Finally, some fresh ideas in the shooter genre, and Wardogs from Bulkhead and Team17 offers exactly that in Early Access. The game features dynamic, large-scale battles as well as emphasising and rewarding teamwork in a player-driven sandbox.
Even in its Early Access phase, Wardogs brings fresh air to the shooter landscape, first on PC and later on consoles in 2028. It's not just another battle royale. It's not just another extraction shooter. It is an all-out tactical warfare FPS in which three teams of 33 players compete to control a dynamic modern battlefield inspired by the King of the Hill mod created by the Arma 3 community. The teams compete to control a randomly generated 2x2 km Control Zone, also known as the Hot Zone, within a larger map. The team with the most players in the control zone earns points, and the first team to reach 100 points wins the match. In essence, it's a blend of Arma and Battlefield. Wardogs combines tactical gunplay (balanced for gameplay rather than simulation), combined-arms combat, construction and destruction, and large-scale team play.
The developers, Bulkhead, came up with a surprisingly simple yet effective team-play idea that works really well in practice and is motivating. In Wardogs, players have the freedom to decide how they fight, how they support their team, and how they earn money. They earn money for all actions that benefit the team, which they can then use to purchase new weapons, equipment and vehicles for the next spawn.
Players can earn points (and money) for their team by fighting in the Hot Zone, which is a dynamic area of the map that can be influenced by capturing towers. Alternatively, money can be earned by transporting soldiers or resources to the front line, spotting enemies with binoculars, assisting with fortress construction, reviving squadmates in the Hot Zone, or completing objectives. Almost everything helps the team and rewards money. Players can then use this money to purchase a custom loadout from a wide selection of weapons, gear, utility items and vehicles to help their team win the match. Therefore, there are different ways to play. They can head to the Hot Zone to earn double the money, purchase a camouflage suit and act as a sniper, or transport supplies to their teammates with a helicopter. Alternatively, they can fortify strategic choke points by establishing an offensive operations base or manning an artillery tank to bombard the enemy with destructive force. It's a dynamic, player-driven battlefield where matches can fluctuate and last longer.
Wardogs © Bulkhead and Team17
The battlefield evolves through destruction and base building. Structures can be damaged, destroyed, fortified or repurposed, enabling teams to modify key locations without obliterating the entire environment, thereby encouraging planning and coordination. This is powered by Bulkhead's proprietary War Dynamics Framework - a custom framework built on Unreal Engine to support large-scale, player-driven warfare. "Developed in collaboration with real world specialists including aerospace and ballistics experts, the framework delivers grounded vehicle handling and consistent weapon behaviour while supporting the game's scale, persistence, and reward driven Systems," said the developers. But the matchmaking also works well, and there is a server browser, something lacking in all other automated AAA shooters. However, the game could offer more options for coordinating squads.
The game is the work of Bulkhead, a video game studio based in Derby, UK. Founded in 2015 by a small group of friends, the studio initially developed The Turing Test and Battalion 1944, before expanding to focus on ambitious multiplayer experiences such as Wardogs. In December 2025, the studio was acquired by a consortium comprising Super Media Group (SMG), everplay, and Hiro Capital from Tencent. Bulkhead's latest title, Wardogs, is being published by Team17, which is part of everplay. The publisher realised the game's potential early on, and therefore increased its stake in Super Media Group, owners of Wardogs developer Bulkhead, from 20% to 28% for £2 million (~€2.32 million) until the end of June 2026.
Mikkel Weider, everplay's Group Chief Executive Officer, commented: "(...) I am pleased to share that our major new releases, including Hell Let Loose: Vietnam and Wardogs, are performing well ahead of our expectations, breaking many sales and player number records. I am also delighted to say that we have exercised our option to increase our shareholding in Super Media Group, owners of Bulkhead - the team behind Wardogs. We have long admired this team, and we are thrilled to further strengthen our relationship and support them on their journey."
Wardogs © Bulkhead and Team17
With more than two million copies sold in under five days, it's clear that the game has been a success. "Two million in less than five days is completely ridiculous," said Joe Brammer, CEO at Bulkhead. "We knew there was a huge amount of excitement around Wardogs going into launch, but nothing really prepares you for seeing this many people actually jump into the game. The numbers are massive, but the best part has been watching what players are doing with it. The clips, the insane strategies, the last-second victories, the absolute chaos - that's the stuff we built Wardogs for. We're still in Early Access and we're not pretending the work is finished. We're reading and watching reactions, fixing things, improving things and building what comes next. Thank you to everyone who has played, supported us and told us what they think so far. Keep it coming."
Wardogs © Bulkhead and Team17
Wardogs was released on 10 September 2026 for PC via Early Access, priced at €39.99. The Early Access phase is expected to last one to two years, during which time the price of the game could also increase. During this period, the development team will prioritise stability, performance, balancing, bug fixes, and addressing the most important issues raised by the community. They plan to expand Wardogs in several key areas. This includes more maps, weapons, vehicles and gameplay variety, but the team's primary focus is on creating deeper reasons to play beyond individual matches. This includes more in-depth progression systems, a stronger seasonal meta game and additional systems that reward players for the time and impact they bring to a match, whether through combat, support or logistics. Alongside this, there will be broader gameplay additions, such as new vehicle types (including fighter jets), expanded weapon categories, additional objective variations and continued improvements to the core experience. The studio has confirmed that there will be no in-game monetisation during Early Access, except for an optional Supporters Edition containing cosmetic items. In-game cash, gold bars, and status-based camouflage will not be available to buy.
Before the launch of the game, the developers published a video with 10 reasons why you should not buy Wardogs. In this surprisingly honest video, the developers address issues with the Early Access and launch content, managing expectations effectively.
Wardogs finally brings a breath of fresh air to the shooter genre with its dynamic battles, in which teamwork is cleverly rewarded.
