War Thunder Reveals M7: New US Rank II Medium Tank

War Thunder has officially revealed the M7, a new US medium tank arriving at Rank II, giving the American ground forces tree another option in a spot that's needed one for a while. Announced through the game's official devblog, the M7 is being pitched as a faster, more nimble alternative to the Sherman, sitting in an unusual space between the light and medium tank classes.

What Is the M7?

At a glance, the M7 comes with:

• A 75 mm M3 gun, the same classic weapon found on the Sherman, paired with effective AP shells
• Good mobility and compact dimensions, making it noticeably quicker and more maneuverable than a standard Sherman
• Average protection, trading armor thickness for that extra speed

The developers describe the M7 as a lightweight version of the Sherman. It keeps the familiar 75 mm punch but sacrifices armor thickness for better mobility. That trade-off means it's not the best pick for holding a defensive position, but it's well-suited to aggressive, front-line play where its speed and gun can be put to immediate use. Its rounded hull shape also gives incoming AP rounds a decent chance to ricochet, which helps offset some of that thinner armor.

Where It Sits in the Tech Tree

One of the more interesting details from the reveal is exactly where the M7 lands. According to the developers, it's been placed at Rank II in the US heavy tank line, between the M22 Locust and the M6A1/T1E1 group. That positioning is meant to fill a Battle Rating gap in that part of the tree while keeping the vehicle distinct from the existing M4 Sherman lineup, rather than just being another Sherman variant competing for the same slot.

The developers also framed the M7 as a flexible pick depending on when you bring it into a match:

• Early deployment lets it join other medium tanks in a coordinated push on objectives.
• Mid-match deployment allows it to reach the thick of the fighting and help retake capture points from the enemy.
• Late-match deployment turns it into a cleanup tool, well-suited to mopping up enemy SPAAGs and light vehicles that spawn in during a last-ditch push to retake control.

A Tank That Almost Wasn't a Tank

The M7's backstory is part of what makes it an unusual addition. It didn't start out as a medium tank at all. The project began in 1941 as the T7, a proposed light tank meant to replace the M3 Stuart, originally designed to weigh around 13 tons with a 37 mm gun and up to 38mm of armor. The first prototype, built with a structural steel hull, arrived in January 1942, followed by three more prototypes.

From there, the project shifted toward mounting the British 6-pounder Mark III gun. Testing at Aberdeen Proving Ground forced a redesign of both the gun mount and transmission, and in the process, the vehicle's weight roughly doubled from its original concept. That weight increase pushed it out of light tank territory entirely, and the vehicle was officially standardized as the M7 medium tank in August 1942, entering limited production.

Only a handful were ever built, three by December 1942, three more by January 1943, and one final unit in February, with production weight settling around 28 to 29 tons. Ultimately, the M7 offered no real advantage over the M4 Sherman, which was already in full-scale production, and the program was cancelled on January 20, 1944.

Should You Be Excited for This One?

For players who tend to enjoy interwar and WWII-era prototypes rather than the game's higher-tier modern vehicles, the M7 is shaping up to be a fun, low-rank pick, especially for lower Battle Rating lineups. Its identity as something between a Stuart and a Sherman gives it a niche playstyle rather than just being a straight sidegrade to vehicles already in the tree.

As with any devblog reveal, it's worth remembering that specifications shown now aren't guaranteed to be final. War Thunder's developers have noted that vehicle stats can still be adjusted before the M7 actually makes it into the game, so treat the current details as a solid preview rather than a locked-in spec sheet.

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