What the Dev Server Is and When It’s Open
The dev server is a separate test version of War Thunder where players can try upcoming major updates like “Ninth Wave” a few days before they go live. It is not available 24/7: it only opens in specific testing windows announced in official news and on the forum.
If you see a message like “The game hasn’t been activated for your account” when trying to log in, it almost always means the dev server is currently closed and not that your account is blocked. You need to wait for an official test window to start.
Step 1 – Check That the Dev Server Is Actually Open
Before you download anything, make sure the dev server is scheduled to be online.
- Go to the official War Thunder news or forum and look for a post titled along the lines of “The Dev Server is Opening with Major Update ‘Ninth Wave’!”
- Inside that post you’ll find:
- Exact dates and times when the dev server is open.
- A list of known issues and temporary limitations.
- Links or instructions for installing the dev client.
- Convert the given times to your own time zone so you know when you can actually log in. You can download and update the client in advance, but you will only be able to enter matches while the server window is open.
Without this check you can end up wasting time on errors that are simply caused by the server being offline.
Step 2 – Install the Dev Client (Official Method)
The simplest and recommended method is to use the official dev launcher.
- Download the dev launcher from the link provided in the official dev server announcement.
- Run the installer and choose a separate folder for the dev client, different from your main War Thunder installation.
- For example:
D:\Games\WarThunder_Dev\ - This is important so the dev files do not overwrite your live client.
- For example:
- Let the launcher download all required dev server files. Depending on the update size this can be several gigabytes.
- Once the download is complete, log in with your normal Gaijin account. Your vehicles, currency and progress on the dev server are taken as a snapshot from your live account at the moment the dev test starts.
Anything you research, buy or spend on the dev server does not carry over to the live game. It’s a sandbox for testing, not permanent progression.
Step 3 – Alternative Setup via a Copied Client (Advanced)
If you don’t want a separate launcher, experienced users sometimes set up a dev client by cloning their existing installation and switching it into dev mode. The exact steps can change over time, but the general idea is:
- Copy your existing War Thunder folder to a new location, for example:
C:\Games\WarThunder\→C:\Games\WarThunder_Dev\
- Use that copy as your dev client and never point your main launcher to it.
- When a dev test is announced, the copied client can be updated according to the current instructions (editing config, enabling dev mode, then letting it patch).
This method is only recommended if you are comfortable manually managing multiple installations and know how to fix things if something goes wrong. For most players, the official dev launcher route is safer and easier.
Common Errors and How to Fix Them
- “The game hasn’t been activated for your account” or similar login error
- In almost all cases, this means the dev server is closed or the test window hasn’t started yet.
- Check the most recent dev server announcement and wait for the next open period.
- Dev client overwrote the live client
- This usually happens if you install the dev version into the same folder as your main game.
- Always use a different directory. If you already mixed them, you may need to reinstall or repair your live client separately.
- No link to the dev client
- If you don’t see a download link, it may be that the dev server is not planned for your platform or region yet, or the test hasn’t been announced. Only follow download links from official news and forum posts.
What You Can and Can’t Expect from the Dev Server
The dev server is a test environment, not early access to final content.
- Vehicle statistics, BRs, maps and mechanics are all subject to change before release.
- Your research, purchases and currency spending on the dev server do not affect your live account.
- The server can be shut down, restarted or restricted at any time during the test, and some modes may be disabled.
It’s best to treat the dev server as a preview tool: a way to feel how Ninth Wave vehicles, maps and mechanics play in practice so you can plan which trees to grind and what to spend your resources on once the update hits the live servers.