Wardogs (video game)

Wardogs
DeveloperBulkhead
PublisherTeam17
EngineUnreal Engine 5
PlatformMicrosoft Windows
Release22 August 2026 (closed beta)
Genres
ModeMultiplayer

Wardogs (stylised as WARDOGS) is an upcoming multiplayer first-person shooter video game developed by British video game developer Bulkhead and published by Team17. It was released into close beta on 22 August 2026 for people who pre-ordered it and is releasing into early access for Microsoft Windows on Steam next month on 10 September 2026.

Gameplay

Wardogs is a multiplayer first-person shooter MilSim simulation video game inspired by King of the Hill that features a player versus player and can support up to 100-player servers.[1][2][3] The 100 players are split into teams that fight for a 2x2 kilometre territory across a 256-square-kilometre sandbox map, and the team with the most amount of teammates in the control zone wins a point, although you can make your presence in the zone count as two people by entering the "hot zone".[4][5][6][7]

Every account starts with $10,000, in which you can purchase a custom loadout that ranges from weapons to gear, utility, and vehicles.[8][9] According to reports, the format of Wardogs is based on a mod for the video game Arma 3.[10][11] Wardogs also features a wager-like system where players can bet on the possible outcomes; throughout matches you can find money lying around, which you can either save, buy loadouts or trade the money for gold bars.[12] Notably, the game does not feature a battle pass or microtransactions.[13] According to testers, you will have a bank balance at the top right corner of the screen with red and green numbers below showing your current profit or loss for that life.[14]

Development and release

Built in Unreal Engine 5, the start date of development for Wardogs is unknown, although it was announced on 5 February 2026 by Team17 as a “Tactical All Out Warfare”.[15][16] Bulkhead pitched the game to Tencent with a budget of around £10 million and £12 million, although they rejected it and said they wanted to "go bigger", in which Bulkhead made the decision to break off from Tencent and make a deal with Team17, which started the development of Wardogs.[17][18]

On 6 June 2026, a gameplay trailer was released to Bulkhead's YouTube channel; it was also revealed at Future Games Show Summer Showcase.[19][20] During the development of Wardogs, Bulkhead laid off several workers, which directly affected QA testing.[21] A showcase of the full game will be livestreamed to Twitch on 3 September 2026.[22] According to the developers, they are working on Proton and Linux support for the game.[23] The game launched into a closed beta on 22 August 2026 for people who pre-ordered it, with it releasing into early access next month on 10 September 2026.[24][25]

Reception

According to Steam statistics, Wardogs reached the top of its charts at number one within hours of the early access launch, directly competing with Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4, which entered early access on the same day.[28][29][30] It also had over 1 million Steam wishlists.[31]

According to reports, Wardogs has thousands of testers that gave very positive feedback, with some also saying performance and optimisation have exceeded expectations.[32] Jokely, the developers posted a video to YouTube titled "Ten Reasons Not to Buy Wardogs" in which they explain what Wardogs is and to "look into it more" when purchasing it.[33] Nearly 500 thousand players played the closed beta, and it had over 100,000 concurrent players on Steam at one point.[34]

