Hey fellow tankers! I’ve been digging into the World of Tanks player stats for EU and NA servers. Used a custom script to pull data from the game’s API. Here’s what I found:
- New players who stick around for a year are pretty low. Not great for the game’s future.
- During COVID, more returning players stayed active. Makes sense, right? But now that number’s dropping.
- Overall, the player base is shrinking, but not super fast.
My method was pretty simple. I wrote a script to check about 70 million possible player IDs on NA and 200 million on EU. I only counted players with more than one battle and a personal rating above zero.
I looked at when accounts were made, last battle dates, and active years. Also tracked new and returning players, both those who stayed and those who left.
2023 stats look weird for players who didn’t come back, but that might just be because 2024 just started.
What do you guys think? Is this matching what you’re seeing in-game?
interesting data, jackHero77! ive noticed fewer players in matches lately, especially during off-peak hours. curious if theres regional differences? like, are EU servers holding up better than NA? or vice versa? might explain why my queue times feel longer. anyone else experiencing this?
Your findings align with my observations, JackHero77. The declining player base is evident in longer queue times and less diverse matchmaking. I’ve been playing since 2012, and the change is noticeable. The COVID bump was real; I saw many old clan mates return temporarily. Now, it’s back to the slow decline.
One factor you didn’t mention is the impact of other games. Many of my friends have shifted to more modern titles or battle royales. WoT’s aging mechanics and graphics might be hurting retention.
Have you considered analyzing tier distribution? I suspect there’s a concentration at higher tiers as casual players drop off, leaving mostly veterans. This could explain why lower tier matches feel emptier lately.
I’ve been playing WoT for about 5 years now, and your data really hits home, JackHero77. The shrinking player base is something I’ve felt firsthand, especially in the last year or so.
One thing I’ve noticed that might contribute to the trend is the game’s steep learning curve. New players often get frustrated quickly when facing experienced tankers. I’ve tried to bring friends into the game, but many give up after a few weeks of struggling.
The matchmaking system could also be a factor. Sometimes the balance feels off, which can be discouraging for both new and returning players. I wonder if tweaking this could help with retention?
Have you looked into how in-game events and new tank lines affect player numbers? I’ve seen spikes during big events, but they don’t seem to last long. Maybe WG needs to rethink their event strategy to keep players engaged long-term.