War Thunder: Best config.blk for Cinematic vs Competitive

In 2026, the Dagor Engine 7.0+ has introduced more complex lighting and particle systems. The “Competitive” config aims to strip away volumetric fog and grass that hides enemies, while the “Cinematic” config pushes supersampling and shadow resolution beyond what the “Movie” preset allows.

File Path

The config.blk is located in the root folder of your War Thunder installation.

• Standard Path: C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\War Thunder\config.blk
• Direct Launcher: C:\Gaijin\War Thunder\config.blk

Technical Note: After editing and saving, right-click the file and set it to Read-only. This is crucial; otherwise, the War Thunder launcher will overwrite your custom values as soon as you hit “Play.”

1. Competitive Optimization (Max Visibility)

This setup is designed for Ground Realistic Battles (GRB). It minimizes “visual noise” and foliage density, making enemy silhouettes stand out against a simplified background.

Key Parameter	Recommended Value	Technical Purpose
grass_drawing:b	no	Removes grass entirely, revealing tanks hiding in fields.
shadowQuality:i	0	Disables complex shadows, keeping dark corners bright.
particleDensity:r	0.1	Minimizes smoke and dust from explosions to maintain sightlines.
backgroundScale:r	1.0	Keeps native resolution sharp without the blur of upscaling.
enemiesQuality:t	high	Ensures enemy tanks render at high detail despite low terrain.

graphics{
  grass_drawing:b=no
  shadowQuality:i=0
  particleDensity:r=0.1
  cloudsQuality:i=0
  dirtFx:b=no
  waterRefraction:b=no
  panoramaResolution:i=1024
  backgroundScale:r=1.0
  texquat:i=0
}

2. Cinematic Excellence (Max Fidelity)

For content creators or those who simply want the game to look like a CGI movie, this block pushes supersampling and environmental detail to the limit.

Key Parameter	Recommended Value	Technical Purpose
backgroundScale:r	1.5 or 2.0	Effectively 2K/4K supersampling for jagged-edge removal.
ssaa:r	4.0	The highest level of spatial anti-aliasing available.
contactShadowsQuality:i	2	Adds micro-shadows under tracks and wheels for realism.
cloudsQuality:i	3	Maximum volumetric depth for aerial dogfights.

graphics{
  backgroundScale:r=2.0
  ssaa:r=4.0
  contactShadowsQuality:i=2
  cloudsQuality:i=3
  displacementQuality:i=3
  waterReflection:b=yes
  shadowQuality:i=4
}

HowTo: Applying Your Target Profile

Follow these steps on GameEngineer.net to switch between roles:

1. Backup: Always keep a copy named config.blk.bak before editing.
2. Edit: Open config.blk with Notepad++. Find the graphics{ section and replace the internal values with your chosen block above.
3. The Read-Only Step: Save the file, right-click it > Properties > check Read-only.
4. Post-FX Sharpening: In-game, go to Options > PostFX Settings. Set Sharpen (TPS) to 70%. This is the “secret sauce” that makes distant tanks pop, even on lower settings.
5. Launcher Bypass: In 2026, it is safer to launch the game directly via aces.exe in the win64 folder to avoid the launcher checking for “corrupt” (modified) config files.

Technical Explanation: Render Scaling and SSAA

War Thunder’s engine handles supersampling through the backgroundScale variable. At a value of 2.0, the game renders at double your monitor’s resolution and then downscales. This is significantly more taxing than DLSS but provides a level of clarity that AI upscalers cannot match, especially for the fine details on airplane rivets or tank camo.

Conversely, the Competitive build relies on backgroundScale:r=1.0 to avoid any interpolation blur. By setting grass_drawing:b=no directly in the blk, you bypass the in-game slider minimums, effectively “flattening” the map. This forces the CPU to stop calculating the physics of grass blades, freeing up cycles for the Dagor Engine’s hit-detection and ballistics logic.