War Thunder is a free to play vehicle combat game developed by Gaijin Entertainment, first released in open beta in 2012. Players battle in tanks, aircraft and ships from different eras, which gives its trailers and gameplay a distinctive mix of engine roar and heavy ordnance. Clips of its dramatic audio spread through gaming edits and meme pages, where the sound became shorthand for overwhelming military power arriving out of nowhere, even in completely non military contexts.