Wardogs
News, coverage and analysis tracking Wardogs across the outlets.
Latest coverage
Wardogs leads Newzoo's September PC revenue charts
Bulkhead's Wardogs topped Newzoo's September PC revenue charts, achieving significant success within three weeks of its Early Access launch. Marvel's Wolverine also performed well, ranking fourth on console revenue charts and high on year-to-date spend. Several other new releases and updated titles like Halloween: The Game, The Blood of the Dawnwalker, and Bodycam also featured prominently in the top rankings.
Wardogs adds two new server hosts, but community servers are still a work in progress
Wardogs developer Bulkhead has approved two new hosting partners, GG Host and 1of1 Servers, for its 100-player shooter. Community servers remain in Early Access, with Bulkhead working on additional features for server admins. Both hosts offer various player slot options and DDoS protection, though GG Host restricts mod installations.
AI fan wikis riddled with errors are muddying the waters of an already contested part of games culture
Generative AI tools are creating numerous inaccurate fan wikis that are flooding search results and crowding out legitimate community-run resources. Companies like Hooded Horse are struggling to combat these AI-generated sites, which often contain false information and even lead to spam or malware. This issue is particularly problematic for indie games with smaller playerbases, and it negatively impacts the reputation and stability of independent fan wikis.
Shacknews hosts John Romero, Yacht Club Games, and Bohemia Interactive for Extra Life 2026
Shacknews is hosting a 24-hour Extra Life charity stream on November 7-8, 2026, to raise money for Children's Specialized Hospital. The event will feature appearances from developers like John Romero, Yacht Club Games, and Bohemia Interactive, playing a variety of games.
When does Wardogs Season 3 start?
Bulkhead has announced that Wardogs Season 3 will begin on November 12, 2026, bringing the start date forward due to negative player reception of Season 2's rapid progression. CEO Joe Brammers stated the change aims to provide a fresh start, as some players reached high-tier armor and MBTs within days, diminishing the impact of the season wipe.
"We've got to slow down," Wardogs developer admits after Season 2's rocky rollout
Bulkhead, the developer of Wardogs, has admitted to making significant mistakes with the rollout of Season 2, including an economy wipe that was too quickly erased by rapid leveling and a rushed content schedule. The team is now planning to slow down the pace of seasons and focus on fundamentals, with Season 3 targeting November 12 and introducing limited servers to address player progression concerns. The studio acknowledges that external pressures, including Steam's review algorithm, influenced their rushed decisions.
What are we all playing this weekend?
Several gaming personalities shared their weekend gaming plans, with titles like Zero Company, Galactic Racer, Castlevania: Belmont's Curse, and Factorio being mentioned. Some are focusing on finishing existing games, while others are diving into new experiences or updates.
Despite its mixed reception, Marvel's Wolverine was September's top-selling new game in the US, making Sony launch revenues it hasn't seen since Helldivers 2
Marvel's Wolverine topped US video game sales in September, delivering the highest launch month dollar sales for a Sony-published game since Helldivers 2. Despite a mixed critical reception, the PS5 exclusive's success contributed to a significant uptick in PlayStation 5 console sales for the month. Other new releases like NBA 2K27 also performed well, with the game becoming the best-selling title of the year so far.
Best-selling games in the U.S. for September 2026 – Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Wave makes the top 5
Circana has released the top-selling video games in the U.S. for September 2026, with Marvel's Wolverine taking the top spot. New releases like Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave and Onimusha: Way of the Sword debuted at #4 and #7 respectively. The report also details the overall best-selling games of 2026 so far, led by NBA 2K27.
WARDOGS To Region Lock Players Due to Online Issues
Developer Bulkhead has begun implementing region restrictions in WARDOGS, lowering the maximum server ping to 175ms and developing a more comprehensive region-locking system to combat online issues. This move follows player complaints about high-ping users, cheating, and disruptive behavior, though the solution has divided the community.
