War Thunder: The Leopard-Leclerc EMBT Is Coming Soon

War Thunder's next devblog reveal is the EMBT, a joint German-French main battle tank that pairs a Leopard 2A7 chassis with a Leclerc S2 turret. Gaijin is bringing it to both Germany and France at Rank VIII, giving each nation a shared vehicle with its own place in the tech tree rather than a simple copy-paste addition.

At a Glance

• Nations: Germany and France, both at Rank VIII
• Gun: 120mm with an automatic loader
• Ammunition: OFL 120 F1 APFSDS (shared with the Leclerc S2)
• Mobility: Excellent — roughly 4.5 tons lighter than a standard Leopard 2A7 while using the same engine
• Armor: Reinforced frontal hull (Leopard-derived), robust turret cheek armor (Leclerc-derived)
• Weak point: Vulnerable turret ring

A Genuine Hybrid, Not Just a Skin Swap

The EMBT combines specific strengths from each parent tank rather than just borrowing a look. Gaijin describes it as versatile enough for both defensive and offensive play across all map types, thanks to that mix of Leopard mobility and Leclerc firepower. The trade-off is a familiar one for modern MBTs: side profile hits from tank shells or missiles are still dangerous, and the turret ring specifically is the protection weak point to keep in mind.

Where It Lands in Each Tech Tree

The EMBT isn't positioned the same way for both nations, despite being the same vehicle. In Germany's research tree, it continues the joint-development sub-branch that follows the American-German Leopard 2K, and it can be researched independently of the main Leopard line. In France's tree, it takes a different role entirely — serving as the top vehicle in the Dutch Leopard line, researched separately from the Leclerc line rather than alongside it.

That distinction matters for anyone planning a research path: German players get it as a side-branch option, while French players are looking at it as an endpoint vehicle in a specific sub-line rather than a mainline Leclerc upgrade.

The Real EMBT Behind the Game Version

The EMBT is grounded in an actual joint venture between Germany's Krauss-Maffei Wegmann and France's Nexter — both now part of KNDS. The first prototype was unveiled at the Eurosatory exhibition on June 11, 2018, combining a Leopard 2A7 chassis with a Leclerc turret as one of the options proposed under Europe's Main Ground Combat System (MGCS) program. KNDS France showed a significantly different variant at Eurosatory 2022, and by 2024 a further mockup appeared featuring a 140mm smoothbore ASCALON gun — a version that hasn't been confirmed for War Thunder. Vehicles developed under the MGCS program aren't expected to replace Europe's Leopard 2 and Leclerc XLR fleets before 2035 at the earliest, so the in-game EMBT is very much a concept vehicle rather than a tank in active service anywhere.

How to Prepare

• Decide which nation you actually want it on. Since the EMBT plays a different tech-tree role for Germany versus France, it's worth checking which line you're already invested in before committing research time to either path.
• Play around the turret ring weakness. Knowing your own vulnerable spot matters as much as knowing the enemy's, especially at Rank VIII where opponents will be looking for exactly that kind of opening.
• Treat the specs as preview, not final. Gaijin's own disclaimer on devblog reveals is that vehicle specifications can still change before release.

For other recent reveals heading into War Thunder, check out our coverage of the M7 medium tank and our breakdown of what's confirmed for the Sky Odyssey update so far.

Looking to research the EMBT as soon as it lands? Browse verified War Thunder accounts with Germany or France already developed at the higher ranks, speed up the grind with War Thunder boosting, or book time with a verified player through War Thunder hourly services on GameMarket.gg.

GameMarket.gg is a trusted digital marketplace for everything gaming-related. We serve the gaming community by providing secure access that enhances every gaming journey.