Season 2 · Live October 15

WARDOGS Guides — Weapons, Maps, Towers & Money

WARDOGS drops 100 players into three rival factions on a 256 km² battlefield, fighting over a randomized Control Zone in matches where your cash — and your loadout — survive your death. These guides cover everything the game doesn't explain.

Start the Beginner Guide Weapon Tier List

A WARDOGS main battle tank engaging enemy infantry on a foggy forested mountain road

From the Battlefield

WARDOGS soldiers riding a Little Bird helicopter over a forested valley at sunset

A Humvee launching mid-air over a rocky hillside while soldiers scramble in WARDOGS

A WARDOGS squad advancing through white and orange smoke on a rubble-strewn road

A WARDOGS door gunner firing a mounted minigun from a helicopter over a foggy coastline

A sniper in a ghillie suit aiming from a rooftop over a foggy village in WARDOGS

A desert convoy of camouflaged Humvees parked at a rural gas station at dusk

A WARDOGS jeep splashing through rain puddles at speed — Season 2 weather

A WARDOGS main battle tank advancing through rain and mud in Season 2

100Players / Match

3Factions

256 km²Map Size

$10,000Starting Cash

3M+Copies Sold

2026EA Launch

Start Here

Beginner Guide

Your first match, your first $10,000 loadout, and the five decisions that keep new players alive.

Weapon Tier List

Every ranked gun by time-to-kill — and why the price tag can matter more than the stats.

Money Guide

Reliable income routes for every role, from medic revives to pilot supply loops.

Pallets vs Crates

Which cargo loads more money — supply values and the $3,050 Ural run.

Profit Calculator

Plan logistics runs and compute break-even kills for any vehicle or kit.

Towers Explained

The four-digit codes that move the Hot Zone — the objective on top of the objective.

What is WARDOGS?

WARDOGS is a tactical all-out warfare FPS developed by BULKHEAD and published by Team17, released into Steam Early Access on September 10, 2026 ($39.99 — the studio has said this EA price will rise, so it's the cheapest it will ever be; PC only for now, consoles announced for 2028). The developers openly credit Arma 3's King of the Hill mode as the design's foundation.

Each match splits up to 100 players across three factions — LONESTAR (Western paramilitary), VALKYRA (Soviet restorationists) and MANTICORE (the Kingdom of Persia's shadow army). They fight over a 2×2 km Control Zone that lands somewhere new on the 256 km² map every match. First faction to 100 points wins.

What makes it different from every other large-scale shooter is the persistent cash economy: you start with $10,000, everything you buy is what you deploy with, and death costs you that kit. Your wallet carries across lives and matches — so every purchase is an investment, and support play (revives, transport, logistics) pays like combat does.

Core Mechanics in 60 Seconds

Control Zone — the randomized 2×2 km square where the match is scored. Being alive inside it is how your team earns points.
Hot Zone — a shifting sub-zone inside it. You count double toward zone score and earn double cash while standing in it.
Towers — capturable structures with control panels. Each tower your team holds contributes a digit to a four-digit code that pulls the Hot Zone toward ground you already hold. Full breakdown in the towers guide.
No respawn timer — when you die you respawn in the safe zone, and travel time is the punishment. This is why vehicles and pilots matter.
FOBs and drills — player-built forward bases and resource structures that keep the economy and spawn pressure running.

All Guides

Weapon List

All 37 weapons with prices, ammunition, unlocks and XP tracks.

Best Weapons

Which guns are actually worth your cash, by role and budget.

Maps

Bakurani, Ozeti and Zestafona — terrain, approaches and ambush ground.

Vehicles

24 vehicles with prices, unlocks and kill rewards, from the $500 Bobcat to tanks and helicopters.

Driver Leveling

The XP road to 35 and the L2A6 tank — pallet loops, gun trucks and the round trip bonus.

FOB Building

Build order, wall heights and siege tactics that keep a base standing.

Helicopter Guide

Controls, landing technique and how to run a profitable transport loop.

Play With Friends

Grouping, voice channels, roles and rally plans for squads.

Best Settings

Official PC targets, Potato/Overkill modes and competitive settings priorities.

Best Loadouts

Complete kits for assault, medic, recon, pilot and logistics at every budget.

Best Sniper

SV98 vs MK22, AP vs FMJ headshot rules — the one-tap math explained.

Release Dates

Season 2 dated October 15, EA timeline and 2028 console window.

Season 2 Tracker

Rain mechanics, the progression wipe, new gear — and the daily Gold Bar rate, tracked every day.

Quick Answers

Is WARDOGS free to play?: No — it's a $39.99 Steam Early Access title, and BULKHEAD has announced the price will go up during Early Access. There's no free-to-play version.
When does WARDOGS Season 2 start?: October 15, 2026 — officially dated in the Season 02 teaser, with rain and weather changes to combat. Details on the release dates page.
Is WARDOGS on PS5 or Xbox?: Not yet. Consoles are officially announced for 2028; specific platforms haven't been named. See the release dates page.
Do you lose your gear when you die?: Yes — the loadout you deployed with is lost, but your cash persists. Budget so your first death doesn't bankrupt the second life.
What's the best gun?: By raw time-to-kill the FAL leads, but it costs $6,500 and unlocks at Assault level 35. The free A-91 family is fine for your first matches — details in the tier list.

Sources: official Steam listing (BULKHEAD/Team17), BULKHEAD devlogs and the official Season 2 patch notes. Data current as of Season 2 (build S2, Oct 15, 2026); S1-era fields are re-verified as the notes restate them.