I am well aware it's just "Online game, fake tanks pew pew". But I like this kinda junk, and there seems to be a bit of lore to the "world" or "World of tanks". I wouldn't say it's hidden, but it's buried in 3D skin text, Events, Holidays and the like.
This alternate universe of earth seems to have followed most of normal history, WW1, WW2 all that still occurred. But during said wars, all the tanks in-game were built, as experimental or even custom builds. Even progressing after WW2 (for the early CW tanks).
For instance, the JPE-100 skin from Christmas (Spotlight, Yellow stripes, motorcycle etc). The commander laments the fact that his tank (obviously started as an E-100, so those were built in this AU). Was gotten a hold of by the repair crews while he was in the infirmary. They bolted the enormous 170mm cannon, casemate, and Spotlight to the vehicle. He jokes that those Crews could do anything if given the chance. Making the JPE-100 potentially a custom build that could have been put into later production.
The STB-1 skin (again, christmas) talks about being frustrated about being given a very finky and tempermental Experimental vehicle. Such as the hydropneumatic suspension being "temperamental as a child". So it seems the tanks, even experimental ones, are used in combat in this Universe.
This also can explain completely fictional tanks poping up, such as the Badger, or Progetto 46. Or for tanks which were just partial projects (907 was only a hull/turret), Wooden Mock ups (260 was the wooden mockup of the IS-7). The Universe of WoT moved forward with these projects. (Why? Because game…)
The Events are far more story heavy, which is now sort of in the Battle Passes (especially the recent one). Utalizing Tanks (even experimental ones) for various things, such as South Pole exploration (which isn't totally off, large tank-like vehicles were utalized).
The most interconnected "storyline" involves Steel Hunter, the WTE-100 Event, and the 2020 Halloween.
The Steel Hunter events German Commander "won" the event, then went on to create the Electromagnetic Technology that the WTE-100 event utalized after changing his name (it's confirmed somewhere). There is apparently an "Alliance" in this Universe that consists of most Nations in the game. That used the modified t-54's against the WTE-100.
The EM technology of the WTE-100 event was used in Russia for testing as part of the Halloween event, discovering the Mirium and the experiments that occurred (and events of the game mode).
From there? I can't think/find anything of that "storyline", but I have a suspicion that the current Battle Pass story has something to do with those Halloween events with "diving through dimensions" as how you would hide a P-1000 Ratte in the middle of the Argentinian Desert (not to mention power it?). It could phase in and out of an alternate dimension like the Magnus Device would do to the players in the Halloween event.
But all that is pure speculation. But I doubt you could hallucinate a P-1000… Not to mention have something like that just… Appear… (then again we only have the first video. So… we'll see)
So some Rogue Germans have created a P-1000 and teleportation/Dimensional Technology and are hiding from an Alliance of Nations in Argentina? I dunno.
Also in the WTE-100 event. All the enemy bots were WW2 tanks, even the T-10s (if I recall). Not a one was a Cold War German tank, such as the Indian Panzer, or Leopard of any sort. So rogue german faction in the universe?
As for the rest of the game. It's an Alternate Universe where WW2 went a little nuts and now seems that Mercs/the players just fight each other for sport. i.e Online Tonk Game, Pew pew.
Other Events like Leviathan (Halloween again) or anything April fools are just that. "fun/non-canon" events. (Unless there is a "Tank Underworld" in this WoT Universe… which would be kinda cool…)
Still, a few drops of story are interesting. I don't need a "WORLD OF X UNIVERSE", (although I have a weird feeling that's the case…). But interlinking stories of events is cool.
Source: https://www.reddit.com/r/WorldofTanks/comments/obyhqe/wot_world_lore/