The Object 777 V2 is a legend of our present World of Tanks times, it keeps surfacing with more and more changes, yet nothing seems to be happening to this intricate vehicle.
Today, I will be discussing what the Object 777 V2 is, what this vehicle means to Wargaming, and the fate it will ultimately suffer.
History:
Object 777 Variant II for the first time surfaced all the way back in May of 2015. It was, at the time, a non-researchable tier X heavy tank that was not even announced officially. By the public, it was considered to be a Clan Wars reward vehicle, but not for long, as it never came.
Fast forward to 2018. It’s Patch 9.22 hype time, USSR tech tree is getting few new major additions and reworks, new tier X tanks and so on. But the new tier X heavy tank, that was supposed to be after T-10 wasn’t known at the time (Now we all know, it’s the Object 277). Object 777 V2 was deemed a good fit to the line and crowd hoped that it would come, yet again it never did.
The fun part begins in 2019.
2019 brings us a couple of unexpected changes to the vehicle. In May of 2019 (Exactly 4 years later from the introduction, weird coincidence), the vehicle finally gets officially acknowledged by Wargaming and is updated. This time, the vehicle is downtiered from tier X to tier IX and received buffs to keep it competitive. The vehicle is speculated to be the reward tank for the upcoming Frontlines, yes as we all know, that title belongs to the AE Phase 1.
Few months later, at December of 2019, Object 777 V2 gets its price adjusted to 5 gold, meaning this vehicle joins the same pool as retired tier X vehicles such as Foch 155 and 215b.
Object 777 Variant 2: A Bizarre Vehicle That Never Came
At first, 777 Variant II never was particularly popular. In fact, it barely had any sort of major community interest in it at the time period. Most of the following for this tank was popularized by predictions and its rather unique look. Following 2018 and forwards, this vehicle picked up some traction, particularly in 2019 when an unheard to the newer population vehicle just got a major rework.
For Wargaming, such a vehicle means a simple major thing: marketing value. In fact, this vehicle could be compared to a Mk. 6 Chieftain based on the community’s demand on the introduction of the line (No, not the overpowered reward one). Marketing is important to Wargaming, as this fuels their sales, and we all know how much Wargaming truly loves their money.
Wargaming always had plans for this vehicle, whether it was a reward tank, clan wars tank, or a premium tank, and we will be looking what sort of role this vehicle would have from 2020 onwards, a year this vehicle might (hopefully) finally be released.
The Fateful Year of 2020
2020 is a very big year for World of Tanks. Not only we are commemorating the 10th Anniversary, this year has a collection of super hyped for Events that all have potential for major marketing success. Black Market, which is currently ongoing and is receiving major traction among players (we will be talking about this in a minute), return of Frontlines and Steel Hunter modes, which are reportedly combined into a single year-long event, Bond Shop which has a soft-launch earlier in 2019, Veteran’s Rewards, that usually occur in Late November/Early December, Christmas lootboxes and many more I likely completely forgot about.
With such a massive portmanteau of important events to feed the general population of World of Tanks with and ensure that the population size does not fall and remains high.
In fact, 2020 is a major turning point for the game in general, as we are expecting massive game changing reworks this year, ranging from the Crew rework to the overhaul of shell mechanics. And Wargaming very well knows that this year will attract massive portion of their player base back into the game.
The Object 777 Variant 2 – A Tank That Can’t Decide Who It Wants To Be
This vehicle, currently, is the first and only tier 9 premium tank in the game. If it was released as it is, it would likely pave way to a new generation of premium tanks.
However, as of the release of Patch 1.8 Test Server, this vehicle has been changed.
This feature essentially makes this a reward vehicle just like A.E Phase 1. Will this vehicle be a reward for Frontlines season? This is unlikely, as based on Russian sources this title already belongs to Char Futur.
Stiffening Competition
However, in 2019 and 2020 a large number of special tier IX vehicles have joined the Supertest, newest one being the Concept 1B just a week ago. In total, with 777 V2 included, there are 8 unreleased tier IX vehicles ready for events. This means that the reward pool for big events this year is already filled, and it’s at the hands of Wargaming to decide which tanks are to be assigned to events.
