Arnold Schwarzenegger jingles all the way into World Of Tanks
There’s no Turbo Man
When Arnold Schwarzenegger said "I'll be back" in The Terminator, it seems he was actually referring to his appearance in a Belarusian MMO in 2021. the next World Of Tanks Holiday Ops event will be starring none other than the man himself, as he adds another notch to his, admittedly, quite large belt.
Holiday Ops has been an annual tradition in the game for years, and it’s one that runs from the start of the festive season throughout the New Year. In the event, players will get the opportunity to decorate a virtual village, and as they level it up, earn in-game prizes. Quite heart-warming for a game where you blast people to bits. The previous year, developers Wargaming added Chuck Norris to their Holiday Ops event, and obviously Arnold is the most natural successor.
They’ve put together a short trailer starring Schwarzenegger himself, where he receives an undelivered 30-year-old letter from a fan named Little Johnny (all shot in a way that makes me think Arnie wasn’t on set for most of the production, and when he was he didn’t want to do retakes). Anyway, Little Johnny’s letter asks Arnold if he’d come visit his family for Christmas, as that's the only gift he'd ever want. Feeling bad about never receiving the letter, Schwarzenegger - quite literally - gets to the chopper to fulfil Little Johnny’s childhood dream. It’s all very loveable and cute, as well as not actively distressing, like the scene in Predator it’s referencing.
“Working together with the team at Wargaming on this special event has been a great experience and I know it’s something that will get the players excited,” says Schwarzenegger. “I have a long history with tanks as I own the M-47 Patton that I drove in the Austrian Army when I was 18, so I know the thrill of commanding these steel beasts! After years of my friends on reddit asking me about World of Tanks, I’m happy we can finally give the fans the partnership they want. Holiday Ops is coming, so put the holiday cookie down and get ready to come with me if you want to spread the festive cheer this year!”
The trailer says little about how the actual event will work, but Wargaming states that they’ll have more information available regarding the 2022 Holiday Ops event soon. There’s not been a mention of an official release date, but the 1.15 update is expected to drop around December 8th, so it’s likely to be around then.
This seems like a prime opportunity to reference Jingle All The Way, but they didn’t! Maybe it’s too on the nose (and Arnold is known for his subtlety), but I personally hope they find somewhere to shove in a nod or two.