Update 15.10 arrives on EU on Thursday, November 5, 2026. The full update article published on November 2 provides more concrete rewards and acquisition details: Two European cruisers can be earned for free, the Black Friday Event Pass has a second progression line costing 3,000 doubloons, and Z-57 ⚓ becomes available early through a resource event.
Our October preview of the Event Pass and horror event covered the test stage. Here we summarise the newly published conditions, including Orzeł, weather, Ranked and Community Drops. There are also new test figures for the Spanish destroyer Halcón. We take a look at what the update brings for those of us playing on EU.
EU launch on November 5
The update is scheduled for November 5 on EU and November 4 on NA. The regional community schedule lists 03:00–06:00 CET as the EU maintenance window. The supplied research could not additionally confirm these times in a fully readable EU original article. Check the current regional maintenance notice for precise availability.
Black Friday Event Pass: Free rewards and doubloon content
The two cruisers available through free progression now have confirmed places in the reward structure. The second progression line costs 3,000 doubloons; additional progression levels can be purchased for 1,000 doubloons each if needed.
| Reward | Acquisition route |
|---|---|
| IV Dragon ⚓ | Free progression line |
| V Kralj Petar I ⚓ | Final reward of the free line |
| 6 standard Black Friday 2026 containers | Free line |
| VI Tre Kronor ⚓ | Paid line |
| VI Repulse B ⚓ | Progression reward of the paid line |
| Another 6 standard containers and 2 Premium containers | Paid line |
Free means earnable: The ships do not arrive in port simply for logging in. Buying the second line also does not replace the progression needed for its later rewards. Optional level purchases add to the initial price.
The higher-tier cruisers Hel ⚓, Kriti ⚓, Tirfing ⚓ and Vanadis ⚓ are planned for doubloon bundles or updated Europe containers. They are not among the two ships guaranteed through free progression. The latest announced test adjustments to several cruisers are covered in our overview of the nine balance changes.
Our take
Players who want to try the new branch can start with Dragon and Kralj Petar I. When considering the second line, we should look at both the desired rewards and the time available to play. The 3,000-doubloon price is clear; whether the pass suits us also depends on how far we actually progress.
Horror From the Abyss: Four Operations and free rewards
The Horror From the Abyss PvE event features four Operations, opening one after another at weekly intervals. They are also planned to remain playable with adjusted conditions during the first two weeks of Update 15.11.
Players use the temporary event ship Expeditioner. Its five customisable module groups allow different combinations of weapons, shields and consumables. Features include overheating mechanics, alternative rockets, special shells and consumables with damage or healing effects.
Progress comes from stars earned through primary and secondary objectives. Free rewards include six permanent camouflages, three nationless Commanders with their own voiceovers, flags, resources and an enemy destruction effect.
That gives us a reason to keep secondary objectives in mind while playing. The extended duration provides several weeks for progression; it does not mean every Operation opens on the first day.
Z-57: Resources for early access
The German superdestroyer Z-57 will be available through Salvage for Victory, starting in the second week of Update 15.10. Resources are converted into progression points, with a separate limit for each resource type.
| Resource | Cost per point | Maximum contribution | Points at that limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Credits | 2,000,000 | 50,000,000 | 25 points |
| Elite Commander XP | 70,000 | 5,250,000 | 75 points |
| Free XP | 25,000 | 1,875,000 | 75 points |
| Rare economic bonuses | 16 | 480 | 30 points |
| Salvage Tokens | 1 | Normally 25 | 25 points |
The final column is calculated from the published costs and limits. 480 rare bonuses is the figure in the newer official table; we do not use the 380 stated in an older community article.
Salvage Tokens can be earned through a separate mission chain and normally cover up to 25 percent of progression. Additional exceptions may apply to King of the Sea participants.
A planning example
25 earned Salvage Tokens, 50 million Credits and 1.25 million Free XP yield 25 + 25 + 50 = 100 progression points. This is an arithmetic example within the stated limits, not a recommendation to spend that particular combination. Other mixes are possible, but each resource retains its own cap.
There are no intermediate rewards. Players who commit resources but do not complete progression will not receive another ship along the way. It therefore makes sense to work out the full funding before making the first contribution.
Our take
Z-57 is planned to enter the regular Tech Tree in Update 16.0. The resource event pays for earlier access. Players who need Free XP or Elite Commander XP for other projects have a good reason to wait. Earned tokens reduce the remaining resource requirement, but do not make the entire unlock free.
Orzeł: A bundle chain and unusual torpedo launchers
The Polish Tier X submarine Orzeł ⚓ will be obtainable through sequential Armory bundles. These include submarine containers with a chance of dropping the ship.
The end of the chain contains an offer for one Credit, including Orzeł, a Commander and a flag. That final price is not the total cost: The required earlier purchases must be included. A fully confirmed EU total is not available in the current material.
