship speed and torpedo reload time. - Powerful torpedoes with decent range but slower maximum speed."
  • The first submarines to feature Exhaust Smoke Generator; Tiers VIII and X have Repair Party at their disposal.

  • High battery replenishment rate, balancing out a small dive capacity. Improved marked sector duration but with a longer sonar ping cooldown.

  • New permanent camouflages for Pietro Micca, Pietro Calvi, and cruiser Ferrante Gonzaga.

Italian Submarines Event Pass

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A standalone Event Pass with two progression lines of 15 levels each. Extra levels grant a More Signals container (first line) and Rare Bonuses container (second line).

  • First progression line: Italian Commander Salvatore Capitano, the Fields of Tuscany permanent camouflage, 3 days of Warships Premium Account, and Italian Tier VI submarine Foca (final reward).

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  • Second progression line: British historical Commander William Pakenham as an instant unlock; Hot Wind permanent camouflages for V. Cuniberti and L. Tarigo; German Tier VI Premium cruiser Leipzig; and the Remembering Skagerrak permanent camouflage for Leipzig (final reward). Steam post image

Balance Changes & Gameplay Improvements

Repair Party for Mid-Tier Cruisers

Most Tier VI–VIII cruisers gain access to the Repair Party consumable.

  • Cruisers without Repair Party gain the consumable with 2 base charges; some that already had it now have 3 charges.

  • On certain ships, Fighter or Spotting Aircraft will share a slot with another consumable so Repair Party can have its own dedicated slot; key bindings are updated accordingly.

  • Belfast, Belfast '43, Bayard, and their variants will not receive Repair Party; Vrijheid and Congress retain their current 2 charges.

Time-Based Consumable Modifiers

Select signal flags, upgrades, Commander skills, and talents now extend the total usage time of Smoke Generator, Engine Boost, Spotting Aircraft, Main Battery Reload Booster, and Repair Party.

Ship Balance Changes

Several ships are being tuned based on combat data and player feedback. Full details are available on our Development Blog.

Clan UI Upgrades

The in-game Clan menu has been overhauled to bring key activities front and center.

  • Revised the Clan Base main page, plus improved Hall of Fame and Clan Missions tabs.

  • New Treasury tooltips show info about resources and how to obtain them.

  • Updated Port notifications, Clan menu markers, "online" status in the Clan Members tab, and access to any Clan directly from a member's profile.

  • Cooldown for changing Clans reduced from 3 days to 2 hours (Clan bonus and activity limitations still apply).

Final Stretch: Returning Content

  • Dockyard ZH-1Combat missions run through the first 3 weeks; the final week is Doubloons only. Dockyard is being removed with Update 15.5.
  • Asymmetric BattlesLast Stand. Their final run before hiatus, with alternative scenarios as the new standard, lower bot HP and damage, and economic rewards adjusted by 15–20%.
  • Warhammer 40,000 ships, Commanders, and permanent camouflages return for a limited engagement.

  • Ranked Battles Season 29 begins; three new Brawls arrive, including a chaotic week-one setup with buffs to HP, speed, armament, reload, torpedo damage, and accuracy.

  • Trade-In returns for the last 2 weeks with an expanded list of eligible ships.

This is just the beginning, so dive into Update 15.4 and experience everything firsthand. Read the full update article here:

EU NA ASIA

Take the Update 15.4 Survey!

Enjoying the new features? Let us know your thoughts via the survey link below!

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Source

Steam News / 20 May 2026

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