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WARDOGS

WARDOGS is in Steam early access, having passed 3 million copies sold by September 27, 2026, and Season 2 begins October 15, 2026. A console release is planned for 2028 on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S.

Synthesized from 13 Yomimono stories · updated 1d ago

WARDOGS entered Steam early access on September 11, 2026, at 4,980 yen, and BULKHEAD has announced on September 27 that the game passed 3 million copies sold. The launch followed a sequence of beta tests that drew growing audiences: a closed beta from August 22 to 24 recorded over 90,000 concurrent players on Steam, a later playtest peaked at over 105,000 concurrent players, and a beta before launch drew more than 210,000 concurrent players, a figure that doubled to 420,000 on September 13.

The game is a 100-player, three-team FPS on a 256-square-kilometer map, where points go to the team holding randomly generated Control Zones and the first to 100 points wins. Its fund progression system carries money earned in matches and lets players buy weapons, equipment, and vehicles, with each player starting at $10,000. Team17 is publishing, and a console version is planned for 2028 on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S.

Season 2 is set for October 15, 2026, when the first periodic progress wipe is expected. A roughly 30-second teaser shows the map's weather shifting mid-match into heavy, storm-like rain, and flames visible inside a building. BULKHEAD CEO Joe Brammer previously said a server name search feature is scheduled for Season 2. Season 1 was originally announced to run about one month, and a specific end date now exists.

Before launch, BULKHEAD published videos titled '10 Reasons Not to Buy' and 'The 11th Reason Not to Buy,' addressing early access content limits, price, expected player decline, and cheaters. The playtest ranked first in Twitch viewership for two consecutive nights, and the game surpassed 1 million wishlist registrations before early access.

Key facts

Early access launch date
September 11, 2026, on PC via Steam at 4,980 yen ↗
Sales milestone
Passed 3 million copies sold as of September 27, 2026 ↗
Player count
Roughly 200,000 to 300,000 players per day ↗
Season 2 start date
October 15, 2026 ↗
Map size
256 square kilometers ↗
Developer and publisher
BULKHEAD (developer) and Team17 (publisher) ↗
Console release window
2028 on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S ↗
Beta concurrent player peak
Over 105,000 concurrent players on Steam during the August 22 to 24 playtest ↗
Wishlist milestone
Surpassed 1 million Steam wishlist registrations before early access ↗
Performance target
60fps on i5-8600 and GTX 1660 hardware, with a 'Potato' mode for low-end PCs and an 'Overkill' preset for high-end systems ↗

Timeline

Synthesized by Yomimono from the cited Yomimono stories below, each itself sourced, then editorially reviewed. Every fact links the story it came from.

Facts

Announced
Season 2 changes · 2026-10-10
Announced
Season 2 begins October 15 (Season 2) · 2026-10-03
Announced
passed 3 million copies sold (Steam early access) · 2026-10-03
Announced
second closed beta test will begin on September 4 · 2026-09-02
Announced
60fps target on i5-8600 and GTX 1660 · 2026-07-16
Announced
Potato mode for low-end PCs · 2026-07-16
Announced
Overkill preset for high-end systems · 2026-07-16
Announced
early access on Steam with Japanese support within 2026 · 2026-07-16
Announced
stages set in Georgia · 2026-07-16
Announced
major announcement teased during proprietary Twitch show 'FPS Game Show' (FPS Game Show) · 2026-08-27
Release
game · October 15 · 2026-10-10
Release
game · September 11 · PC via Steam · 2026-10-03
Release
game · 2028 · console · 2026-10-03
Release
game · September 11 · Steam early access · 2026-10-03
Release
game · 2028 · PS5 and Xbox Series X|S · 2026-10-03
Release
game · 2026-09-11 · global · 2026-09-12
Release
game · September 11 · 2026-08-19
Release
game · 2026-09-11 · 2026-09-02
Release
game · September 10 · Steam · 2026-08-15
Release
game · early access September 11 on PC via Steam · 2026-08-27
Noted
100-player, three-faction FPS · 2026-10-10
Noted
reached 2 million copies sold on September 16, five days after launch · 2026-10-03
Noted
draws roughly 200,000 to 300,000 players per day · 2026-10-03
Noted
Season 2 is set for October 15, when the first periodic progress wipe is expected. · 2026-10-03
Noted
WARDOGS has sold more than 1.5 million copies · 2026-09-12
Noted
peaked at about 340,000 concurrent players at launch · 2026-09-12
Noted
cheaters will inevitably appear · 2026-09-09
Noted
First closed beta drew over 100,000 concurrent players and surpassed 1 million wishlist registrations · 2026-09-02
Noted
Test aims to check server scaling, Twitch Drops, DLC, VoIP, and login queues · 2026-09-02
Noted
Participation guaranteed for pre-order purchasers, others can apply via lottery · 2026-09-02
Noted
Big announcement teased for FPS Games Show · 2026-09-02
Noted
closed beta started on August 22 · 2026-08-22
Noted
closed beta runs until August 24 at 11:00 JST · 2026-08-22
Noted
over 90,000 concurrent players on Steam · 2026-08-22
Noted
login queues formed immediately after the test opened · 2026-08-22
Noted
developer planned to hold back access-request slots for server stability testing · 2026-08-22
Noted
Japanese support planned · 2026-08-22
Noted
100-player FPS · 2026-08-22
Noted
Steam wishlist count surpassed 1 million · 2026-08-15
Noted
surge of 200,000 wishlists · 2026-08-15

