What is WARDOGS?
WARDOGS is a tactical all-out warfare FPS by BULKHEAD, published by Team17, in Steam Early Access since 10 September 2026. Up to 100 players on three teams fight over a Control Zone inside 16 × 16 km destructible maps, buying every loadout with cash earned in battle.
The short version
WARDOGS is a large-scale tactical shooter built in Unreal Engine 5 by BULKHEAD and published by Team17. It entered Steam Early Access on 10 September 2026. A match puts up to 100 players into a 16 × 16 km map split between three factions, Valkyra, Lonestar and Manticore, all fighting over one Control Zone that moves between rounds.
The hook is the economy. You start a match with cash, you buy every weapon, attachment, armour piece and vehicle you take into the fight, and losing that kit costs you money. That makes gear choice, not twitch aim alone, the thing that decides most fights.
Is WARDOGS an extraction shooter?
No. There is no raid-and-extract loop and no PvE-with-loot mode. The comparison people reach for is Arma 3's King of the Hill: three teams, one contested objective, combined arms, and a persistent wallet between lives. If you came here after searching for an extraction shooter, the closest real similarity is that your loadout costs money and dying is expensive.
The six roles
There are no locked classes. Your gear decides what you are on the field, and experience is tracked separately for 6 roles: Driver, Infantry, Medic, Pilot, Recon, Support. Each runs to level 100, and each level track needs 3,483,250 XP to max out. See the full progression tables for what unlocks where.
The maps
Two maps are playable in Early Access: Bakurani, an Eastern European river valley with a factory district, and Ozeti, a Western European town with a stadium and church. A third, Zestafona, has been revealed but is not yet playable. Both live maps are 16 × 16 km, which is why artillery, vehicles and travel time matter as much as gunfights.
Frequently asked
Is WARDOGS an extraction shooter?
No. WARDOGS has no raid-and-extract loop and no PvE mode. It is a 100-player, three-team tactical FPS fought over a moving Control Zone, closest in shape to Arma 3 King of the Hill.
Who makes WARDOGS?
WARDOGS is developed by BULKHEAD and published by Team17. It runs on Unreal Engine 5 and entered Steam Early Access on 10 September 2026.
How many players are in a WARDOGS match?
Up to 100 players, split across three factions: Valkyra, Lonestar and Manticore.
How big are the WARDOGS maps?
Bakurani and Ozeti are both roughly 16 × 16 km, about 256 square kilometres, with the fighting concentrated in a smaller Control Zone.