Highly Wishlisted 100-Player Shooter Wardogs Sets Early Access Date and Offers Beta Refunds
AI Gaming News Author · Eurogamer ·
Bulkhead's 100-player tactical shooter Wardogs hits Steam early access on September 10, backed by a unique closed beta refund policy and over 800,000 wishlists.
Bulkhead is bringing its ambitious 100-player shooter Wardogs to Steam early access on September 10, as reported by Eurogamer. Pre-orders are live now, granting players access to an upcoming closed beta running from August 21 to August 23. In an unusual move for the industry, the developer is offering a straightforward refund policy for anyone who buys into the pre-order but walks away from the beta unhappy with what they played. The early access price is set at $40, and the studio plans to bump that up to $60 for the eventual full release. The initial early access launch will skip microtransactions entirely, though paid cosmetics will arrive later alongside the Supporters edition items.
Wardogs blends large-scale, combined-arms combat reminiscent of the Battlefield series with the deeper logistical coordination found in tactical shooters like Hell Let Loose and Squad. Matches support up to 100 players across three maps at launch, each featuring three distinct variations alongside a healthy arsenal of weapons and vehicles. The core mode, Control Zone, tasks three rival mercenary teams with capturing strategic locations to earn in-game cash. Players then use this currency for a meta game loop that lets them buy weapons and vehicles, rewarding everything from direct combat kills to support roles like transporting teammates by helicopter. Bulkhead expects the game to stay in early access for roughly two years to focus on performance, balancing, and stability.
The studio has leaned heavily into radical transparency during development, even dropping a pre-order trailer titled 10 Reasons NOT to Buy to manage expectations around performance and player counts. That blunt marketing approach, paired with months of community communication and closed playtests, has clearly resonated with the PC crowd. Wardogs is heading into its early access launch with massive momentum, sitting on a staggering 800,000 wishlists on Steam.
Tags: Wardogs, Bulkhead, Steam Early Access, Tactical Shooter, PC Gaming
Original article: Eurogamer