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ValheimEarly Access and Roadmap
Wardogs has been in Steam Early Access since Sep 10, 2026, and Bulkhead says it will stay there "around 1 to 2 years", with 1.0 tied to the PS5 and Xbox versions planned for 2028. Planned but not yet in the game: player skills, custom loadouts, limited and primitive servers, more maps, fighter jets and the Black Market & Vault; the price is planned to rise from $39.99 to $49.99 and then $59.99.
Wardogs is an Early Access game: it has been playable on Steam since Sep 10, 2026, and Bulkhead expects it to stay in Early Access for "around 1 to 2 years", adding that "We are adamant that we do not want to be in Early Access for a long time" (Steam, read Oct 26, 2026). There is no 1.0 date as of Oct 26, 2026. Bulkhead CEO Joe Brammer ties 1.0 to the console launch, and the PlayStation 5 and Xbox versions are planned for 2028. Bulkhead's plans are spread across the store's Early Access answers, an Apr 7 video, interviews and patch notes, gathered here. Everything below marked planned is not in the game yet. The clip is Bulkhead's answer from March 2026, before the launch.
Quick facts
| In Early Access since | Sep 10, 2026 |
| Planned length | "Around 1 to 2 years" |
| 1.0 date | Not announced; tied to consoles in 2028 |
| Current season | Season 2, since Oct 15, 2026 |
| Next season | Season 3, Nov 12, 2026, per Brammer |
| Season length from now on | About three months, with a mid-season update |
| Price now | $39.99 |
| Planned price | $49.99 at about 12 months, $59.99 at about 24 months |
| Pay to keep content | No: Early Access buyers get later additions |
Sources: Steam, read Oct 26, 2026; GamesRadar+, Sep 21, 2026; GamesRadar+, Sep 22, 2026; Insider Gaming, Aug 28, 2026; PCGamesN, Oct 25, 2026.
The Steam Early Access answers
The store page carries Bulkhead's answers to Steam's standard Early Access questions (Steam, read Oct 26, 2026):
| Question | Bulkhead's answer, in short |
|---|---|
| Why Early Access? | To "put a fully playable FPS in players' hands early, gather meaningful feedback, and iterate alongside the community" |
| How long? | "Around 1 to 2 years" |
| What will the full version add? | More maps, weapons, vehicles and gameplay variety; "more in depth progression systems, a stronger seasonal meta game"; new vehicle types "including fighter jets"; more weapon categories; more objective variations |
| What is in it now? | A 100-player, three-team game on large maps with dynamic objective zones, cash and XP progression, vehicles and logistics, and proximity voice chat |
| Will the price change? | It is "priced lower during Early Access" and may rise "closer to full release" |
| How is the community involved? | Feedback through Steam, social channels and playtests, gameplay data for balance and the economy, and seasonal updates that respond to how people play |
Source: Steam store page, Early Access section, read Oct 26, 2026.
Bulkhead's stated priorities
Before launch Team17 said the Early Access focus would be stability, performance, balancing, bug fixes and key community feedback, with the long-term metagame planned for 1.0 (Team17, Aug 13, 2026). Bulkhead was blunter in its "10 reasons not to buy" video: "Wardogs has a content problem... After launch into early access, we'll be focusing on bug fixes, feedback, and a new map... Players should not expect regular content drops" (PC Gamer, Aug 11, 2026). PCGamesN notes the studio also said it would not expand maps, vehicles or weapon types dramatically during Early Access (PCGamesN, Sep 18, 2026).
Brammer has repeated the warning since launch. "We're not going to have enough content for people, and we're not going to be able to keep up with the demand," he told GamesRadar+, and the focus is "growing the game for the 1.0 launch on console" (GamesRadar+, Sep 21, 2026). Of the current build he said "You're playing 25% of the game" (PC Gamer, Sep 29, 2026).
Early Access & Beyond: the metagame plan
Bulkhead's Apr 7, 2026 video "Early Access & Beyond" set out the metagame to be built during Early Access, under two names: "The Black Market & Vault" and a "Player Skills & Challenge System". Neither is in the game under those names as of Oct 26, 2026. What exists today is narrower: Gold Bars spent in the Gold Market, which unlocks at Wardog level 35 for $150,000 in Season 2, and a Vault that holds items such as Twitch Drop rewards (Dexerto, Sep 11, 2026). See Gold Bars and the Gold Market.
Player skills (planned)
The planned skills work like Escape from Tarkov's: they improve with repetition, for example how long you can tactical sprint or staying in scope while cycling a bolt, and they will persist across seasons (PC Gamer, Sep 29, 2026). Brammer also described a future "intel" resource that will unlock gun parts and attachments beyond today's grips, scopes and muzzles. Bulkhead says the XP players earn in Early Access is being banked and will be applied retroactively to long-term systems such as skills (Insider Gaming, Oct 9, 2026). None of this is live; today's progression is on Progression and Unlocks.
