WORLD OF WARSHIPS EXHIBIT OPENS ONBOARD HMS BELFAST

Today Imperial War Museums and Wargaming, developer and publisher of the widely popular, historically accurate naval combat game World of Warships, have revealed their gaming room on board HMS Belfast that will be available to the public when the venue re-opens on 8th July. Visitors to the newly refurbished naval warship will be able to fully immerse themselves in the world of naval combat as they go hands-on with World of Warships and World of Warships: Legends on powerful gaming PCs and video game consoles.

World of Warships and World of Warships: Legends recorded over 50 million player accounts from across the world and give players the opportunity to helm hundreds of historical vessels, including HMS Belfast itself, in an exciting balance of strategy and real-time combat. Offering the largest digital collection of historically accurate ships available to play, World of Warships is proud to support the global community of museums and heritage sites with in-game content based on historical documents and actual blueprints from the first half of the 20th century.

Following an extended closure that started in March 2020, HMS Belfast is reopening in time for summer with new exhibition spaces and an enhanced visitor offer onboard. From 8th July, visitors to the most significant surviving Second World War Royal Navy warship can explore these new displays, discover stories from crew members and enjoy interactive experiences such as the World of Warships Command Centre.

John Brown, IWM Executive Director Commercial Services and Operations, said: “After an extended closure period of sixteen months, we are thrilled to be reopening HMS Belfast this summer and welcome visitors back onboard this magnificent warship. The World of Warships Command Centre is a really fantastic addition to the refreshed visitor offer and will enable audiences to interact with HMS Belfast and its history in a completely new way.”

Victor Kislyi, CEO of Wargaming said: “Over the past year we have been privileged to work with naval museums across the world and support them during an immensely difficult time. We are delighted to be able to add a new dimension to the already incredible offering onboard HMS Belfast, and can’t wait to see this historic warship ship delight and educate visitors once more!”