War Thunder Halloween races 2026: deadlines and rewards

War Thunder's Halloween races run until November 1 at 11:00 UTC, with fixed rating rewards and a separate Po-2 prize reserved for the top 1,000 air-event finishers, according to Gaijin.

Checked October 29: the live notice has a corrected race schedule. This report uses that page rather than the earlier opening time still appearing in some search results. The useful distinction is between a target you can complete and a finishing position that other players can take away.

When do the Halloween races end?

Gaijin's Halloween announcement gives these windows:

The race opening converts to 4 a.m. PDT / 7 a.m. EDT. The closing time is 3 a.m. PST / 6 a.m. EST: US daylight saving time ends that Sunday. These are conversions of Gaijin's GMT times, not separate regional schedules.

For players planning a weekend session, the practical advice is to treat the morning deadline as a cutoff, not as an invitation to start then. Leave room to inspect the event panel and your progress. We have not measured how many races a particular account needs, so there is no promised completion time here.

Which rewards are tied to racing and mission points?

The notice separates these objectives:

The Po-2 goes to the top 1,000 air-rating finishers, with delivery within 48 hours after the event ends. A fixed threshold does not secure that ranking.

The officially hosted Po-2 reference identifies the prize aircraft as a Soviet rank I bomber. It describes a slow, fragile biplane with a useful bomb load and maneuverability, rather than a high-tier replacement for a developed lineup. That makes its appeal easier to frame: pursue it as a particular aircraft you want, not because its rarity alone proves a competitive upgrade.

What should you check before joining?

An October 28 administrator notice recommends restarting the game if players cannot respawn. That is Gaijin's troubleshooting advice, not a fix independently reproduced by GameSelecto.

Gaijin's FAQ says the base game is free to download and play without a mandatory subscription, but requires an internet connection. Its ordinary battles include different difficulty settings and cooperative play; those general features should not be mistaken for the rules of this temporary competition. Read the event entry itself before assuming your usual mode or lineup is relevant.

Maya's take: choose the reward you actually want before committing your evening. A collectible, a cosmetic threshold and a competitive finishing position are different goals. Keep optional shop spending separate from that decision; buying a trophy is not a shortcut to securing the aircraft prize.

Our War Thunder coverage gathers the wider game context. For the longer-term progression and spending trade-offs, read our War Thunder verdict before treating a seasonal reward as a reason to start the whole game.