World of Tanks Heat is here, and the hero shooter-esque spin-off has five free tanks in it for you

When World of Tanks Heat was revealed at Gamescom last year, I was pleasantly surprised. No, it wasn't just the trailer's score, The Prodigy's 'The Day Is My Enemy,' that caught my attention. The concept itself: a blend of hero shooter and vehicular fighting game, is nothing special, but the presentation was nonetheless captivating. Now, the free PC game's exploded into life, though it may have broken a few things in the process. While crashing issues have stunted it out of the gate, Wargaming's generous Season 0 offerings help numb the frustrations.

World of Tanks Heat sets itself in an alternate post-WW2 timeline, where cutting edge tech has enriched humanity. It also enabled the production of even deadlier weaponry, evidenced by the diabolical tools of the trade you can kit out your tank with. Once you've suped your metal death machine up, you can lock into 5v5 and even 10v10 modes. Your tank will be commandeered by one of the multiplayer game's agents, each of whom come with their own unique abilities.

Speaking to Jamie at Gamescom last year, Wargaming Communications Director Konrad Rawiński says that WoT Heat is "70% based on real tanks, and we add 30% of our imagination in how it stacks up with fast and dynamic gameplay." So, you can still expect to find at least a smattering of realism within its arsenal. Then again, if that's the most important thing to you, then I'd stick to World of Tanks proper.

As a thanks to the community, Wargaming is making Heat's Season 0 battle passes free. Each week, a new pass arrives, featuring the usual suite of cosmetic goodies we've come to expect from the well-trodden system. Passes also feature an unlockable tank, with the XM1V kicking things off. Thankfully, you'll only need to reach tier three to snag each fresh set of wheels, so it shouldn't take too long.

This is, probably, for the best, seeing as Heat has had more than a rocky launch. Currently sitting at 'Mostly Negative' on Steam, players have been reporting regular crashing, bugs, and other technical issues. Considering how smoothly the pre-launch tests had been, this is a bit of a yikes. Seeing as Heat has had stable builds before in the lead-up to its release, it hopefully won't take long for Wargaming to rectify its issues.