You can encounter the Blue Archive collaboration warships in World of Warships until August 7. Having dipped their toes into this partnership last year, the developers have clearly put in the extra effort for this second outing. To address the feedback regarding the lack of new vessels in the first round, they have carefully selected themes from Blue Archive that fit the maritime warfare aesthetic to craft these new warships.

There are four ships in total: the Tier VIII Italian battleship BA Binah, the Tier IX Soviet battleship BA Hovercraft, the Tier IX French cruiser BA Utnapishtim's Ship, and the Tier X Japanese submarine BA Arona's Whale. These draw inspiration from the raid bosses Binah and Hovercraft, the colossal space battleship Utnapishtim's Ship, and the iconic mascot Arona alongside the whale plushie that stays by the character's side.

How well do these second-wave Blue Archive collaboration ships actually hold up? Immediately following the update, I logged into the game to take a close look at all four of these naval additions.

First up is the Tier VIII Italian battleship 'Binah'. In Blue Archive, Binah is a massive monstrosity that has seen plenty of action as a raid boss. What strikes you first about this warship is the head. The design faithfully recreates the original, making it look as though Binah is lying horizontally on the water. They even remembered the halo, cleverly integrating it into the bow's insignia.

The colour palette is dominated by silver, black, and orange. The design philosophy of 'what if a monster became a warship' is genuinely impressive here. The visual flourishes—the red sparks flying across the hull and the flames erupting from the funnels while sailing—fit the aesthetic of Binah perfectly.

The commander paired with Binah is Maki. The voice lines were recorded by the original voice actor, and I must admit, hearing the voice of the one who was the designated 'Binah-slayer' while commanding the ship itself felt rather surreal.

Next is the Tier IX Soviet battleship 'Hovercraft', paired with Wakamo. This is named after the vessel Wakamo appeared on during the raid. It retains the sky-blue and yellow theme from the source material, and the deck layout from the raid is quite recognisable. Since World of Warships aims for a grounded, World War II-era aesthetic, you won't see Wakamo standing on the deck, unfortunately.

Wakamo joins as a new commander, and the character provides a soft-spoken presence that guides you through the heat of battle. A particularly nice touch is the pink smoke that erupts when the Hovercraft fires its guns—a fitting detail for Wakamo.

Furthermore, the warship literally has the hovercraft perched on top. The massive fans mounted on the vessel are scattered across the ship, drawing the eye immediately.

Now, let's look at the Tier IX French cruiser 'Utnapishtim's Ship'. With its black and white base accented by sky-blue, the first impression is one of crisp elegance. This colour scheme mirrors the original, maintaining a sense of uniformity. However, if you look closely at various spots on the ship, you'll see sand—a nod to the fact that the original vessel was stranded in a desert.

Yuuka, who served as a crew member in the original, boards Utnapishtim's Ship here as well. Sporting a uniform matching the ship, Yuuka is there to assist you. Although, looking at all that sand still sitting on the deck, I can't help but worry that Yuuka might start nagging about the mess.

Since Utnapishtim's Ship is a space battleship in the source material, it leaves a trail of blue light as it sails through the water in World of Warships. It is a clever touch that keeps the WWII maritime theme intact while paying homage to the original's sci-fi roots.

Finally, we have the Tier X Japanese submarine 'Arona's Whale'. Arona is always seen carrying a whale plushie, which has been reimagined here as a submarine. While the whale in the original is a bit chubby, the World of Warships version is sleek and blue. You can see the original look on the flag mounted to the ship.

If you examine the submarine closely, you will find intricate details representing Arona. There is a small whale plushie sitting under a white umbrella, referencing Arona's umbrella-gun and the doll. The pink ornament next to the flag is likely inspired by Arona's pink hair.

Taking Arona's Whale into the deep reveals more charm. It leaves a trail of the glowing triangles seen on Blue Archive loading screens, and seeing the propeller spin as it moves is surprisingly cute. This is the first time Arona has appeared as a playable character in World of Warships, and the way Arona fumbles while assisting is quintessentially familiar.

That covers all four warships from the second World of Warships Blue Archive collaboration. It is refreshing to see that these aren't just lazy reskins; the developers have reinterpreted key elements from the original to ensure both commanders and 'Senseis' (Blue Archive players) can enjoy a fresh experience. Pairing the ships with the appropriate students as commanders adds a lovely layer of immersion. At this rate, I wouldn't be surprised to see a third collaboration next year.