Santa’s Crew WoWS 2026: Recruiting Tokens, Missions and How the Campaign Works

What is Santa’s Crew?

Santa’s Crew is the 2026 winter campaign built around the World of Warships Recruiting Station. It begins in Update 15.9 and runs across three updates before reaching its main finale in Update 15.11.

The important point is that the campaign starts counting progress immediately. Waiting for December means giving up the head start available in 15.9.

What changes in Update 15.9?

Wargaming has refreshed the newcomer and winback missions, added a new set of Division missions, and updated Recruiting Supplies. The full Division mission chain available in this update awards the first Recruiting Tokens.

Those Tokens remain on the account and carry directly into the December finale.

How do you earn Recruiting Tokens?

There are two especially important routes at the start of the campaign:

• complete the Division mission chain during Update 15.9;
• bring in new recruits who progress far enough to become accomplished Shipmates.

From Update 15.9 onward, every new recruit who reaches that accomplished status automatically generates Recruiting Tokens for the Recruiter. Wargaming states that there is no limit on how many friends can be brought aboard for this purpose.

Why returning players matter during Santa’s Crew

The campaign includes refreshed winback missions, so players coming back after a long break are directly part of the event. For the Recruiting Station itself, an existing account can qualify as a returning recruit after at least 90 days without a battle. Accounts that still have fewer than 100 total battles can also remain recruitable.

What should a Recruiter do now?

1. Complete the current Division mission chain instead of waiting for Update 15.11.
2. Share the recruitment invitation with genuinely eligible new or returning players.
3. Help new Shipmates reach the progression milestones that turn them into accomplished Shipmates.
4. Keep the Recruiting Tokens: they carry into the finale.

The campaign rewards actual recruitment and continued activity rather than a one-off link click. Helping a recruit understand the game, choose a first line and avoid early progression mistakes therefore has direct value.

Are the final rewards already known?

Wargaming indicates that the reward ladder for the finale is visible from the beginning of the campaign, while the main event itself arrives in Update 15.11. The exact offers shown in the Recruiting Station client or portal are the reference for your account.

How to join through a recruitment link

If you are eligible, sign in to the correct EU account first, open the recruitment invitation, accept it, and confirm the association before playing again.

Activate my recruitment rewards

Sources and related guides

Official information: Update 15.9 and the Recruiting Station.

• Returning-player rewards: 60 days vs 90 days
• Check returning-player eligibility
• Returning to WoWS: 7 things to do first

Returning player hub

Returning to World of Warships? Start here

These pages cover eligibility, rewards and the correct activation order. Check them before your first battle back so you do not waste an eligible return.

Check recruitment eligibility90-day returning-player check before your first battle back.Returning Player Rewards 2026Understand the 60-day Update 15.9 pack and the 90-day recruitment route.7 things to do before you returnSettings, economy, builds and progression before your first battle back.Code vs recruitment linkKnow which system to use first and what can be combined.Bonus codes for new & returning playersSeparate ordinary promo codes from invitation and recruitment rewards.

Claim my recruitment rewards Current event: Santa’s Crew 2026 →