Alongside fixed bow and stern tubes, Orzeł has two rotating twin torpedo launchers, usable only on the surface. Her unguided torpedoes combine limited range with high damage potential. According to the description, her homing torpedoes and relatively slow sonar ping are the weaker side of the package; she has no Hydrophone.
A special torpedo defence system is intended to temporarily reduce damage from torpedoes and depth charges. We see a concept that places particular importance on surface manoeuvres and suitable attack angles. The description alone cannot establish how reliably this will work in battle.
Ocean, Ranked and other changes
Thunderstorms on Ocean
Following the first weather phase in Update 15.9, two thunderstorm areas move across Ocean for approximately twelve minutes. Inside them, detectability is reduced and ships remain visible for less time after firing. At the same time, shell dispersion increases.
This can make repositioning easier on the open map. The protection comes with a trade-off: Accurate long-range fire also becomes harder for the ships inside. Snowfall is additionally planned for Update 15.11.
Ranked Season 32
The new Ranked season starts with Update 15.10. The Bronze League is confirmed as 7 versus 7 with Tier VIII ships. Each team can have at most three battleships, three destroyers and five cruisers, plus the restriction to no more than one submarine or aircraft carrier.
The star-saving rule is being standardised: Only the player with the most base XP on the losing team keeps their star. The supplied research does not contain the full Silver and Gold League rules.
In addition, battle information before a match and in the TAB menu is being brought together. Steam recordings gain automatically marked highlights. Asymmetric Battles will remain available at least until the release of Update 16.3.
Community Drops: 555 Tokens and KOTS weekends
Discord: Link first, then complete the missions
Players who join the official World of Warships Discord by November 25 and correctly link their account qualify for the new mission chain. It runs from November 27 to December 11, 2026.
To earn 555 Community Tokens, players must either win six battles or complete twelve battles. Joining alone is not enough. The recurring 100 percent Commander XP bonus for eligible participants in the official language servers also continues until the end of the year.
King of the Sea XIX and Mystery Drops
The international KOTS phase takes place over November 7–8 and November 14–15. Viewers can earn King Tokens to exchange for tournament content in the Armory. A permanent camouflage for Tier X San Martín ⚓ is also planned through a Twitch mission chain; its complete conditions are due to be published separately.
The first week's Mystery Drop runs from November 5 at 00:00 to November 11 at 23:59 CET. It requires at least 90 minutes on the official Twitch channel. Possible ship prizes include:
| Ship | Stated probability |
|---|---|
| VIII Enterprise ⚓ | 0.01 percent |
| Eskimo ⚓ | 0.1 percent |
| Vrijheid ⚓ | 0.1 percent |
Enterprise's 0.01 percent translates to a 1-in-10,000 chance. Meeting the viewing requirement does not guarantee a ship. The Discord missions offer a much more predictable target; the rare ship drops remain a possible extra while watching.
Halcón: New community test figures with unresolved details
A community Supertest profile from Yuzo's Yapping, dated October 27, adds a follow-up. The Spanish Halcón remains a Tier IX destroyer in testing. Neither a release date nor an acquisition route has been established.
| Characteristic | Preliminary value from the community profile |
|---|---|
| Hit points | 14,700 |
| Main battery | 4 × 2 120 mm |
| Reload, normal / alternative | 4.1 / 5.0 seconds |
| HE penetration, normal / alternative | 20 / 30 mm |
| Maximum speed | 34 knots |
| Detectability by sea | 7.1 km |
The alternative mode trades rate of fire for higher HE penetration. She also has Short-Burst Smoke Generator and Engine Boost, but no Repair Party.
The penetration figures differ between source versions: Our Closed Test 15.10 introduction quoted 32 mm for the alternative mode from the announcement at the time; the later community profile gives 30 mm. Without additional official confirmation, we do not present that as a confirmed balance change. The community profile's torpedo figures also conflict between its overview and detailed table, so we do not reproduce specific torpedo statistics.
Our take
Switching modes offers an interesting choice between firing frequency and penetration. The small health pool and lack of Repair Party also favour carefully chosen engagements. Short-duration smoke can help disengage from an unfavourable duel, but it cannot restore lost hit points. A final verdict on the ship's strength would be premature at this testing stage and with these source discrepancies.
Conclusion
Update 15.10 offers concrete goals without a doubloon purchase through two earnable cruisers and the horror PvE event. Repulse B requires progression as well as the pass price, while Orzeł calls for considering the whole bundle chain. Z-57 is the biggest resource decision – and regular Tech Tree access is planned for Update 16.0.
November's drops add predictable Community Tokens and rare random prizes. Sorting out our available playtime and resources first should make the new content easier to approach.