WARDOGS drew nearly 500,000 players during its August 21–23 closed beta, giving BULKHEAD a packed audience before the tactical FPS reaches its $40 Steam Early Access release scheduled for September 10. The test was limited to pre-order customers, but its Sunday peak still passed 100,000 concurrent Steam players.
That is a hefty turnout for a game that has not officially launched yet. The beta ran during the same week as Call of Duty’s beta and Battlefield 6’s massive update, while its peak reportedly exceeded the highest PC player counts previously reached by Squad, Hell Let Loose, and Arma.
Game director Howard Philpott discussed the response in BULKHEAD’s beta debrief, saying, “The reaction from the FPS community has been insane.” He added that nearly half a million individual players joined the test despite the crowded FPS schedule.
WARDOGS had already crossed one million Steam wishlists before the beta, so the test offered the first real indication of how much of that interest would turn into active players. The answer was clear: the 100-player milsim shooter attracted serious attention even while competing for time with much larger names.
WARDOGS turns teamwork into spending money
Its appeal is not built around gunfights alone. Players carry a persistent in-game wallet that can pay for weapons, unlock gear, tip pilots, or bribe medics to save their lives. Money comes from useful battlefield actions, including eliminating enemies, reviving teammates, capturing objectives, and giving other players a ride.
That economy gives cooperation a wonderfully selfish incentive. Helping the squad is also a way to fund the next loadout, so the game can reward teamwork without pretending everyone is being noble about it. In a 100-player battle, that kind of pressure should create plenty of reasons to make a risky rescue or chase one more objective.
The closed beta has now ended, but BULKHEAD’s next major WARDOGS announcement is scheduled for September 3, one week before Early Access begins. The studio has not revealed what that announcement will contain.
WARDOGS is scheduled to enter Steam Early Access on September 10. After a beta that attracted nearly half a million players, the next test will be whether BULKHEAD can turn that early momentum into a stable community around its mix of infantry combat, vehicles, destruction, construction, and a battlefield economy.
Did the beta turnout change your view of WARDOGS, or are you waiting for Early Access before deciding? Share your thoughts in the comments and keep up with future coverage on X, Bluesky, YouTube, Instagram, Steam, and Telegram.
Wardogs
Developed by Bulkhead
