Bulkhead, the studio developing the first-person shooter Wardogs, revealed it was quoted around $300,000 for a single 60-second trailer slot in a major gaming showcase, prompting it to launch its own free event instead. Rather than pay the fee to appear alongside big-budget, celebrity-backed titles, CEO Joe Brammer and UI/UX designer Howard Philpott decided to create The FPS Games Show, a showcase dedicated entirely to first-person shooters, highlighting how expensive it has become for smaller studios to secure visibility at industry-leading events.

The pair did not name the showcase they were quoted for, though it is likely Gamescom's Opening Night Live given the timing of Wardogs' Steam Early Access launch on 10 September and ONL's date of 26 August. Notably, this figure is lower than the $450,000 previously reported for a slot at The Game Awards. The FPS Games Show charges no fees to participate, has already featured games including Escape From Tarkov and Gray Zone Warfare, and will include Ubisoft's Rainbow Six Siege. The event streams live on Twitch at 2pm ET on Thursday, 3 September.