Launched on September 17, 2015, World of Warships has officially hit its 10th anniversary. The game’s core hook—tossing players into the steel hulls of 20th-century warships from the era of the Second World War—remains its bread and butter. With 13 nations represented, including the US, USSR, Germany, UK, and Japan, and five vessel classes ranging from destroyers and cruisers to battleships, carriers, and submarines, it has carved out a niche so robust that it effectively remains the only game in town for serious naval combat enthusiasts.

However, keeping a live-service title afloat for a decade requires more than just historical accuracy; it needs a constant influx of fresh eyes. The developers found a clever lifeline: collaborations with IPs that sit poles apart from the game’s gritty aesthetic. Embracing the philosophy that 'great minds think alike,' World of Warships has built a formidable reputation for these crossover events.

It all kicked off with the Arpeggio of Blue Steel collaboration, first teased at the 2014 Tokyo Game Show. By 2015, special modes were live, and in 2020, they rolled out ships and commanders based on the series’ key characters. Not long after, in 2016, the team docked with the anime High School Fleet to introduce a new fleet of ships and commanders.

Then came 2018, which marked the start of the Azur Lane partnership. Since that initial batch of seven commanders, the collaboration has been revisited seven times, evolving from simple skins and commanders into full-blown Azur Lane-themed warships.

Arpeggio of Blue Steel, High School Fleet, and Azur Lane share a specific DNA: Japanese anime aesthetics, maritime themes, and, of course, 'waifus.' Arpeggio is a manga rooted in realistic naval combat featuring girl-characters personifying battleships; High School Fleet follows girls navigating the trials of life at sea; and Azur Lane is essentially a collection game centered on anthropomorphized warships.

In short, these three titles share a common denominator with the game. It’s a smart strategy—it doesn't alienate the existing player base, yet provides a distinct visual shift that keeps the game feeling fresh. Externally, it’s a brilliant way to lure fans of those franchises into the World of Warships ecosystem.

Last year, the developers pushed the 'ships meet anime' envelope even further by teaming up with Blue Archive—a title that, frankly, has very little to do with naval warfare. This was the first time World of Warships partnered with a South Korean IP. Starting with five commanders like Hoshino, the collaboration expanded this July to include four character-themed ships and bespoke content.

Since these ships don't exist in reality, the designers went all-in on fan-service details. Namgung Wan, a Product Manager at Wargaming, explained in an interview with Gamemeca last July: 'The hovercraft emits pink smoke when firing to evoke Wakamo. The Utnapishtim’s ship features blue effects during launch to reflect its space-battleship nature. For Binah, the raid boss, we added fire effects at the vents, and Arona’s whale leaves a glowing blue trail along the hull.'

Before Blue Archive, the team had already tested the waters in 2022 and 2023 by bringing in Hololive VTubers with their actual voice lines. Whether it's Hololive or Blue Archive, the team has proven that they can adapt even the most nautical-incompatible IPs to fit the game’s world, suggesting that the 'meeting with anime girls' concept has plenty of room to grow.

It isn't all anime, though. World of Warships has also leaned into the gritty, heavy-duty aesthetic of IPs like Warhammer 40,000 and Transformers. The 2020 Warhammer 40,000 event brought in commanders and ships representing the Imperium of Man and Chaos, with blue and red themes that perfectly captured the dark, imposing nature of that universe.

Following that, the Transformers collaboration landed later in 2020. Featuring four commanders with unique voice lines, the event saw Optimus Prime and Bumblebee representing the Autobots, while Megatron and Rumble stood for the Decepticons. The collaboration was so successful it spawned a series, reaching Part 3 and introducing a wide array of re-imagined robotic warships.

The list goes on: in 2023, the American heavy metal band Megadeth had their voices added to the game, and Popeye the Sailor Man even stepped aboard for World Oceans Month—with 10% of profits donated to Force Blue, a non-profit dedicated to ocean conservation and veteran rehabilitation. Throw in Godzilla vs. Kong, Star Trek, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and you have a surprisingly eclectic collection.

Having navigated these 10 years since September 2015, World of Warships has maintained its core identity as a realistic naval combat simulator while successfully layering on a diverse range of pop-culture experiences. The developers have built a solid foundation and decorated it with enough variety to keep things interesting. With a decade of collaboration experience under their belts, one can only wonder what they’ll set their sights on next.