Quick answer: Yes, WARDOGS is worth playing if you like big military shooters. It’s a 100-player, three-team warfare FPS from BULKHEAD and Team17, and after a little over 40 hours on PC, it earned top marks from us for visuals and for replayability. There is always something to do, whether you’re flying helicopters, running logistics, dropping your squad off in the Control Zone, sniping or driving, and multiple skill trees from recon to medical keep the unlocks coming. It’s $39.99 on Steam and still in Early Access, so expect it to keep changing.
Overall score: 89/100 (A-)
WARDOGS is a tactical all-out warfare FPS from developer BULKHEAD, published by Team17. It launched in Steam Early Access on September 10, 2026 for Windows PC, with PlayStation 5 and Xbox versions announced for 2028, and BULKHEAD announced it passed 3 million sales by late September. We played a little over 40 hours on PC, so this review looks at how it plays right now for anyone thinking about jumping in.
What WARDOGS is
The Steam page describes it as “a TACTICAL ALL OUT WARFARE FPS where one hundred players split across three teams fight over the control zone.” It’s set in “the derelict industrial mountains of Eastern Europe on a destructible battlefield where teamwork pays and cash is king.” Matches mix infantry with vehicles, from helicopters to tanks.
Gameplay: 9/10
Nearly top marks. WARDOGS gives you a lot of different ways to be useful to your team. One match you’re flying a helicopter, the next you’re doing logistics runs, dropping people off in the Control Zone, sniping from range or driving. That variety is what makes it fun hour to hour, and with three teams fighting over the same ground, there’s always a fight to get into.
Story and Writing: 8.5/10
WARDOGS is a multiplayer shooter, so there’s no campaign to play through. What it does have is its setting: three teams fighting over the Control Zone in the derelict industrial mountains of Eastern Europe, where, as BULKHEAD puts it, “cash is king.” It still earned a strong 8.5 from us.
Visuals: 10/10, Sound and Music: 9/10
Visuals earned top marks. WARDOGS runs on Unreal Engine 5, and its destructible battlefield in the mountains of Eastern Europe looks great. Sound and music came in just behind with a 9.
Performance and Polish: 8/10
Solid, but this is the area with the most room to grow, which you’d expect from an Early Access game. A 100-player battle full of vehicles and destruction can push any PC hard. BULKHEAD has been patching steadily, fixing crash and stutter issues across its updates. If you want more frames, our WARDOGS best PC settings guide walks through the official system requirements and three presets.
Replayability and Content: 10/10
This is where WARDOGS shines. There is always something to do, whether that’s flying helicopters, running logistics, dropping people off in the Control Zone, sniping or driving. On top of that there’s a lot of progression, with multiple skill trees covering everything from recon to driving, flying and medical, plus plenty of things to unlock.
Value for Money: 8/10
WARDOGS is $39.99 on Steam (checked October 31, 2026). For the amount of content and progression on offer, that’s good value, with the usual Early Access caveat that the game is still changing as BULKHEAD works through its seasons.
What’s in WARDOGS in 2026
Season 2 arrived on October 15 with new weapons, vehicles and rain, which we covered in our Season 2 rundown. BULKHEAD later said speeding up Season 2 progression was “the wrong call” and that it was looking at bringing Season 3 and some content forward. Our Season 3 report has the details.
Platforms and price
- Release: Steam Early Access, September 10, 2026.
- PC: Steam ($39.99). Windows only, with no macOS or Linux version listed.
- Consoles: PlayStation 5 and Xbox versions are coming in 2028, announced by BULKHEAD and Team17 on September 10, 2026. You can already wishlist it on the PlayStation Store.
- Developer and publisher: BULKHEAD, published by Team17.
- Players: 100 per match across three teams, online only.
Who it’s for
WARDOGS is for anyone who has played Arma, really likes Battlefield or loves any military simulation game. It’s perfect for those players. There’s a lot of progression, multiple skills to build from recon to driving, flying and medical, and many different progression trees and things to unlock, so there’s always something to do. If you only want short, small-team matches, the 100-player Control Zone fights may be more than you’re looking for.
Our ratings
| Gameplay | 9/10 |
| Story and writing | 8.5/10 |
| Visuals | 10/10 |
| Sound and music | 9/10 |
| Performance and polish | 8/10 |
| Replayability and content | 10/10 |
| Value for money | 8/10 |
Overall score: 89/100 (A-)
Played: a little over 40 hours on PC. How we score games
Verdict
If you love the Arma and Battlefield style of war, WARDOGS is a great pick right now. After a little over 40 hours on PC, it earned top marks for visuals and replayability, with strong gameplay, sound and story setting, and good value at $39.99. Performance is the one area still catching up, which fits a game in Early Access, but with this much to do and this much to unlock, it’s an easy recommendation.
More WARDOGS on Game Beacon
- WARDOGS best PC settings: competitive, balanced and high-end presets
- WARDOGS Season 2: weapons, vehicles and rain
- WARDOGS Season 3 could come early after Season 2 misstep
Sources: the WARDOGS Steam page, BULKHEAD’s official Steam news posts, the BULKHEAD and Team17 launch announcement and the PlayStation Store listing. Price checked October 31, 2026. See all our reviews on the Reviews hub.
