Choose War Thunder
Choose War Thunder if you want the VR Supported, Adjustable Text Size, and Color Alternatives side of the pairing. On Steam, it's Steam Deck Verified, so handheld play works out of the box. 308,911 Steam reviews back the pick.
War Thunder vs Operation Serval
War Thunder and Operation Serval 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 14 years older than Operation Serval (2027). Both are free to play. 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 Operation Serval
Choose Operation Serval if you want a Strategy experience. On Steam, it's the newer release (2027) and ships with the modern feature baseline. Operation Serval launched in 2027.
Both War Thunder and Operation Serval 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 |  Operation Serval | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2013 | 2027 |
| Genres | Action, Simulation, Massively Multiplayer, Free To Play | Action, Strategy, Simulation, Massively Multiplayer, Free To Play |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows, Linux |
| Steam Deck | Deck Verified | Unrated |
| Price | Free to play | Free to play |
| Steam reviews | 74.1% positive (308,911 reviews) | — |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Cross-Platform Multiplayer, Online Co-op | Multi-player, Online Co-op, Co-op |
| Developers | Gaijin Entertainment | Ballistic Cookies |
Side by side
- Both share Action, Simulation, Massively Multiplayer on Steam.
- War Thunder (2013) is 14 years older than Operation Serval (2027).
- Both are free to play.
- Both support cooperative play.
- War Thunder is Deck Verified on Steam Deck; Operation Serval has no Deck rating yet.
War Thunder vs Operation Serval — FAQ
- Should I play War Thunder or Operation Serval first?
- If you want chronology, War Thunder (2013) came out before Operation Serval (2027). 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 Operation Serval 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.
- Do both War Thunder and Operation Serval have co-op?
- Yes — both list a co-op category on Steam. Specifics differ: War Thunder ships Online Co-op, Co-op; Operation Serval ships Online Co-op, Co-op.
- Does War Thunder run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — War Thunder is rated Deck Verified by Valve. Operation Serval doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.