Connections

Produces of
bulkhead

Structured graph also available as JSON at /public/entities/wardogs. CC BY 4.0.

Claim activity

When a claim about WARDOGS was confirmed, debunked, or disputed against open-web sources. The record stays even after a claim drops off the facts list.

  • Confirmed game September 11 Steam early access Oct 3 · source
  • Confirmed early access on Steam with Japanese support within 2026 Sep 12 · source
  • Confirmed game 2026 PC via Steam Aug 31 · source

All coverage

1d ago

BULKHEAD To Buff Lonestar In WARDOGS Season 2

BULKHEAD posted a video outlining Season 2 changes for WARDOGS, its 100-player, three-faction FPS, ahead of the season's October 15 start. Lonestar, the blue faction, gets its uniform saturation adjusted to make players less conspicuous, plus experience point and in-game currency bonuses. Spawn points for all factions will be reset, and Lonestar recruiting ads will run at the other teams' spawn points. BULKHEAD calls the move a social experiment, suggesting it is not permanent.

Oct 3

WARDOGS Season 2 Update Lands October 15 With Rain And New Content

BULKHEAD announced on September 23 that Season 2 of WARDOGS begins October 15. A roughly 30-second teaser shows the map's weather shifting mid-match into heavy, storm-like rain, and flames visible inside a building. Details of the new season are planned for a later date, though BULKHEAD CEO Joe Brammer previously said a server name search feature is scheduled for Season 2. Season 1 was originally announced to run about one month, and a specific end date now exists. WARDOGS is a 100-player, three-team FPS on a 256-square-kilometer map, where points go to the team holding randomly generated Control Zones and the first to 100 points wins. It entered early access for PC via Steam on September 11. It reached 2 million copies sold on September 16, five days after launch, and draws roughly 200,000 to 300,000 players per day. A console version is announced for 2028.

Oct 3

WARDOGS Tops 3 Million Sales Two Weeks Into Steam Early Access

BULKHEAD announced on September 27, 2026 that WARDOGS has passed 3 million copies sold. The military sandbox FPS entered Steam early access on September 11 at 4,980 yen and hit 1.25 million copies on its first day. Up to 100 players split into three teams fight over control zones inside a 256km2 map, combining tactical gunfights with building and destruction. Its fund progression system carries money earned in matches and lets players buy weapons, equipment, and vehicles. A beta test before launch drew more than 210,000 concurrent players, and that figure doubled to 420,000 on September 13. Season 2 is set for October 15, when the first periodic progress wipe is expected. A console release is planned for 2028 on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S.

Sep 12

WARDOGS Sales Pass 1.5 Million After Chaotic Early Access Launch

BULKHEAD announced that its 100-player military sandbox shooter WARDOGS has passed 1.5 million copies sold, three days after the game entered Steam early access on September 11. The studio also published a launch day recap video on YouTube on September 12 showing the behind-the-scenes scramble: login queues that the team feared would not clear in time, staff working until 2:00 AM local time to stabilize servers, and erroneous bans handed to alpha testers. CEO Joe Brammer addressed the queue skip system, saying some streamers were allowed to use it because they promote the game, and that he understands why it feels unfair. The game previously crossed 1 million copies on launch day and hit 1.25 million by around 10:00 AM the same September 11.

Sep 9

WARDOGS Dev Publishes "11th Reason Not to Buy" Over Cheaters

BULKHEAD released a video titled "The 11th Reason Not to Buy" for its 100-player military FPS WARDOGS, days before the game's Steam early access launch at 1:00 AM JST on September 11, 2026. The video states that cheaters are unavoidable regardless of countermeasures, and that players who cannot accept that should not buy the game. The studio says it will combine four methods to detect, track, and ban cheaters: intrusion prevention systems, machine learning, and analysis of player behavioral data. It warned that anyone who buys the game again on a new account after a ban will have their payment taken and be banned again. In a follow-up released alongside pre-download on September 10, BULKHEAD detailed Season 1 changes from the beta, including a report tracking system that weights reports and reduces the impact of repeated or malicious ones, plus revisions to the XP table, economy prices, and vehicle balance. During early access, up to 100 players split into three teams and fight over randomly placed control zones. Team17 is publishing, and PS5 and Xbox Series X|S versions are planned for 2028.

