- Pivoting Tanks towards becoming a roguelike (Tanks v1.6.2) - 1 April 2026
Update:This was an April Fools joke build, and has now ended. If you want to play this build of Tanks again, its jar file has been archived and can be found here: Tanks1.6.2-april-fools.jarTanks v1.6.2 is now out!Due to industry trends, we have decided to pivot Tanks towards becoming a roguelike. This update brings a new 'upgrade' system to enhance gameplay. Just hop into a level and play a bit, and you'll be presented with a selection of upgrades for your tank.Of course, to make things fair for your enemies, they will also be able to choose upgrades when you do. And not just your enemies. Everything on the game field will get to pick an upgrade, including bullets and mines that have been shot previously.Over the coming months, we will have many new exciting changes to help move the project in this direction. For more information on the future of Tanks please check out this post on our…
- Tanks v1.6.1 is now out! - 2 February 2026
A small patch update has been released to improve the multiplayer experience and fix some bugs.What's new in Tanks v1.6.1:- Joining parties during a level no longer kicks you (you'll now join a sort of waiting room and be able to chat)- Added option to show public party count on play screen- Added 'Max extra health' to explosions- Fixed a crash in party crusades- Bug fixes and other minor improvements
- Tanks v1.6.0 is now out! - 1 February 2026
Hello guys,It's finally time for Tanks v1.6 to come out. This update has been in the works for almost 3 years, and it overhauls the item system, allowing for crazy new item combinations and changing player tank builds so that you can change your stats! 'Tanks' for waiting so long :)Here's a trailer for the update, showcasing some of its new features:Additionally, there are two other new features in this update which should enhance the community experience. The new Steam Workshop is live, and you can now share your awesome levels and crusades with each other on it! There's already some cool stuff there - go check out the "Sports crusade" which demonstrates some of the new crazy stuff 1.6 can do.Additionally, public parties are now a thing - and you can make your parties public in just one click!What's new in Tanks v1.6.0:Customization:- Added configurable player tank builds- Revamped ite…
- Check out the new customization in the third 1.6 beta! - 6 December 2025
WARNING: Do NOT open levels you care about in this version. You will no longer be able to open them in the latest stable version (because the save format has changed), and they may be corrupted due to this version being unstable. If you wish to open levels you've already made, you should back them up first. You can do this by opening up the game, going to the "My levels" or "Crusades" section, hitting the folder icon (a new button added in this pre-release), and making a copy of everything inside to somewhere safe.Hello everyone,Update 1.6 is wrapping up, and I am considering it pretty much feature-complete now. So here is a new pre-release for you guys to find some bugs in and mess around with :)What's new in Tanks v1.6.f:Added new circular hotbar optionImprovements and new UI for tank spectatingAdded bullet effect and trail editorItem icons can now be recoloredMines can now be recolor…
- Tanks has GONE 3D! (Tanks v1.5.3) - 1 April 2025
UPDATE: This was an april fools joke and has since been reverted. But if you had fun with it, you can download the archived JAR file for it here! If you guys liked these features, maybe they will make it into the base game someday as options... Hello everyone, I'm proud to announce that Tanks has gone 3D! A new update is now available for all of you to play, where you can explore the third dimension. To get started, just jump with space! You'll fly up a bit, letting you walk on top of walls or land on other tanks to stomp them to oblivion! Plus, enjoy some more realistic bullet physics! Bullets will now add your velocity, so if you're moving forward, you'll shoot an extra speedy bullet. Additionally, you will now get your bullet's velocity added to yourself too because why not. There are several other minor improvements for you to enjoy, relating to the sound engine, and a user interfac…
- Try out Player Tank Builds, Steam Workshop, and more in the second 1.6 beta! - 10 March 2025
WARNING: Do NOT open levels you care about in this version. You will no longer be able to open them in the latest stable version (because the save format has changed), and they may be corrupted due to this version being unstable. If you wish to open levels you've already made, you should back them up first. You can do this by opening up the game, going to the "My levels" or "Crusades" section, hitting the folder icon (a new button added in this pre-release), and making a copy of everything inside to somewhere safe. It's time for a new beta with some of the biggest and most awaited features from Tanks v1.6: Custom player tank configurations (player builds) and the Steam Workshop! This beta also adds the ability to add fake players to parties for lonely people like me, along with a new player rankings screen for versus levels. To play the beta, select the "Pre-release" beta from -> Proper…
- Try out the Tanks 1.6 beta! - 2 December 2024
WARNING: Do NOT open levels you care about in this version. You will no longer be able to open them in the latest stable version (because the save format has changed), and they may be corrupted due to this version being unstable. If you wish to open levels you've already made, you should back them up first. You can do this by opening up the game, going to the "My levels" or "Crusades" section, hitting the folder icon (a new button added in this pre-release), and making a copy of everything inside to somewhere safe. Hello everyone, A new beta version of Tanks is available for you all to test out! This has a lot of the features I've been working on over the last year or so - mainly an entirely reworked bullet and item system that is much more customizable than that from before. You will get a lot more options like knockback and stun duration on bullets now, and previous bullet types can n…
