Wargaming, the developer and publisher of the popular combat video game, World of Warships, has commandeered HMS Belfast to open a new gaming room for fans of the franchise, in a new partnership with Imperial War Museums.
The room will be made available for the public when the venues reopens this week (July 8th), inviting visitors to the newly refurbished warship to immerse themselves in the world of naval combat as they get hands-on with World of Warships and World of Warships: Legends on in-situ gaming PCs and video game consoles.
World of Warships and World of Warships: Legends recorded over 50 million player accounts from across the world, giving players the opportunity to helm hundreds of historical vessels, including HMS Belfast itself, in a massively multiplayer video game title that requires a balance of strategy and real-time combat.
Offering the largest digital collection of historically accurate ships available to play, World of Warships is supporting the global community of museums and heritage sites with in-game content based on historical documents and actual blueprints from the first half of the 20th century.
Meanwhile, following an extended closure that started in March 2020, HMS Belfast is reopening in time for summer with new exhibition spaces and an enhanced visitor offer onboard. From July 8th, visitors to the Second World War Royal Navy warship can explore new displays, discover stories from crew members and enjoy interactive experiences such as the World of Warships Command Centre.
John Brown, IWM executive director commercial services and operations, said: “After an extended closure period of sixteen months, we are thrilled to be reopening HMS Belfast this summer and welcome visitors back onboard this magnificent warship.
“The World of Warships Command Centre is a really fantastic addition to the refreshed visitor offer and will enable audiences to interact with HMS Belfast and its history in a completely new way.”
Victor Kislyi, CEO of Wargaming added: “Over the past year we have been privileged to work with naval museums across the world and support them during an immensely difficult time.
“We are delighted to be able to add a new dimension to the already incredible offering onboard HMS Belfast, and can’t wait to see this historic warship ship delight and educate visitors once more.”
