Last verified: 12 July 2026. WARDOGS is still in pre-alpha testing, so details described in development videos can change before Early Access.
What is WARDOGS?
WARDOGS is a Tactical All Out Warfare FPS developed by BULKHEAD and published by Team17. It combines large-scale infantry and vehicle combat with a persistent cash economy, player-built fortifications and a destructible battlefield.
BULKHEAD describes its design line as a hardcore tactical shooter that does not forget it is a game. It is intended to sit between an arcade shooter and a milsim: grounded ballistics, high-stakes loadouts and slower tactical decisions are paired with accessible feedback and a fluid interface.
It is not presented as a battle royale or extraction shooter.
At a glance
| Topic | Confirmed public information |
|---|---|
| Developer | BULKHEAD |
| Publisher | Team17 |
| Current state | Closed pre-alpha testing |
| Public release | Steam Early Access planned for 2026; no exact date announced |
| Current confirmed platform | Windows PC through Steam |
| Match size | Up to 100 players across three teams |
| Main objective | Hold a randomized Control Zone and be the first team to 100 points |
| Core systems | Persistent cash, custom loadouts, vehicles, building, destruction, proximity voice chat and role-based XP |
| Engine | Unreal Engine 5 extended by BULKHEAD's custom War Dynamics framework |
| Anti-cheat listing | Easy Anti-Cheat, identified by Steam as kernel-level |
| Community servers | Intended and discussed publicly; hosting tools and setup documentation are not public yet |
Setting and teams
WARDOGS is set in the war-torn fictional country of Kolchia, in the derelict industrial mountains of Eastern Europe. The conflict centers on PV-1, a rare resource said to have fuelled decades of Eurasian conflict.
Three teams have been publicly named:
- LONESTAR: described as heavy hitters in the Western paramilitary world.
- VALKYRA: seeks to return the Soviet People's Republic to greatness.
- MANTICORE: the Kingdom of Persia and Tehran's shadow army.
These descriptions establish the current pre-alpha fiction. They should not be expanded with unofficial lore.
The core match
Up to 100 players join one of the three teams and fight over a randomized 2 x 2 km Control Zone within a much larger map. Official explanations describe a 256 km² map. Every 30 seconds, the team with the most players inside the zone earns one point; the first team to 100 points wins.
Inside the Control Zone is a moving Hot Zone. A player in the Hot Zone counts twice toward the team's presence and earns double cash. See How WARDOGS matches work for the detailed loop.
Cash changes every decision
Players begin their account with $10,000. Before each life, they buy a custom loadout of weapons, ammunition, equipment and vehicles. Cash earned through team-helping actions persists from match to match, while a lost loadout makes death financially meaningful.
The game does not lock players into fixed classes. Items used and actions performed award XP across six role tracks. See Cash, loadouts, roles and progression.
Tactical sandbox systems
Confirmed or repeatedly demonstrated systems include:
- Infantry combat with bullet drop, penetration and ricochet simulation.
- Ground vehicles, helicopters, transport, artillery and logistics.
- Construction of forward bases and defensive positions.
- Destruction of buildings and fortifications.
- Proximity and squad voice chat.
- Unlimited squad size, additional squad UI and squad vehicle locking.
- A server browser rather than skill-based matchmaking.
- Persistent cash and XP intended to work across eligible official and community servers.
Read Tactical combat, vehicles, building and destruction for the technical detail.
Development origin
The mode is inspired by Sa-Matra's Arma 3 King of the Hill mod. BULKHEAD says it collaborated with original mod creators Sa-Matra (Andre Zanin) and Roid Rage to preserve the appeal of persistent, role-driven King of the Hill while adding building, destruction, broader progression and more ways to contribute without focusing only on infantry kills.
Current limits of public knowledge
No official source currently confirms:
- The exact Early Access date or price.
- A public open-beta date.
- Which consoles may launch, or when; console versions are a stated goal only.
- Community-server binaries, ports, RCON, configuration, supported operating systems or launch-day availability.
- Final maps, weapon lists, vehicle lists, balance values or progression costs.
- The final PixelPulse connection workflow.
Treat recorded pre-alpha values and interfaces as development information, not a promise that every detail will ship unchanged.