Choose War Thunder
Choose War Thunder if you want a Free To Play game with Online Co-op, VR Supported, and Color Alternatives. On Steam, it's free to play, so the barrier to trying it is zero. 308,911 Steam reviews back the pick.
War Thunder vs WarBirds 2026
War Thunder and WarBirds 2026 both land in Action, Simulation, Massively Multiplayer on Steam, which is why they keep getting compared. The comparison below is built from each game's Steam metadata — release year, genres, categories, Steam Deck status, price, and review score — refreshed daily by imho.run's scraper. Headline differences: Both share Action, Simulation, Massively Multiplayer on Steam. War Thunder (2013) is 2 years older than WarBirds 2026 (2015). War Thunder scores higher on Steam reviews (74.1% positive) than WarBirds 2026 (42.1% positive). No login or purchase needed — scroll for the full table, the verdict FAQ, and links to ranked similar games for both titles.
Which should you pick?
Choose WarBirds 2026
Choose WarBirds 2026 if you want a Strategy and Adventure game with Adjustable Difficulty. WarBirds 2026 launched in 2015.
Both War Thunder and WarBirds 2026 sit in Action, Simulation, and Massively Multiplayer on Steam and both list Multi-player, MMO, and Online PvP, so either pick lands in the same broad neighborhood. Use the side-by-side table for the feature view, or follow the "Games like" links below to see ranked alternatives for either title.
Side-by-side comparison
 War Thunder |  WarBirds 2026 | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2013 | 2015 |
| Genres | Action, Simulation, Massively Multiplayer, Free To Play | Action, Strategy, Adventure, Simulation, Massively Multiplayer |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Verified | Unrated |
| Price | Free to play | 19.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 74.1% positive (308,911 reviews) | 42.1% positive (38 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Cross-Platform Multiplayer, Online Co-op | Multi-player |
| Developers | Gaijin Entertainment | iEntertainment Network Inc |
Side by side
- Both share Action, Simulation, Massively Multiplayer on Steam.
- War Thunder (2013) is 2 years older than WarBirds 2026 (2015).
- War Thunder scores higher on Steam reviews (74.1% positive) than WarBirds 2026 (42.1% positive).
- War Thunder is free; WarBirds 2026 is paid (19.99 USD).
- War Thunder has co-op; WarBirds 2026 does not.
- War Thunder is Deck Verified on Steam Deck; WarBirds 2026 has no Deck rating yet.
War Thunder vs WarBirds 2026 — FAQ
- Should I play War Thunder or WarBirds 2026 first?
- If you want chronology, War Thunder (2013) came out before WarBirds 2026 (2015). If neither is a sequel to the other, order doesn't really matter — start with whichever fits your current mood, since both share enough on Steam to make either a reasonable opener.
- Are War Thunder and WarBirds 2026 similar?
- They overlap on Action, Simulation, Massively Multiplayer on Steam, so the catalogue groups them together — but "similar" depends on the specific mechanics. Use the genre + category rows above to decide whether the overlap matches what drew you to the one you've already played.
- Is War Thunder free?
- Yes — War Thunder is a free-to-play Steam title. WarBirds 2026 is paid (19.99 USD).
- Does War Thunder run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — War Thunder is rated Deck Verified by Valve. WarBirds 2026 doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.