By Gary Symons
TLL Editor in Chief
If you’re going to get a celebrity to appear in a video game about tanks, it makes sense to choose one like Arnold Schwarzenegger—who actually owns one.
That’s exactly what World of Tanks has done, as the Terminator star has joined the festivities during Wargaming’s Holiday Ops 2022 event, running from now until late January.
“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,” Arnold said. “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!”
Apparently the partnership has been a long time coming, as many Schwarzenegger fans have been clamoring to have him bring a little muscle to the game.
“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,” Schwarzenegger said. “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 Holiday Ops promotion is World of Tank’s biggest and most popular event of the year, as the game provides high value ‘Loot Boxes’ for its players, stages all kinds of special activities, and gives away a huge array of in-game gifts.
But one tradition that has garnered a lot of attention for WoT is the annual choice of a celebrity tank commander. Last year, for example, fellow tough guy Chuck Norris was the Holiday Ops commander, and players who ground their way through Holiday Ops missions got a Chuck Norris commander with special skills to command any tank of their choice.
As in past years, Schwarzenegger’s commander will also be available as a Holiday Ops prize, and will include in-game voice-overs and an advanced set of skills to make his tank of choice more competitive in the game. As well, Schwarzenegger will be giving out special gifts and discounts to players, and at the launch of the event, he brought a Jingle All The Way vibe to a World of Tanks promotional video, as seen below.
Schwarzenegger has also appeared starred in a number of Christmas films over his long career, Jingle All The Way being the most famous, so it doubly made sense for him to appear in the Holiday Ops event. “I’ve teamed up with [World of Tanks] and we’ve created a truly magical holiday story just in time for my upcoming arrival in the game,” Schwarzenegger said on his Twitter account. “Soon, you’ll be able to find me in [World of Tanks], so join now and get to grips with the game before meeting me there!