How to Change Loading Screens in War Thunder

War Thunder's loading screens are more than just something to stare at while a match loads — they reflect the game's rich military history and can be personalized to suit your taste. Whether you're tired of the default artwork cycling through or you want to showcase a specific nation's aircraft, tanks, or ships, understanding how loading screen customization works in War Thunder opens up some genuinely satisfying options.

What Are War Thunder Loading Screens?

Every time you queue into a battle, War Thunder displays a loading screen — typically a piece of high-quality artwork featuring vehicles, historical scenes, or promotional imagery. By default, the game cycles through its built-in library of official images, which expands with major updates and special events.

These images are stored locally on your machine and are part of the game's asset files. That's important, because it means customization is technically possible — but the method differs depending on whether you want to use in-game options, community tools, or manual file replacement.

In-Game Options: What the Game Officially Supports

War Thunder doesn't offer a dedicated loading screen selector inside its standard settings menu the way some games do. You can't simply open a UI panel, browse your image library, and pin a favorite. The game controls its default loading screen rotation automatically.

However, there are a few official levers worth knowing about:

• Wallpaper/Artwork Downloads: Gaijin regularly releases official War Thunder wallpapers and artwork that correspond to loading screens. These are available on the official War Thunder website and social channels. While downloading them doesn't directly change in-game screens, it tells you which file names and artwork styles the game uses — useful if you're going deeper.
• Purchased Packs and Premium Content: Some special bundles or promotional packs have historically included unique loading screen artwork tied to event vehicles. These appear in rotation automatically once unlocked, though the game controls when they display.

Manual File Replacement: The Deeper Method 🎨

The most direct way to change loading screens in War Thunder is through manual file replacement — swapping out the game's existing image assets with your own. This is a well-known approach in the War Thunder community and works on PC (Windows and Linux). It is not applicable on consoles (PlayStation, Xbox), where file system access is locked.

Here's how the process generally works:

1. Locate the game's loading screen folder. War Thunder stores its image assets within its installation directory. The relevant folder typically sits inside the UserMissions or a dedicated loadingscreens path within the main game folder — though the exact structure can shift between major updates.
2. Identify the file format. War Thunder loading screens are generally stored as .blk descriptor files paired with image assets (often .jpg or .png format). Understanding which files control the loading screen rotation matters before replacing anything.
3. Back up original files. Before replacing anything, copy the originals to a safe location. Game updates frequently overwrite custom files, and having backups saves significant frustration.
4. Replace or add your images. Custom images need to match the expected resolution and aspect ratio — typically 1920×1080 or a 16:9 equivalent — to display without distortion. Images that don't conform to the expected dimensions may stretch, crop, or display incorrectly.
5. Update descriptor references if needed. In some versions of the game, a .blk configuration file lists which images are included in the loading screen pool. Adding a new image without updating this file means the game won't know it exists.

Community Tools and Mods

The War Thunder modding community has developed tools that simplify this process. War Thunder Live — Gaijin's official user content platform — hosts skins, sounds, and other assets, and some creators share loading screen packs there. Using content from this platform carries less risk than sourcing files from unknown third parties.

When using any community tool or mod:

• Verify the source is reputable (War Thunder Live or well-established community forums)
• Confirm the mod is marked as compatible with the current game version
• Understand that Gaijin's stance on modifications focuses on visual-only, non-gameplay-altering changes — loading screen swaps fall into acceptable territory for most players, but always review current community guidelines

Variables That Affect Your Approach

Not every player's situation is the same, and a few key factors shape which method makes sense:

Platform is the biggest dividing line. PC players have full file system access; console players do not. If you're on PlayStation or Xbox, manual file replacement isn't available, and you're limited to whatever the game provides natively.

Technical comfort level matters significantly. Editing .blk descriptor files is straightforward text editing, but if you've never navigated game install directories or worked with config files, the learning curve is steeper than it might appear.

Update frequency is an ongoing consideration. War Thunder receives major updates regularly — often every few months — and these patches routinely reset or overwrite custom file changes. Players who customize loading screens need to be prepared to reapply changes after significant patches.

Resolution and display setup affects image quality. A custom image that looks sharp on a 1080p monitor may appear blurry or misaligned on an ultrawide or 4K display if it wasn't prepared at the right dimensions.

The Part Only You Can Answer

The gap between knowing how loading screen changes work in War Thunder and actually knowing the right approach for your situation comes down to details the game — and any guide — can't know for you. Your platform, your tolerance for re-applying changes after updates, your image editing skill, and how much the loading screen actually matters in your daily play session all push toward meaningfully different paths. What works seamlessly for a PC player comfortable with config files looks completely different from what's realistic for someone who just wants a low-effort change on a console.