- Tanks v1.5.2 is now (finally) out! - 18 July 2024
Hello everyone! I am in fact still alive and working on this game, and it's time for another update :). Sorry for the long wait times. The primary new feature in this update is the updated Tank AI. There are several new options related to dodging bullets and approaching the player on line of sight included, which the default tanks now use. There are also miscellaneous improvements to tank AI that hopefully results in fewer silly moments like tanks shooting bullets toward nowhere repeatedly. What's new in Tanks v1.5.2: - Improved and adjusted tank AI - Added new 'Bullet avoid type' to tank customization - Added 'Sidewind' and 'Backwind' sight behavior - Bug fixes and other minor improvements The new bullet avoidance types are the following: - Intersect - this is the old AI. The tank will move away from the intersection of a bullet's path with a box around the tank. It is used by more pri…
- Important Update Regarding Sound Assets - 1 April 2024
Hello all, Unfortunately, we received a cease-and-desist notice from Garage Software, inc. for using sound assets from their 'Band' software without their permission. Thus, in this update, we have hastily replaced all the musical instruments in the game's soundtrack with versions that the developer and some of his friends hastily recorded at 4 am. We apologize for this sudden change, and will be working to further refine the music and sounds of Tanks in the coming weeks. For more information about this change, please check out our blog post here: https://tanks-thecrusades.com/tanks-sounds-updates Update: this was an April Fools joke, and the sounds are back to normal. But if you liked the sounds, you can still use them! Download the sound pack here and extract the contents to the ~/.tanks/resources folder, such that the "music" and "sound" folders are in there. If the resources folder d…
- Making Tanks: The Crusades more inclusive for people with color-blindness - 1 April 2023
It has come to my attention that a serious issue has been plaguing the Tanks community. The game Tanks: The Crusades has been deemed discriminatory against certain users with difficulties in perceiving color. After much careful consideration and deliberation, we have come to the conclusion that the use of color to distinguish between different types of tanks is unfair to such individuals who are unable to distinguish certain colors. As a result, in order to make the Tanks: The Crusades game and community a more inclusive, welcoming, and diverse one, and to level the playing field for everybody, we have removed color from Tanks: The Crusades. You can check out this updated, more inclusive and fairer version, right now! For more information, check out this link: https://tinyurl.com/inclusivetanks
- Linux is now officially supported! - 26 March 2023
You can now run Tanks on Linux natively. You may need to disable Steam Play to get it to work. Please let me know if you run into any trouble.
- Tanks v1.5.0 is now out! And happy 5th anniversary of Tanks! - 23 March 2023
Today marks the 5th year anniversary from when I started working on this game! To celebrate, Tanks v1.5.0 has been released, for all of you to enjoy the brand new arcade mode! 'Tanks' for sticking for so long, it's been a fun journey developing this game. What's new in Tanks v1.5.0: New arcade mode minigame: - Point system based on tank kills - Continuously spawning enemy tank waves - Respawn if you die - Time limit of 2 minutes and 12 seconds - A rampage system for destroying tanks in a row - Tanks drop items that you can use to your advantage - Frenzy mode: destroy all you can when time runs out! - Point bonuses judging your performance at the end Crusades: - Font is now varied across statistics for readability - Added crusade descriptions for built-in crusades - Built-in crusades now track your best completion time, which you can see directly from the crusade screen - Completed crusa…
- Tanks 1.5 Second Public Steam Beta! - 14 March 2023
Hey everyone, Like with the last announcement, I've pushed another beta build of Tanks v1.5 for all of you to test. This is very close to the final version, so if you want to see what 1.5 will be like, check it out! To check out the beta, go to the game page in the library tab, click the settings icon, go to betas, and select "pre-release." If you find any bugs or have feedback, leave it either as a reply to this post, or join the Tanks Discord! I'm sorry the update has been taking so long. It's been because I am unfortunately very busy with university classes this semester and have not had time to work on the game. Hopefully I'll be able to get it out in not too much time. Here's what's new from the previous version: - Updated tutorial to be more exciting - Added descriptions for minigames - You can now see your records directly from the crusade screen - Reorganized options screens - A…
- Tanks 1.5 Public Steam Beta! - 11 January 2023
