What WARDOGS is
WARDOGS is an "all-out warfare" tactical shooter by BULKHEAD (Derby, UK), published by Team17. Up to 100 people play on a server, split into three teams: LONESTAR (blue), VALKYRA (red) and MANTICORE (green).
The teams fight over a randomly chosen 2x2 km Control Zone. The team with the most players inside the zone scores points, and the first team to 100 points wins. Everyone starts with $10,000 in cash and uses it to buy weapons, gear and vehicles for each life. Your cash carries over from match to match.
The developers say it plainly: this is not a battle royale and not an extraction shooter. How to earn money and what to buy first: beginner's guide.
Price and editions
Steam prices on October 17, 2026, without discounts:
| Region | WARDOGS | Supporter Edition | Supporter Pack (separately) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poland | 164.99 zł | 204.99 zł | 54.99 zł |
| Eurozone | €39.99 | €49.99 | €12.99 |
| USA | $39.99 | $49.99 | $12.99 |
| United Kingdom | £36.99 | £45.99 | £11.99 |
| Brazil | R$119.99 | R$146.99 | R$34.99 |
| Turkey | $24.99 | $29.99 | $6.99 |
| Ukraine | 829 ₴ | 1029 ₴ | no data |
The Supporter Edition is the game plus the Supporter Pack DLC, which is cosmetic only: three starter weapon camos (Valkyra Branded A-91 Rifle Camo, Lonestar Branded Bushmaster Camo, Manticore Branded KH-2002 Camo), the Littlebird Helicopter ‘Taxi’ Camo, a Supporter Icon on the scoreboard (you can hide it) and two bobbleheads: Grenade Bobblehead and Helmet Bobblehead. You can also buy the Supporter Pack later as separate DLC.
The studio promises no other paid content during Early Access besides the Supporter Edition. You will never be able to buy in-game cash or Gold Bars with real money. There is no battle pass either.
The price will go up. On the Steam page the studio announces a higher price at full release. CEO Joe Brammer told GamesRadar+ that after about 12 months the game should cost $49.99, and after about 24 months $59.99.
Russia and Belarus: the game cannot be bought on Steam in these countries (the store returns no price for them). We found no official explanation.
PS5, Xbox and Game Pass
Right now WARDOGS is PC only (Steam, Windows). The launch trailer from September 10, 2026 ends with "COMING TO CONSOLES IN 2028". IGN and Polygon report PS5 and Xbox versions in 2028, and you can already wishlist the game on both consoles.
The exact platforms are not confirmed, though. Co-founder Howard Philpott told IGN that porting to next-gen consoles (PS6, Xbox "Project Helix") should be straightforward, and that the studio is talking to the console makers.
- Game Pass and PS Plus: no official announcement of any kind.
- PC and console crossplay: not announced.
PC requirements
| Requirements (Steam) | Minimum | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| OS | Windows 10 | Windows 11 |
| CPU | Intel i5 8600 / AMD Ryzen 5 3500 | Intel i7 12700k / AMD Ryzen 7 5700x |
| Memory | 16 GB RAM | 16 GB RAM |
| GPU | GTX 1660 / RX 590 | RTX 3070 / RX 6700 XT |
| Storage | 50 GB | 50 GB |
| Developer target | 1080p Low @ 60 fps (upscaled) | 1440p Medium @ 70+ fps (native) or 4K Medium @ 60+ fps (upscaled) |
The game uses the kernel-level Elytra anti-cheat and requires you to accept the "WARDOGS EULA". How to get more frames: best settings.
Steam Deck and Linux
Not officially supported. The Steam page has no Steam Deck compatibility rating. In a pinned thread on the Steam forum the developers write that they do not support Linux and cannot commit to a timeline, although they still want to support it through Proton. The latest update to the thread (September 25, 2026) had no new information.
The studio advised people who bought the game expecting Linux support to request a refund. GamingOnLinux lists the game's anti-cheat on Linux as "Broken".
Languages
Text yes, voices no. The interface and subtitles are translated, but full audio (voices) is English only.
In total the game has 14 text languages: English, French, Italian, German, Spanish (Spain), Japanese, Korean, Portuguese (Brazil), Russian, Simplified and Traditional Chinese, Polish, Turkish and Ukrainian.
Solo, with friends and on a controller
- Solo: yes. The store page explicitly mentions the lone wolf helping out the team. On the server you still belong to one of the three teams.
- With friends: yes, but there is no lobby before the match. You need to land on the same server, the same team and the same squad. Players recommend joining through "Join Game" in your Steam friends list. The game has local (proximity) voice chat: you hear people near you.
- Squad size: before launch the developers said "Unlimited!". We do not know whether that still holds in Season 2.
- Controller: works. Season 2 added an Aim Assist strength slider (Settings > Controller > Advanced, 0 turns it off). Steam does not show a controller support badge for the game, though.
How many people play
| Measurement | Players |
|---|---|
| Now (our measurement, Oct 17, 2026, 16:00 UTC) | 268,254 |
| Peak in the last 24 hours | 298,360 |
| Rank on Steam | 5th |
| All-time peak | over 425,000 (per the publisher), SteamDB: 428,666 |
By September 26, 2026 the game had sold 3 million copies.
Steam reviews
Ratings dropped after Season 2 started. As of October 17, 2026:
| Reviews | Steam rating | Positive |
|---|---|---|
| Last 30 days | Mixed | 66% of 50,524 |
| All languages, since launch | Mostly Positive | 72% of 123,622 |
| English | Mostly Positive | 77% of 79,518 |
| Polish | Mostly Positive | 77% of 1,594 |
| Russian | Mixed | 62% of 7,098 |
| Simplified Chinese | Mostly Negative | 36% of 10,066 |
October 16 was the first day in 12 days with more negative than positive reviews (821 positive, 1,099 negative). What happened then: Season 2.
Community servers: renting one
The server browser has two tabs: Official and Community. You can rent your own community server only from one of three companies approved by BULKHEAD. The "Host a server" button in the game leads to the hosting page.
| Company | Plans | Price |
|---|---|---|
| BisectHosting | 60, 80 and 100 slots (24/28/32 GB RAM), 21 locations | price on the company's website |
| QONZER | 60, 80 and 100 slots | £49.95 / £59.95 / £69.95 per month |
| xREALM | Squad (60), Platoon (80) and Company (100 slots) | price on the company's website |
The companies are listed alphabetically. QONZER gives 5%, 10% and 15% off when you pay for a quarter, half a year or a year (prices from October 17, 2026).
Worth knowing before you rent:
- The admin sets their own ping limit, so they can let in players from other regions or make the rules stricter.
- The studio recommends community servers as the best protection against cheaters, because an admin can ban instantly.
- Playing on XP farming servers can get you a permanent ban. The studio says it tracks every server you enter.
Early Access: what comes next
Early Access is planned to last "around 1 to 2 years". The developers promise more maps, weapons and vehicles, including fighter jets, new weapon categories and new objective variations. There is no dated roadmap and no release date for version 1.0.
The game runs in seasons, and each season has a new XP curve and a different unlock order. Season 1 ran from September 10 to October 15, 2026. Season 3 may arrive noticeably earlier than planned: what's new in Season 2.
