War Selection Overhauled: Water Maps, Ship Repair, and Matchmaking Changes

War Selection's latest update, authored by Wouw and published 14 August 2026, arrives under the banner of returning water maps — but the changes run considerably deeper than the title suggests.

What changed

Maps & Matchmaking

• A new map generator for team matches introduces five layout types: U-shaped, O-shaped, H-shaped, two continents, and a shared continent.
• The matchmaking algorithm for team matches has been improved.
• Minimum matchmaking team size has been raised to 4v4.

Naval Balance — Ship Repair

• Ship hulls can now be repaired by Workers, Engineers, and Trawlers. Eligible vessels include combat ships, Trawlers, transport ships, aircraft carriers, and surfaced submarines.
• Repair costs materials and metal equal to roughly 40% of construction cost, consumed gradually. Wooden ships, previously free to repair, now follow the same rule.
• Fishing boats and the Amphibious tank remain non-repairable.

Unit & Tech Changes

• Stone Age Worker can no longer damage Town Halls.
• Bronze Age Sickle moved from the Farm to the Smithy.
• Medieval Europe Grenadier grenade damage against ships increased from 20 to 60.
• New Steel Scythe upgrade raises Worker wheat-gathering rates in Western and Eastern Europe.
• Longbow spread reduced from 90 to 80; Heavy Knight health increased from 200 to 210.
• Health bar sizes adjusted across all units.

Bug Fixes

• Several AMD graphics card issues resolved.
• Fixes for occasional online match freezes, desynchronization disconnects, movement-speed terrain-sticking, incorrect team size creation, and a replay fog-of-war display failure.

Taken together, the update meaningfully expands naval strategy while tightening the competitive team experience that surrounds it.