Marvel's Wolverine leads US September charts, achieves highest monthly dollar sales for a Sony-published title since Helldivers 2
Marvel's Wolverine topped US game sales in September, marking the highest monthly dollar sales for a Sony-published title since Helldivers 2. PlayStation 5 hardware sales saw significant year-over-year growth, leading the market despite overall content spending declining. Other notable new releases included EA Sports FC 27 and Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave.
'Regions Are Cheating and We Need to Address It' — Wardogs Dev Says Region Locking Is About 'Protecting the Largest Amount of Players'
Bulkhead has implemented region locking in Wardogs, stating the measure is to protect players from regions with higher rates of cheating. This decision has drawn criticism from legitimate players in Asia and from those unable to play with friends in other regions.
WARDOGS Starts Region-Locking to Curtail Cheaters, Studio Boss Says It’s Not a Permanent Solution
Bulkhead Studios has implemented region-locking in WARDOGS as a temporary measure to combat cheaters, limiting players to servers with a ping below 175. This controversial decision has led to player complaints about not being able to connect with friends globally, with studio CEO Joe Brammer acknowledging the negative impact on a portion of the player base while prioritizing the majority.
Indies and original IP blew up in 2026
Research indicates a significant surge in indie games and original intellectual property (IP) success in 2026 compared to the previous year. Indie titles and new series comprised a larger portion of top-selling games, with some indie breakouts like Meccha Chameleon achieving massive sales figures. While AAA games maintained steady sales, the growth in the market is largely attributed to indie and AA studios experimenting with fresh ideas and franchises.
WARDOGS Season 2 Progression Boost Was “The Wrong Call,” Season 3 Being Brought Forward
Bulkhead Studios has acknowledged that the accelerated progression in WARDOGS Season 2 was a mistake, leading to player frustration and a drop in Steam reviews. The studio plans to bring forward content from Season 3 to offer a proper fresh start, rather than resetting the in-game economy again. Despite these issues, Season 2 has introduced new weapons, vehicles, and environmental effects.
Xbox business manager says devs not using AI shouldn't "be in the business of being a business" – because he "vibe coded a bad but improvable game in 2 days"
Xbox business manager Brandon Stirrup stated that game developers not using generative AI should reconsider their business. Stirrup claims he created an improvable game in two days using 'vibe coding' and believes AI is essential for future development, asserting that studios refusing AI are not truly in the business of being a business. The article counters this by highlighting successful games like Palworld that did not heavily rely on AI.
Wardogs reels back some of Season 2’s mechanics after exploits and player complaints
Developer Bulkhead has rolled back several mechanics introduced in Wardogs Season 2 following player complaints and exploits. An exploit allowing excessive progression XP gain via the driver role has been removed, and the Lonestar cash and XP bonus has been revoked. Players remain dissatisfied with the changes and the impact on the game's meta.
Wardogs Season 3 could be brought "significantly" forward, to offer "a proper fresh start"
Developer Bulkhead is considering significantly bringing forward Season 3 of Wardogs to offer players a proper fresh start, as Season 2's progression speed has led to player frustration. The studio acknowledges that the current season's rapid progression, with some players reaching end-game gear within days, has undermined the intended fresh start. Bulkhead is also planning 'primitive' servers for mid-season updates to limit available gear and vehicles.
'We f**ked up': 1 day into Wardogs Season 2, the Blue team bribery bonus is being dropped
Bulkhead Interactive has removed the 'bribery bonus' for players joining the Blue team in Wardogs Season 2 after just one day, admitting they 'fucked up.' The bonus, intended to improve the Blue team's win rate, proved too effective, causing an imbalance. The developer is also addressing driver progression issues and exploits.
"We were wrong": Wardogs devs end Season 2's team-specific cash and XP bonus experiment after a single, tumultuous day
Wardogs developers Bulkhead have canceled their Season 2 experiment that offered team-specific cash and XP bonuses after just one day, admitting they "fucked up." The bonuses, intended to boost the underperforming Lonestar faction, led to "tryhard" players accumulating excessive in-game currency, disrupting progression balance and causing matchmaking issues. The developers are now reverting to more conventional rebalancing methods.