Custom loadouts (planned)
Brammer has confirmed custom loadouts but given no date. They will be unlocked "with in game cash through the meta game... Buy as many as you like, or none at all" (GamesRadar+, Oct 14, 2026). Until then the game has only Rebuy Last Loadout, which since Season 2 fills the vendor with your last kit so you can change it before paying (Bulkhead, Oct 14, 2026). Loadouts guides recommend are on Best Loadouts.
The season cadence
Each season has its own XP curve and item order, and progression is wiped each season (Bulkhead, Sep 9, 2026). Season 1 lasted from Sep 10 to Oct 15, 2026, and Season 2 will last less than a month (Shacknews, Oct 25, 2026), because on Oct 17 Bulkhead said it would bring Season 3 forward after Season 2's progression went too fast (PCGamesN, Oct 17, 2026).
That pace is ending. "We've got to slow down. We can't do monthly seasons. We can't keep up," Brammer said on Oct 25; the plan from now on is seasons of about three months with a smaller update halfway through (PCGamesN, Oct 25, 2026). He called adding lots of content at the expense of the fundamentals in Season 2 "a huge mistake on our part", and Bulkhead wants to move away from Season 1's "heavy vertical progression", where the best items sat at the end of each track. Season 3 starts on Nov 12, 2026 according to Brammer's reply on Steam, which no Bulkhead news post had confirmed as of Oct 26, 2026. See Season 3 and Seasons and Wipes.
Limited and primitive servers (planned)
Brammer called the "big failure" of Season 1 "community servers and us not hosting official infantry and level cap servers" (GamesRadar+, Sep 29, 2026). The fix is planned for Season 3: limited servers without power weapons or vehicles, and "primitive" servers that recreate the low-to-mid game (PCGamesN, Oct 25, 2026). PCGamesN earlier described Limited Mode as removing level 4 armor, power weapons and vehicles such as tanks and artillery while allowing level 2 armor (PCGamesN, Oct 16, 2026). Today's server types (Official, Community, Infantry Mode and Low-Level) are on Servers and Matchmaking.
In September Bulkhead also listed community server features still to come: favoriting, tiered priority queues, a message of the day, better warmup activities, no AFK kicks while seeding, and team switching controls (Bulkhead, Sep 12, 2026).
More maps, vehicles and jets (planned)
The full version is to add more maps, weapons and vehicles, new vehicle types "including fighter jets", more weapon categories and more objective variations (Steam). None has a date. Season 2 added four weapons and four vehicles but no new map, so Wardogs still has the three maps it launched with (Maps). Bulkhead also said Steam Trading Cards and Points Shop items would come during Season 2, pending Valve's approval.
Consoles and 1.0 in 2028
PlayStation 5 and Xbox versions are planned for 2028, the year the launch trailer gave ("COMING TO CONSOLES IN 2028", Bulkhead, Sep 10, 2026), and Brammer describes the goal as the 1.0 launch on console (GamesRadar+, Sep 21, 2026). No exact date for either exists. See Consoles and Crossplay.
The planned price steps
The store says the game is cheaper during Early Access and "we may raise the price closer to full release" (Steam). Brammer gave the steps at Gamescom: $39.99 now, $49.99 in about 12 months around version "0.5", and $59.99 at about 24 months (GamesRadar+, Sep 22, 2026). Neither rise has happened as of Oct 26, 2026. Bulkhead's team told Insider Gaming that Early Access players get everything added later without paying again, and that monetization mechanics will begin at 1.0: "We're a business that needs to make money" (Insider Gaming, Aug 28, 2026). Its pledges, never to sell cash, Gold Bars or camos directly, are on Price and Supporter Edition.
