Losing an account you’ve invested years and real money into is devastating. The fleeting satisfaction of a few cheated kills is never worth the permanent loss of your progress, your reputation in the community, and the risk to your computer’s security.

In simple terms: Your game client (PC, PlayStation, Xbox) sends inputs to Gaijin Entertainment’s servers. The server decides what happens—whether your shell penetrates, whether your engine catches fire, or whether you receive Silver Lions.

In genuine War Thunder modding (custom skins, sound packs, or user sights), the changes are purely cosmetic and client-side. A "Mod Menu," by contrast, claims to manipulate live gameplay data for unfair advantage.