The King of the Sea XVIII International Finals conclude this weekend, bringing the highest level of competitive naval warfare to a close for the season. Beyond the tournament bracket, Wargaming has confirmed a massive login reward starting December 1st: a free Tier IX ship. Here is the breakdown of the weekend's meta shifts and reward opportunities.
King of the Sea XVIII Finals & Drops
The competitive scene for World of Warships peaks this weekend. The KOTS XVIII International Finals are streaming now, and for observers, the value lies in the Twitch Drops. Watching the finals is the primary method to secure the new "Salt & Stone" permanent camouflage for the Cristoforo Colombo.
For those analyzing high-level play, keep an eye on the positioning of radar cruisers and the focus-fire coordination. KOTS matches often dictate the random battle meta for the following months, as general players attempt to emulate the strategies used by the top clans.
Tactical Analysis: Final Weekly Brawl (Tier IX)
Update 14.10's final Brawl session is live, and it shifts the format to a 2v2 engagement using Tier IX ships. This is a significant deviation from the larger team formats. In a 2v2 setup at Tier IX, the meta tightens considerably:
- Brawling Battleships: Ships like the Pommern or Rupprecht become exponentially more valuable due to their secondary batteries and torpedo threat in close quarters.
- Utility Cruisers: Without a massive team to spot for you, ships equipped with Hydroacoustic Search or Radar (like Alaska or Buffalo) are essential for rooting out destroyers.
- Credit Earnings: Tier IX premiums have the best credit modifiers in the game. Running a quick 2v2 Brawl cycle is currently the most efficient way to farm credits before the holiday credit sinks arrive.
What can players expect from the December 1st update?
The Holiday Season officially kicks off on December 1, 2025. Wargaming is aggressively incentivizing logins this year. The headline addition is a free Tier IX ship granted simply for logging in. Usually, high-tier premiums are gated behind coal, steel, or doubloons, so a direct giveaway suggests they want maximum player retention heading into the new year.
Alongside the ship, the traditional "Santa's Gifts" containers and the Advent Calendar return. If you are hoarding resources, now is the time to hold. Do not spend Coal or Steel until the full drop rates and container contents are verified on December 1st.