Unless Wargaming are planning to announce yet unknown big events with room for a tier IX reward vehicle (usually, you need to play for a long time to get these), it appears that Object 777 V2 might not be needed once more, and might be retired by Wargaming once again.
Reward Tank, Tier IX Premium, Clan Wars Tank, Bond Shop
Object 777 V2 has plenty of roles it might fulfill this year. From getting sold at the Black Market (Which, let’s face it, is rather unlikely), to a Lootbox Tank all the way in December, this vehicle just cannot decide what it truly wants to be.
Considering the marketing value this vehicle carries, it is rather likely it is finally going to get released, 5 years after its initial introduction. I don’t see it as a great reward vehicle for a big event like Frontlines, so I expect this tank to be somewhat of a “grinding stock”, likely to be one of the “grind rewards” in the 2nd Iteration of the Bond Shop, which currently is filled with placeholder tanks.
However, it is a somewhat possible for this tank to carry its role as the first tier IX premium vehicle and become a “freemium”, just like in other Wargaming brand game World of Warships, as in, “a researchable premium”. This would add a new level of interactivity and end-game content for the player as well as free earnable tanks.
In the end, just like the Chieftain, it might retain its role as the highly demanded vehicle everyone wants in the game that is unobtainable for the next half of a decade.
“the first and only tier 9 premium tank in the game”
“it would likely pave way to a new generation of premium tanks.”
Good, more premium tanks, high tier too. Exactly what we need.
Actually yes, we need tier 9 premiums for about a year now. It will help both tier 8 and tier 10 matchmaking in a big way.
If it paves the way to up-tier some borderline tier 8 premiums to tier 9 with additions buffs. That would certainly help out tier 8 mm a great deal.
no thx
p2w is already on bad level
Knowing the history of WG, this tank will be issued somehow to not-so-rare unicorns as yet another doomsday weapon to club the majority peasants into abandoning the game forever. Many a tears and prem ammo will be shed trying to survive, to no avail.
It’s not as good as the T-10 and the better “armor” is only better on paper, it’s riddled with weakspots. Overall in current state it is inferior to the T-10.
No problem. Either it’s nerfed to the ground and then released to the plebs, or buffed to the sky and then – see above.
I cant help feeling it looks and likely plays just like the Czolg 50tp proto.
“And Wargaming very well knows that this year will attract massive portion of their player base back into the game.”
Wtf are you on mate. You seem to be suggesting that the WoT player base will not only reverse it’s slow but steady decline, but even grow significantly this year.
Kinda hard to take anything you say seriously when you throw up hyperbole like this.
I never mentioned it’ll grow new player wise, but compared to last year the population numbers, at least right now, are very healthy and considering the amount of events and reworks planned it’s not hard to see that people who left the game due to lack of balance reasons will come back at least temporarily.
Slow and steady decline? WTF are YOU on, mate?
it IS in decline from 2016 when true p2w meta started
now, with all promised changes still exist hope and thats why some of players may come back
but wont last long if those changes are still made in moronic way (for example not removing premium price from ammo in their changes plan)
@WorldEater So what part of ‘slow but steady decline’ do you take issue with? It’s an accurate statement. the numbers don’t lie. The player base has shrunk year to year for several years now. And shrunk considerably since the game’s launch in 2011.
I wasn’t positing a reason for it’s decline. Just stating a simple fact.
Tier 9 Premium Tanks is insane.
My personal favorite tier is actually tier 9, but they would instantly turn all the tier 8 premium tanks bought into NOTHING!!!
Maybe that is their goal, forcing the player base to start buying tanks at a higher price point,
Just what we need is a Tier 9, easily gettable, tank for the newbies to get and stuff-up the high tier games with. Bad enough that a new player can buy Tier 8 and jump into a game without knowing the first thing about how to play. I know it’s a business and they have to sell stuff to keep their mansions and Lamborghinis, but let the new player earn their rights to progress through the tiers. It would be more of an accomplishment for them.