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Mac compatibility

Can you play War Thunder on a Mac?

Won't runUpdated

Short answer: There's a native Mac version on Steam — start there. The Windows build uses BattlEye's kernel driver, which Grapple can't load, and we haven't tested it.

What we know

Steam lists War Thunder for Windows, macOS and Linux. The Mac requirements ask for macOS Catalina 10.15 or newer with Metal support, so the native client is the straightforward route on a Mac — no Grapple needed.

The Windows build's minimum requirements call for DirectX 11 and its recommended requirements DirectX 12, both of which Grapple covers.

Steam's store page discloses that the Windows build uses a kernel level anti-cheat, BattlEye, which needs manual removal after uninstalling. Gaijin switched War Thunder to BattlEye at the end of 2024.

AreWeAntiCheatYet lists War Thunder as supported on Linux/Proton. Proton is built on Wine like Grapple, but whether that carries over to Wine on macOS is exactly what a test has to show — and the Mac version makes that question mostly academic.

Grapple settings

Nothing verified for this game yet — but here's where to start, based on its DirectX version. If you get somewhere, tell us and we'll put the real settings here. You can change the same options in the app; from the command line, replace <bottle> with the name of the Windows environment the game runs in — bottle is the CLI's technical term for it.

  • DirectX 10/11: a new install is set to Automatic, which picks D3DMetal or DXMT for you. If the game won't start or renders wrongly, naming a layer is the usual next try: grapple set <bottle> graphics dxmt
  • DirectX 12 runs through D3DMetal, which comes with Grapple — a new install already uses it, and nothing needs downloading. See the Game Porting Toolkit guide.
  • To see frame rates, turn on the Metal HUD: grapple set <bottle> hud on

Heads-up: this game uses BattlEye. Anti-cheat support can differ between Linux and macOS, so treat online play as unverified until someone has run it.

Test record

Empty until someone runs it. A record here lists the Mac, macOS and Grapple versions, the engine and graphics layer, the settings and every check — yours can fill it, or ours will.

FAQ

Can I play War Thunder on a Mac?

Gaijin ships a macOS version of War Thunder: Steam lists the game for Windows, macOS and Linux, with macOS Catalina 10.15 and Metal support in the Mac requirements. That's the direct way to play it on a Mac. Won't run. BattlEye loads a kernel-mode driver on Windows, and Grapple runs Windows programs without a Windows kernel — there's nothing for that driver to load into. No setting changes this; only the game's developer can. That's what the game's published facts suggest, not a result. We publish a verified status only after running the game on a real Mac.

What might stop War Thunder from working?

It uses BattlEye. The developer enabled it for Linux/Proton, but we know of nothing equivalent for Wine on macOS, so treat online play as unverified. There is a native Mac version — that's the way to play it on a Mac.

Is there a Mac version of War Thunder?

Gaijin ships a macOS version of War Thunder: Steam lists the game for Windows, macOS and Linux, with macOS Catalina 10.15 and Metal support in the Mac requirements. That's the direct way to play it on a Mac.

How can I try War Thunder myself?

Grapple's Free plan runs one game, forever — enough to settle this one. Add Steam in one click (launchers and Windows tools never count as your game), install the game and launch it: that first launch is what claims it, and you can swap it for a different game once every 30 days. If it won't start, try the other graphics layer in the game's settings. Then send us the result — the game and where you bought it, your Mac model and macOS version, the engine and graphics layer it ran on (grapple info <bottle>), your in-game settings, the frame rate from the Metal HUD, and screenshots of any error or a diagnostics report (grapple report <bottle>) — and we'll publish it here once it's a real test run.

Sources

Every factual claim on this page comes from these. Spotted something out of date? Let us know.

  1. Steam store page — system requirements, platforms and anti-cheat disclosure (checked 23 September 2026)
  2. AreWeAntiCheatYet — War Thunder, listed as "Supported" on Linux/Proton (checked 23 September 2026)
  3. Wikipedia — BattlEye (checked 21 September 2026)

Try War Thunder yourself — and tell us

Grapple's Free plan runs one game, forever — exactly enough to settle War Thunder. It's claimed the first time you play it, launchers and Windows tools don't count towards it, and you can swap it for another game once every 30 days. Install it, play for a bit, and send us what you saw. Every result — working or broken — decides what we test next, and verified results get published here with credit if you want it.

What to send

  • The game and where you bought it (Steam, GOG, Epic…)
  • Your Mac model, chip and macOS version
  • The engine and graphics layer the game ran on — grapple info <bottle>
  • The resolution and graphics preset you played at
  • Frame rate from the Metal HUD, and the scene you measured it in — grapple set <bottle> hud on
  • Screenshots of any error, plus a diagnostics report — grapple report <bottle>

In those commands, <bottle> is the CLI's term for the Windows environment the game runs in — type its name instead. How to create a diagnostics report — it collects the game's settings, versions and logs into one zip, with your username removed.

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War Thunder is a trademark of its owner and is named here only to identify the game. Grapple isn't affiliated with or endorsed by Gaijin Entertainment.