Hey everyone, You can now try out everything I've been working on in the last few months, including the all new arcade mode! To check out the beta, go to the game page in the library tab, click the settings icon, go to betas, and select "pre-release." If you find any bugs or have feedback, leave it either as a reply to this post, or join the Tanks Discord! Here's what's new: - New arcade mode, with time limit, infinite lives, bonuses, and dropped items! - Improved statistics screen at the end of crusades for better readability. For built-in crusades, your best runs will be logged and you can your times compare against them via the star button in the "Battles" tab. - You can now change your player tank color in singleplayer - Added item indicator on your tank when switching items - Updated menu music - Bullets now display through terrain - A TON of other behind-the-scenes changes and bug…
- Coming Soon - Tanks: Arcade Mode! - 20 October 2022
Hey everyone! I'd like to announce that I've been working on a new gamemode for Tanks: The Crusades - Arcade Mode! In arcade mode, you have unlimited lives, and enemies drop from the sky in waves, but you have a time limit of 2 minutes. After the time runs out, frenzy mode begins - a bunch of tanks drop into the arena, and you fight to the end! Arcade mode has a new mechanic: the rampage. Destroying enemy tanks within 5 seconds of each other grants a kill chain, which, upon hitting a multiple of 3, gives a rampage. Rampages give points and speed EVERYTHING up - you will move and shoot faster, but so will your enemies. Things can get crazy really fast. You can check out the current state of Arcade Mode in this video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=en-m1SqBVEI You can also beta-test it by running the jar you can download here: https://1drv.ms/u/s!AnwBrt306BrJgfZQT2PiqBrTebM8LQ?e=c0E…
- Tanks v1.4.1 is now out! - 1 October 2022
Hey everyone! Several of you have reported issues with Tanks version 1.4 - namely the game freezing up when working with custom tanks, and the game desynchronizing when playing multiplayer with spawner tanks. I have released a minor update which fixes both of these bugs. I apologize for these bugs being out for so long, I've been quite busy lately with other things. But don't worry - there will be more updates for Tanks in the future! I have a bunch of things planned that I want to get out eventually.
- Tanks v1.4.0 is now out! - 30 July 2022
It's been a long time since the last big update, but the time has finally come! Tanks v1.4 brings 2 new built-in tanks, and a brand new tank editor that lets you make your own tanks! What's new in Tanks v1.4.0: New features: - Added tank editor and custom tanks - Added air bullet which pushes things - Added homing bullet which moves towards targets - Added light blue tank which uses air bullets - Added salmon tank which uses homing bullets - Added beginner crusade Tank behavior: - Tanks now try to avoid walls - Tanks now see through destructible blocks - Tanks now avoid explosive blocks Balancing: - Boss tank now only spawns 5 tank types - Cooldowns are now per item - Made random level teleporters rarer - Increased player tank acceleration - Nerfed castle crusade level 'Castle artillery' Graphics: - New tank textures and models - Updated crusade info and stats screen background - Update…
- Celebrating 100,000 downloads on Steam! - 20 July 2022
Hey everyone, It is my pleasure to announce that as of today, July 20, 2022, Tanks: The Crusades has reached 100,000 lifetime total units! I would like to thank all of you - everyone who has played this game - for bringing the game to where it is right now. Some stats: - Development on Tanks began on March 23, 2018 - Released to the public (on PC and mobile) first December 29, 2020 - Released on Steam June 24, 2021 - 75,600+ lines of Java, split over about 500 classes (but this number keeps going up!) - 416 Discord members (Join the Discord to chat with them!) - 1 developer (me!) and 10 contributors on GitHub - 191 daily active users (average for the last week) - 15 minutes median time played - 96 minutes average time played Thank you once again for playing Tanks! It's been incredibly fun developing this game and hearing your feedback. But before I go, I'd like to leave a bit of informa…
- Tanks v1.4, the tank editor update - developer progress video - 6 July 2022
Hey everyone! So it's been a while since the last update, and I didn't want to leave you all in the dark about the future of the game. I'm still alive and working on the game! The next update, Tanks v1.4, is coming soon, and will bring the highly anticipated ability to make custom tanks with an all-new tank editor. You'll be able to change over 50 options for each tank to create your own tanks, and use these tanks in your levels and crusades! I'm also adding some new other features, like the light blue tank which blows wind, and the salmon tank which launches homing bullets. If you want to see all of these in action and get more information, go check out the video below! And version 1.4 is not where the fun ends. There are more planned features on the list for after 1.4, like first person view, Steam Workshop support, collaborative level editing, and better custom bullets. Until the nex…
- Steam Networking Performance Bugfix - 1 May 2022
Hey everyone, I have received reports over the last few weeks of Tanks performing rather poorly in multiplayer while over Steam peer-to-peer. Upon further investigation, I discovered a bug with the packet buffering which was causing packets to not be sent when they should have been sent, and instead waiting a bit longer. This bug was first introduced somewhere around v1.3.1, in an attempt to improve network performance. I've hopefully fixed the bug, and uploaded a new version of the game to Steam. If you still have issues with playing multiplayer, please let me know. I'm sorry it took so long to get this fix out, I have been quite busy lately. But my summer is coming soon, so I'll have more time to develop the game! Update 1.4 is in development right now, and I hope you will like the new editor features and tanks it will bring :)
