{"id":2088095,"date":"2026-08-11T16:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-08-11T13:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2088095"},"modified":"2026-08-11T16:00:00","modified_gmt":"2026-08-11T13:00:00","slug":"much-wishlisted-100-player-shooter-wardogs-gets-an-early-access-release-date-and-promises-refunds-for-anyone-unhappy-with-the-closed-beta","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2088095","title":{"rendered":"Much-wishlisted 100-player shooter Wardogs gets an early access release date and promises refunds for anyone unhappy with the closed beta"},"content":{"rendered":"<article class=\"article \" data-ads=\"true\" data-article-type=\"news\" data-article-group=\"news\" data-paywalled=\"false\" data-premium=\"false\" data-sponsored=\"false\" data-type=\"article\">\n<header class=\"article_header\" data-component=\"article-header\">\n<div class=\"breadcrumbs\">\n<nav class=\"nav_breadcrumbs\" data-component=\"nav-breadcrumbs\" aria-label=\"Breadcrumb\">\n<ul class=\"nav-links\">\n<li>\n                <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/\" data-active=\"false\"><br \/>\n                      Home<br \/>\n                <\/a>\n            <\/li>\n<li>\n                <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/news\" data-active=\"false\"><br \/>\n                      News<br \/>\n                <\/a>\n            <\/li>\n<li>\n                <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/games\/wardogs\" data-active=\"false\"><br \/>\n                      Wardogs<br \/>\n                <\/a>\n            <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/nav><\/div>\n<div class=\"headline_details\" id=\"main-content\">\n<h1 class=\"title\">Much-wishlisted 100-player shooter Wardogs gets an early access release date and promises refunds for anyone unhappy with the closed beta<\/h1>\n<p class=\"strapline\">&#8220;Here are 10 reasons you should NOT buy.&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"headline_asset\">\n<figure class=\"headline_image_wrapper\">\n<p>        <img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"headline_image\" src=\"https:\/\/assetsio.gnwcdn.com\/wardogs-screen-crop.jpg?width=570&amp;quality=85&amp;format=jpg&amp;dpr=3&amp;auto=webp\" alt loading=\"eager\" data-uri=\"wardogs-screen-crop.jpg\" data-lightbox width=\"570\" height=\"362\"><figcaption>\n          <span class=\"attribution\">Image credit: <cite>Bulkhead, Team17.<\/cite><\/span><br \/>\n        <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"metadata\">\n<div class=\"avatar\">\n<p>    <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Sherif Saed avatar\" src=\"https:\/\/assetsio.gnwcdn.com\/IMG_1950_Uy1XomJ.JPG?width=2048&amp;height=2048&amp;fit=bounds&amp;quality=85&amp;format=jpg&amp;auto=webp\" style=\"aspect-ratio: 1\" width=\"1638\" height=\"1346\"><\/p>\n<p>  <img alt=\"Sherif Saed avatar\" data-autosize=\"crop_lossy\" data-uri=\"IMG_1950_Uy1XomJ.JPG\" loading=\"lazy\" style=\"aspect-ratio: 1\" width=\"1638\" height=\"1346\">\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"text\">\n<div class=\"byline\">\n                  <span class=\"article_type\" data-slug=\"news\"><br \/>\n                    News<br \/>\n                  <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"by\">by<\/span> <span class=\"author\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/authors\/sherif-saed\">Sherif Saed<\/a><\/span>                    <span class=\"job_title\"><br \/>\n                      Senior Contributor<br \/>\n                    <\/span>\n            <\/div>\n<div class=\"published_at\">\n<p>Published on   <time datetime=\"2026-08-11T16:00:00+00:00\" data-auto-time-zone=\"true\" data-year=\"numeric\" data-month=\"short\" data-day=\"numeric\" data-hour=\"numeric\" data-minute=\"numeric\">Aug. 11, 2026, 4 p.m.<\/time>\n              <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"mypop-header-wrapper\">\n<p><button class=\"mypop-button button wide\" data-state=\"follow\" data-type=\"tag\" data-uuid=\"f78d8bff-8115-429f-9e32-9b70c4b10bab\" data-name=\"Wardogs\" data-follow-text=\"Follow Wardogs\" data-unfollow-text=\"Following Wardogs\" data-aria-follow-text=\"Follow Wardogs\" data-aria-unfollow-text=\"Following Wardogs\" data-popup=\"true\" data-force-login=\"true\" aria-label=\"Follow Wardogs\" title=\"Follow Wardogs\"><br \/>\n  Follow Wardogs<br \/>\n<\/button>          <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"article_body\" data-component=\"article-content\">\n<div class=\"article_body_content article-styling\">\n<p>Wardogs, the ambitious shooter from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/games\/battalion-1944\">Battalion 1944<\/a> and The Turing Test developer Bulkhead, will soon arrive on Steam early access. The studio announced today, after months of invite-only tests, Wardogs will finally be released on 10th September.