References

  1. ↑ world, Joshua Wolens It's adog eatdog (June 7, 2026). "Wardogs looks like Battlefield with a persistent economy, and I'm fascinated by the consequences". PC Gamer. Retrieved August 24, 2026.
  2. ↑ Saed, Sherif (August 11, 2026). "Much-wishlisted 100-player shooter Wardogs gets an early access release date, invites anyone unhappy with the closed beta to claim a refund". Eurogamer.net. Retrieved August 24, 2026.
  3. ↑ Hernandez, Patricia (August 12, 2026). "Steam 'Dad Shooter' Explodes in Popularity After Devs Urge Fans Not to Buy It". Polygon.com. Retrieved August 24, 2026.
  4. ↑ Battlefield, Arma but plays like (August 11, 2026). "Believe the hype for Wardogs, possibly the next great multiplayer FPS". PC Gamer. Retrieved August 24, 2026.
  5. ↑ Onder, Cade (August 10, 2026). "Wardogs 'Hits Different' and Could Be the Next Big FPS, Those Who Managed to Get Into the Recent Private Playtest Say". IGN. Retrieved August 24, 2026.
  6. ↑ Marr, Brian (August 24, 2026). "WARDOGS Could Actually Be The Call of Duty Killer". Men's Journal.
  7. ↑ "Wardogs is coming to early access very soon, and you can pre-order this gigantic 100-player online FPS right now". GamesRadar+. August 26, 2026. Retrieved August 27, 2026.
  8. ↑ MattGhostie (July 20, 2026). "WARDOGS Explained: Release Date, Platforms, and Gameplay for Bulkhead's Three-Team Shooter". Life is a Game Magazine. Retrieved August 24, 2026.
  9. ↑ Romano, Sal (February 5, 2026). "'Tactical all-out warfare first-person shooter' WARDOGS announced for PC". Gematsu. Retrieved August 24, 2026.
  10. ↑ Wardogs - Official King of The Hill Game Mode Explained Video - IGN. March 4, 2026. Retrieved August 24, 2026 – via www.ign.com.
  11. ↑ "Large-scale FPS Wardogs takes all the right notes from a popular Arma 3 King of the Hill mod, and you can sign up for the playtest now". GamesRadar+. June 6, 2026. Retrieved August 24, 2026.
  12. ↑ Robinson, Craig (April 7, 2026). "WARDOGS is bringing back a wager-like feature from Black Ops as part of its meta game systems". The Escapist. Retrieved August 25, 2026.
  13. ↑ Robinson, Craig (February 12, 2026). "WARDOGS reveals no battle passes or Nicki Minaj skins as 100-player FPS hits 100K wishlists". The Escapist. Retrieved August 25, 2026.
  14. ↑ "Wardogs is a brilliant exercise in greed as teamwork". PCGamesN. August 11, 2026. Retrieved August 25, 2026.
  15. ↑ Karunakar, Varun. "WARDOGS Showcase Gives Insight Into Its Real-World Inspirations, Performance, and Challenges". GamingBolt. Retrieved August 24, 2026.
  16. ↑ James, Ford (June 26, 2026). "Promising upcoming FPS is specifically 'made for dad gamers,' claims CEO". Polygon.com. Retrieved August 24, 2026.
  17. ↑ Forbes-Calvin, Alex (March 25, 2026). ""They wouldn't look at any game that was less than £50 million" Why Tencent's all-in strategy didn't suit Bulkhead". GamesIndustry.biz. Retrieved August 24, 2026.
  18. ↑ Forbes-Calvin, Alex (December 11, 2025). "Tencent sells Battalion maker Bulkhead to newly-formed consortium backed by Team 17 owner". GamesIndustry.biz. Retrieved August 24, 2026.
  19. ↑ Wardogs - Official Gameplay Trailer - IGN. June 6, 2026. Retrieved August 24, 2026 – via www.ign.com.
  20. ↑ year, Andy Chalk The "all-out warfare" FPS is coming to Steam later this (June 6, 2026). "Wardogs is a '100% player driven' modern military shooter for up to 100 players that's 'not a battle royale' or an extraction shooter". PC Gamer. Retrieved August 24, 2026.
  21. ↑ "Report: Wardogs developer Bulkhead is laying off workers". Game Developer. Retrieved August 24, 2026.
  22. ↑ James, Ford (August 19, 2026). "FPS Games Are Finally Getting a Dedicated Showcase, and It's Massive". Polygon.com. Retrieved August 24, 2026.
  23. ↑ "WARDOGS Devs Are Working On Proton Support For The Game - Steam Deck HQ". August 14, 2026. Retrieved August 24, 2026.
  24. ↑ Hashmi, Ali (August 18, 2026). "How to Get Access to the WARDOGS Closed Beta". Prima Games. Retrieved August 24, 2026.
  25. ↑ "You can play new, realistic FPS Wardogs for free this weekend". PCGamesN. August 18, 2026. Retrieved August 24, 2026.
  26. ↑ "WARDOGS Reviews - Metacritic". Metacritic. Retrieved August 24, 2026.
  27. ↑ "WARDOGS". OpenCritic. Retrieved August 24, 2026.
  28. ↑ beta, Morgan Park "If you don't enjoy the; It.", Just Refund (August 11, 2026). "Hardcore FPS immediately becomes Steam top seller as devs list '10 reasons not to buy' it". PC Gamer. Retrieved August 24, 2026.
  29. ↑ weekend?, Morgan Park Which one are you checking out this (August 21, 2026). "2 Steam top sellers, 2 simultaneous betas, 2 very different shooters: It's Wardogs & Modern Warfare weekend". PC Gamer. Retrieved August 24, 2026.
  30. ↑ Stuart, Keith (August 24, 2026). "'A cognitive cacophony': hands-on with the Call of Duty Modern Warfare 4 beta test". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved August 25, 2026.
  31. ↑ "Shooter Climbing Steam Charts Lists 10 Reasons Not To Buy It". GameSpot. Retrieved August 24, 2026.
  32. ↑ "FPS devs put two bullets in Steam's dumbest debate and move up Wardogs release date: "Player numbers will undoubtedly decline significantly," but that "will not deter us"". GamesRadar+. June 5, 2026. Retrieved August 24, 2026.
  33. ↑ "New Battlefield rival Wardogs has captivated the Steam audience - but its early access might not be for you". PCGamesN. August 15, 2026. Retrieved August 24, 2026.
  34. ↑ FPS, Morgan Park That's a big beta for such a complex (August 24, 2026). "Nearly 500k players showed up for the Wardogs beta: 'The reaction from the FPS community has been insane'". PC Gamer. Retrieved August 24, 2026.
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