Much-wishlisted 100-player shooter Wardogs gets an early access release date and promises refunds for anyone unhappy with the closed beta
Developed over time first seen 2 months ago
Bulkhead, the studio behind Battalion 1944 and The Turing Test, has confirmed that its ambitious 100-player shooter Wardogs will launch into Steam early access on 10th September, following months of invite-only testing. The announcement comes as the game has built substantial momentum, amassing over 800,000 Steam wishlists, and is accompanied by an unusually confident marketing push in which Bulkhead is offering refunds to anyone who tries the closed beta and decides they don't like the final product, reinforced by a trailer titled "10 Reasons NOT to Buy".
Pre-orders are now live and grant access to a closed beta running for one weekend, 21st-23rd August, ahead of the full early access release. The game will cost $40 during early access, rising to $60 at full release, with no in-game monetisation until launch beyond Supporters edition cosmetics. Wardogs blends Battlefield-style combined-arms combat with logistical elements akin to Hell Let Loose, Squad and Arma, launching with three maps (each with three variations), several vehicles and weapons, and a Control Zone mode in which three mercenary teams fight to capture locations and cash. Bulkhead plans to keep the game in early access for roughly 24 months, focusing development on performance, stability, balance and player feedback.
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In short
- Wardogs launches into Steam early access on 10th September
- Closed beta runs 21st-23rd August; refunds offered if unsatisfied
- Costs $40 in early access, rising to $60 at full release
How this story developed
- 2 months ago Bulkhead, the studio behind Battalion 1944 and The Turing Test, has announced that its ambitious 100-player shooter Wardogs will launch into Steam early access on 10th September.
- 2 months ago Bulkhead, the studio behind Battalion 1944 and The Turing Test, has confirmed that its ambitious 100-player shooter Wardogs will launch into Steam early access on 10th September, following months of invite-only testing.
Explained simply
Wardogs is a large-scale first-person shooter made by Bulkhead Games, a British studio previously known for the World War Two shooter Battalion 1944 and the puzzle game The Turing Test. Wardogs pits up to 100 players against each other in battles that combine infantry combat, vehicles and heavier weaponry, drawing comparisons to games such as Battlefield, Hell Let Loose and Squad. It has generated significant interest before release, with hundreds of thousands of people adding it to their Steam wishlists.
The game is being released using early access, a common approach on the PC platform Steam where a game is sold to the public before it is finished, allowing the developer to gather player feedback and make changes while also earning revenue during development. This differs from a traditional closed beta, which is typically a smaller, invite-only test used to iron out problems before a wider release. Bulkhead has been running closed testing for Wardogs for some months as it prepares for the early access launch.
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