WARDOGS Playtest – Everything You Need to Know

Following the monumental success of the Closed Beta, that saw the game achieve over 100,000 players on Steam, the WARDOGS Playtest is now underway, giving players an early opportunity to experience BULKHEAD’s large scale tactical FPS before it enters Early Access.

WARDOGS brings together infantry combat, vehicles, logistics, base building and environmental destruction. However, its persistent cash system and three team objective mode make it quite different from a traditional multiplayer shooter.

Here is everything you need to know about the WARDOGS Playtest, including its schedule, how to gain access and how its main gameplay systems work.

The WARDOGS Playtest is available on PC through Steam. It began on September 3rd and will remain playable until September 6th.

The official server schedule is:

• Start: September 3rd at 18:00 UTC
• End: September 6th at 08:00 UTC

Pre-purchasing WARDOGS guarantees access to the beta and playtest. Alternatively, players can select Request Access on the Steam store page for a chance to receive an invitation, although this does not guarantee entry.

WARDOGS is a tactical multiplayer FPS with matches supporting up to 100 players, who are divided between three competing teams.

The game combines infantry combat with ground vehicles, aircraft, logistics, fortification building and large scale destruction. Its gunplay is intended to feel grounded and tactical without becoming a full military simulation.

Projectile ballistics, different ammunition types, equipment weight and inventory management can all influence how a player approaches combat. Instead of selecting a fixed class, players build their own role by purchasing the equipment they want to use.

The main WARDOGS mode takes inspiration from King of the Hill. Players join one of three teams:

• Valkyra
• Lonestar
• Manticore

All three teams compete for control of a randomized 2x2-kilometre area known as the Control Zone, which appears within a much larger battlefield.

Every 30 seconds, the team with the most players inside the Control Zone earns one point. The first team to reach 100 points wins the match.

This means a team does not need to eliminate every nearby enemy to score. Maintaining a larger presence inside the zone is what matters, making reinforcements, revives and transportation valuable ways to support the fight for control.

WARDOGS uses a persistent cash economy, with players purchasing and assembling a custom loadout for each life.

Players begin their journey with $10,000, which can be spent on weapons, gear, utility items and vehicles. This allows players to adjust their equipment depending on what their team currently needs.

Cash carries between matches and can be earned through actions that support the wider team, including:

• Reviving teammates
• Transporting friendly players
• Helping control the objective

Players can also pursue the Hot Zone, which provides double cash. This offers another way to build your balance before investing in better equipment or vehicles.

Because money persists between matches, deciding when to save and when to invest in a more expensive loadout is an important part of the game.

WARDOGS features both drivable vehicles and flyable aircraft. These can be used for direct combat, moving teammates or transporting supplies across the map.

Options include helicopters and heavily armored vehicles, while artillery tanks can attack enemy positions from a distance.

Players can also build and reinforce important positions. A team may create a forward operating base or fortify a chokepoint to make it easier to hold nearby territory.

Many existing structures can be damaged or destroyed. Explosives and armored vehicles can tear through buildings, removing enemy cover or opening a different route into a defended area.

WARDOGS will enter Steam Early Access on September 10, 2026.

There is currently no confirmed carryover for cash or XP earned during the Closed Beta, so players should treat their beta progression as temporary.

Early Access will include the core 100-player, three team mode alongside cash and XP based progression, vehicles, logistics, proximity voice chat and dynamic objective zones.