<\/p>\n<p>Pre-orders are live as of the time of this writing, and it guarantees access to Wardog&#8217;s upcoming closed beta, which is available for one weekend: 21st-23rd August on Steam. And the developer appears to be so comfortable with what it&#8217;s made that players are invited to refund their purchase after playing the beta if they don&#8217;t like it.<\/p>\n<p>The game is priced $40 during early access, but the plan is to raise that to $60 at full release. Early access won&#8217;t include any in-game monetisation but Bulkhead said you should expect paid cosmetics after release. At early access launch, only the Supporters edition cosmetics will be available.<\/p>\n<p>Wardogs matches take place in large open spaces that support up to 100 players. The game features Battlefield-style combined-arms combat, though with some of the logistical focus of Hell Let Loose, Squad or Arma.<\/p>\n<p>Wardogs launches into early access with three maps that have three variations each, and several vehicles and weapons. Development in early access will focus on game performance, stability, balance, bug fixes and any other topic players raise after getting their hands on it. And the plan is to remain in early access for &#8220;roughly 24 months&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"injection_placeholder\" data-position=\"1\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p>Bulkhead has taken a transparent approach to Wardogs&#8217; marketing since its reveal, with the developer regularly communicating its goals for the project with players. The studio has repeatedly said it&#8217;s not making a game for everyone, and preemptively addressed topics it knows will be discussed &#8211; such as game performance versus visuals and the ever-controversial player count.<\/p>\n<p>This continues today with a pre-order trailer titled &#8220;10 Reasons NOT to Buy&#8221;. It&#8217;s worth watching the video for an idea of what to expect from early access.<\/p>\n<figure>\n<div class=\"video_wrapper youtube\">\n<a aria-label=\"WARDOGS | 10 Reasons NOT to Buy\" class=\"video-facade full-size\" data-platform=\"youtube\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/ugkuP4a3xk4?autoplay=1\" title=\"Click to play video from YouTube\"><br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Cover image for YouTube video\" class=\"video-facade__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/ugkuP4a3xk4\/hqdefault.jpg\"><span class=\"video-facade__title\">WARDOGS | 10 Reasons NOT to Buy<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/a>\n<\/div>\n<p><a class=\"button video\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=ugkuP4a3xk4\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Watch on YouTube<\/a><\/figure>\n<p>Control Zone is its main mode, where three rival teams of mercenaries try to capture key locations and secure cash. Said cash ties into the meta game component, which players use to buy weapons, vehicles and other useful items. The more successful jobs you do &#8211; even down to just transporting players around in a helicopter &#8211; the more money you make.<\/p>\n<p>Through closed tests and developer diaries over the last several months, Wardogs has been building momentum, and currently has over 800,000 Wishlists <a href=\"https:\/\/store.steampowered.com\/app\/1867240\/WARDOGS\/\">on Steam<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"preferred-source\" data-component=\"preferred-source\">\nLove Eurogamer.net? Make us a <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/preferences\/source?q=https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\">Preferred Source on Google<\/a> and catch more of our coverage in your feeds.  <\/div>\n<\/article>\n<div class=\"article_body\" data-component=\"article-content\">\n<div class=\"article_body_content article-styling\">\n<p>Wardogs, the ambitious shooter from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/games\/battalion-1944\">Battalion 1944<\/a> and The Turing Test developer Bulkhead, will soon arrive on Steam early access. The studio announced today, after months of invite-only tests, Wardogs will finally be released on 10th September.