WARDOGS will keep its monetization systems out of Early Access, with BULKHEAD planning to introduce them only when the shooter reaches version 1.0. Until then, the studio plans to earn money through base game sales and a supporter edition rather than additional in-game purchases.
WARDOGS is scheduled to enter Steam Early Access on September 10, 2026. Mark Pinney, BULKHEAD’s senior game director and CFO, and Joe Brammer, the studio’s CEO and executive producer, discussed the plan during an Insider Gaming interview at Gamescom.
Early Access buyers will receive the 1.0 content
BULKHEAD does not want to make a long list of promises for Early Access. Instead, the team plans to work toward 1.0 while using the lower Early Access price to bring players into the game. The base price will increase for the 1.0 launch, reflecting the extra content added during development.
Players who buy WARDOGS during Early Access will still receive the content added for 1.0. BULKHEAD specifically mentioned new maps, modes, weapons, and additional ways to play as part of the package.
The studio has also discussed a playable PvE prototype and a possible extraction mode as long-term ideas. Neither was presented as a confirmed Early Access feature, and BULKHEAD does not plan to publish a traditional roadmap for the game.
BULKHEAD says the game comes before monetization
Leaving monetization until 1.0 is a risk, especially for a live-service shooter that the team hopes to support for years. BULKHEAD’s position is that earning revenue and supporting a community can exist together, provided the game remains the priority.
Brammer was especially direct when discussing the criticism that may come once monetization begins. “We have kids to feed,” he said, adding that the difficult state of the industry has left the studio with limited room to keep making a well-supported shooter without bringing in revenue.
BULKHEAD also knows the subject is more sensitive because the studio has previously mocked monetization tactics from larger shooters, including celebrity collaborations and unusual skin bundles associated with recent Call of Duty releases. The developers said they need to show how their own approach works rather than only criticize other studios.
WARDOGS’ beta success did not change the plan
The closed beta gave WARDOGS a much larger audience than BULKHEAD expected. The test reached 105,774 concurrent players on Steam and, at one point, became Twitch’s most-watched game category. Earlier expectations had been far more modest, with Brammer describing a Steam concurrent player count between 3,000 and 10,000 as the range the team was aiming to support.
That attention has not altered the studio’s plans for Early Access or 1.0. WARDOGS remains centered on three teams of up to 100 players fighting over territory in a King of the Hill-style sandbox. Money is also part of the match itself, since players earn cash for their actions. One popular role during testing involved driving fighters to the front line, collecting ratings and payment before heading back for another passenger.
Brammer and Pinney also said BULKHEAD intends to stick with its design vision when players or large streamers request changes. Requests such as a sniper-only mode may be heard, but they will not automatically determine the direction of the game.
WARDOGS has not revealed the exact form its 1.0 monetization will take. For now, the studio’s promise is clear: Early Access will focus on the game itself, while the paid systems will wait for the larger 1.0 release.
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Wardogs
Developed by Bulkhead