Sep 2

WARDOGS Final Beta Test Starts September 4

Publisher Team17 and developer BULKHEAD announced on September 2 that the second closed beta test for the 100-player military FPS WARDOGS will begin at 3:00 AM JST on September 4. This will be the final test before the game's early access release on September 11 on PC via Steam. The test runs until 5:00 PM JST on September 6, according to 4Gamer.net, though other sources list the end time as September 5. The beta is scheduled to start in conjunction with the FPS Games Show broadcast event, which begins at 18:00 UTC on September 3. The first closed beta, held from August 22 to 24, drew over 100,000 concurrent players on Steam and surpassed 1 million wishlist registrations. Participation is guaranteed for pre-order purchasers, while other players can apply via the Steam store page for a lottery-based access grant. The test aims to check server scaling, Twitch Drops, DLC, VoIP, and login queues, with the developers calling on participants to 'break our systems.' A 'big announcement' is also teased for the FPS Games Show.

Aug 27

WARDOGS Steam Playtest Peaks at 105,000 Concurrent Players

BULKHEAD's large-scale FPS 'WARDOGS' drew a peak of over 105,000 concurrent players on Steam during its playtest, according to the unofficial database SteamDB. The closed beta ran from August 22 to 24, Japan time, and publisher Team17 reported approximately 500,000 unique participants. The playtest also ranked first in Twitch viewership for two consecutive nights. About 3% of players experienced crashes at launch or during gameplay, a level the development team called unacceptable, and fixing crashes and voice chat issues will be a top priority before early access. 'WARDOGS' supports up to 100 players across three teams on a 256-square-kilometer map, battling for randomly generated control zones. Each player starts with $10,000 to buy weapons and vehicles, with funds carried over between matches. Early access is scheduled for September 11 on PC via Steam, priced at 4,980 yen, with plans to raise the price as content is added. A proprietary Twitch show called 'FPS Game Show' is set for September 3, with a major announcement teased.

Aug 22

WARDOGS Closed Beta Draws 90,000 Concurrent Players on Steam

BULKHEAD and Team17 started the closed beta for WARDOGS on August 22, running until August 24 at 11:00 JST. SteamDB recorded over 90,000 concurrent players, and login queues formed immediately after the test opened. The developer had planned to hold back access-request slots until the late weekend to test server stability. Early access begins September 11 at 4,980 yen, with Japanese support planned.

Aug 19

THE FPS GAMES SHOW to Air September 4 With 16 Shooter Titles

BULKHEAD, the developer of WARDOGS, announced THE FPS GAMES SHOW, a new information program for the FPS genre airing September 4 at 3:00 a.m. JST on Twitch. The free-to-join broadcast will cover 16 new and old FPS titles, including four unreleased games. A simultaneous Steam event will feature sales, free play, and demos.

Aug 19

WARDOGS Playtest Install Goes Live Ahead of August 21 Test

BULKHEAD has made WARDOGS playtest installation files available ahead of the closed beta running August 21 to 23. The tactical FPS supports up to 100 players split into three factions. Pre-order customers are guaranteed access, and additional beta sign-up players will be added later in the weekend. Early access is expected September 11.

Aug 15

WARDOGS Wishlist Count Passes 1 Million After '10 Reasons Not to Buy' Video

Team17 announced that the Steam wishlist count for BULKHEAD's FPS WARDOGS has surpassed 1 million. The game gained attention after a candid video titled '10 Reasons Not to Buy' discussed its Early Access state, lack of content, and potential player decline. Early Access launches September 10 on Steam.

Aug 12

WARDOGS Developer Posts Video Giving 10 Reasons Not to Buy the Game

BULKHEAD, the studio behind the upcoming 100-player FPS WARDOGS, posted a video titled "10 Reasons Not to Buy 'WARDOGS'" on August 12. The video lists early access content limits, price, expected player decline, and the studio's own history with Battalion 1944 as reasons to wait. The unusual approach is drawing positive reception for its honesty.

Jul 16

WARDOGS FPS Targets 60fps on Late 2010s Hardware With 'Potato' Mode

Publisher Team17 and developer BULKHEAD released a new video for the online multiplayer FPS WARDOGS, detailing stages set in Georgia and performance targets. The game aims for 60fps on a combination of i5-8600 and GTX 1660, includes a 'Potato' mode for low-end PCs, and an 'Overkill' preset for high-end systems. Early access on Steam, with Japanese support, is planned within 2026.

Jun 6

Team17 and BULKHEAD Reveal 100-Player FPS 'WARDOGS' Gameplay Trailer

Team17 released a gameplay trailer for WARDOGS, a 100-player online FPS from developer BULKHEAD, during the Future Games Show: Summer Showcase 2026. The trailer shows infantry combat, tank assaults, and helicopter support. The game is not a battle royale or extraction shooter but a tactical total war. Early access on PC via Steam is planned for 2026.