<\/p>\n<p>Pre-orders are live as of the time of this writing, and it guarantees access to Wardog&#8217;s upcoming closed beta, which is available for one weekend: 21st-23rd August on Steam. And the developer appears to be so comfortable with what it&#8217;s made that players are invited to refund their purchase after playing the beta if they don&#8217;t like it.<\/p>\n<p>The game is priced $40 during early access, but the plan is to raise that to $60 at full release. Early access won&#8217;t include any in-game monetisation but Bulkhead said you should expect paid cosmetics after release. At early access launch, only the Supporters edition cosmetics will be available.<\/p>\n<p>Wardogs matches take place in large open spaces that support up to 100 players. The game features Battlefield-style combined-arms combat, though with some of the logistical focus of Hell Let Loose, Squad or Arma.<\/p>\n<p>Wardogs launches into early access with three maps that have three variations each, and several vehicles and weapons. Development in early access will focus on game performance, stability, balance, bug fixes and any other topic players raise after getting their hands on it. And the plan is to remain in early access for &#8220;roughly 24 months&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"injection_placeholder\" data-position=\"1\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p>Bulkhead has taken a transparent approach to Wardogs&#8217; marketing since its reveal, with the developer regularly communicating its goals for the project with players. The studio has repeatedly said it&#8217;s not making a game for everyone, and preemptively addressed topics it knows will be discussed &#8211; such as game performance versus visuals and the ever-controversial player count.<\/p>\n<p>This continues today with a pre-order trailer titled &#8220;10 Reasons NOT to Buy&#8221;. It&#8217;s worth watching the video for an idea of what to expect from early access.<\/p>\n<figure>\n<div class=\"video_wrapper youtube\">\n<a aria-label=\"WARDOGS | 10 Reasons NOT to Buy\" class=\"video-facade full-size\" data-platform=\"youtube\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/ugkuP4a3xk4?autoplay=1\" title=\"Click to play video from YouTube\"><br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Cover image for YouTube video\" class=\"video-facade__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/ugkuP4a3xk4\/hqdefault.jpg\"><span class=\"video-facade__title\">WARDOGS | 10 Reasons NOT to Buy<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/a>\n<\/div>\n<p><a class=\"button video\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=ugkuP4a3xk4\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Watch on YouTube<\/a><\/figure>\n<p>Control Zone is its main mode, where three rival teams of mercenaries try to capture key locations and secure cash. Said cash ties into the meta game component, which players use to buy weapons, vehicles and other useful items. The more successful jobs you do &#8211; even down to just transporting players around in a helicopter &#8211; the more money you make.<\/p>\n<p>Through closed tests and developer diaries over the last several months, Wardogs has been building momentum, and currently has over 800,000 Wishlists <a href=\"https:\/\/store.steampowered.com\/app\/1867240\/WARDOGS\/\">on Steam<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Home News Wardogs Much-wishlisted 100-player shooter Wardogs gets an early access release date and promises refunds for anyone unhappy with the closed beta &#8220;Here are 10 reasons you should NOT buy.&#8221; Image credit: Bulkhead, Team17. News by Sherif Saed Senior Contributor Published on Aug. 11, 2026, 4 p.m. Follow Wardogs Wardogs, the ambitious shooter from [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[226,253],"class_list":["post-2088095","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-crawlmanager","tag-eurogamer-net"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2088095","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2088095"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2088095\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2088095"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2088095"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2088095"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}