What is planned, at a glance
| Feature | Status on Oct 26, 2026 | Said by |
|---|---|---|
| Season 3 | Nov 12, 2026, per Brammer | PCGamesN, Shacknews (Oct 25) |
| Three-month seasons with a mid-season update | Planned after Season 3 | Brammer to PCGamesN (Oct 25) |
| Limited and primitive servers | Planned for Season 3 | PCGamesN (Oct 16, Oct 25) |
| Custom loadouts | Planned, no date | Brammer to GamesRadar+ (Oct 14) |
| Player skills | Planned, no date | Brammer to PC Gamer (Sep 29) |
| Intel resource for gun parts | Planned, no date | Brammer to PC Gamer (Sep 29) |
| Black Market & Vault, Challenge System | Planned in Apr 2026, not live under those names | Bulkhead video (Apr 7) |
| More maps | Planned for 1.0 | Steam store page |
| Fighter jets | Planned for 1.0 | Steam store page |
| Steam Trading Cards | Pending Valve's approval | Season 2 notes (Oct 14) |
| PS5 and Xbox | 2028 | Launch trailer (Sep 10) |
| Price to $49.99, then $59.99 | Planned, about 12 and 24 months | Brammer to GamesRadar+ (Sep 22) |
Sources: PCGamesN, Oct 25, 2026; Shacknews, Oct 25, 2026; PCGamesN, Oct 16, 2026; GamesRadar+, Oct 14, 2026; PC Gamer, Sep 29, 2026; Bulkhead, Apr 7, 2026; Steam, read Oct 26, 2026; Bulkhead, Oct 14, 2026; Bulkhead, Sep 10, 2026; GamesRadar+, Sep 22, 2026.
Frequently asked questions
How long will Wardogs be in Early Access? Bulkhead says Wardogs will be in Steam Early Access for "around 1 to 2 years" from its Sep 10, 2026 launch. It has given no exact 1.0 date as of Oct 26, 2026.
When is the Wardogs 1.0 release date? Wardogs has no 1.0 release date. Bulkhead CEO Joe Brammer ties 1.0 to the console launch, and the PS5 and Xbox versions are planned for 2028.
Does Wardogs have a roadmap? Wardogs' roadmap is spread across the Steam store's Early Access answers, Bulkhead's Apr 7, 2026 "Early Access & Beyond" video and interviews: more maps, fighter jets, player skills, custom loadouts and limited servers, none with a date except Season 3 on Nov 12, 2026.
Will Wardogs get custom loadouts? Yes, Bulkhead CEO Joe Brammer has confirmed custom loadouts for Wardogs, bought with in-game cash, but they have no date. For now there is only Rebuy Last Loadout.
Will Wardogs get more maps? More maps are planned for Wardogs' full version, but no new map has been added since launch, and Bulkhead has warned players not to expect regular content drops during Early Access.
Will the Wardogs price go up? Bulkhead plans to raise the Wardogs price during Early Access, from $39.99 to $49.99 in about 12 months and $59.99 at about 24 months, per Brammer's comments to GamesRadar+. Neither rise had happened as of Oct 26, 2026.
Sources
- WARDOGS | Answering Your Questions, Bulkhead, Mar 3, 2026 (video)
- WARDOGS | 10 Reasons NOT to Buy, Bulkhead, Aug 11, 2026 (video)
- WARDOGS | Early Access & Beyond, Bulkhead, Apr 7, 2026 (video)
- WARDOGS | Road to Season 02, Bulkhead, Oct 9, 2026 (video)
- THE HOTZONE | Ep 1 | "The Wipe", Bulkhead, Oct 24, 2026 (video)
- WARDOGS - Early Access & Beyond, Bulkhead, Apr 7, 2026
- Hardcore FPS immediately becomes Steam top seller as devs list '10 reasons not to buy' it, PC Gamer, Aug 11, 2026
- WARDOGS IS COMING TO STEAM EARLY ACCESS ON 10 SEPTEMBER, Team17 (Game Developer), Aug 13, 2026
- INTERVIEW: WARDOGS Devs On Monetization in 1.0: 'We Have Kids To Feed', Insider Gaming, Aug 28, 2026
- Pre-Load Live & Season 1 Changelog, Bulkhead, Sep 9, 2026
- WARDOGS LAUNCH TRAILER, Bulkhead, Sep 10, 2026
- Wardogs Twitch Drop rewards, Dexerto, Sep 11, 2026
- SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE & PATCH 0.11, Bulkhead, Sep 12, 2026
- Wardogs Season 2 is just weeks away, and it already looks "sick", PCGamesN, Sep 18, 2026
- Wardogs CEO braces for an Arc Raiders situation, GamesRadar+, Sep 21, 2026
- Wardogs price will increase throughout Steam early access, GamesRadar+, Sep 22, 2026
- Wardogs boss talks balance, XP, and why 'the endgame is sh*t' right now, PC Gamer, Sep 29, 2026
- Wardogs boss says balance is always guesswork and "we won't even get it right" by season 2, GamesRadar+, Sep 29, 2026
- Wardogs players will keep long-term XP progress despite seasonal wipes, Insider Gaming, Oct 9, 2026
- Wardogs is getting loadouts, CEO confirms, GamesRadar+, Oct 14, 2026
- WARDOGS | Season 02 Patch Notes, Bulkhead, Oct 14, 2026
- "We f***ed up:" Bulkhead admits Wardogs Season 2 "got a few things wrong", PCGamesN, Oct 16, 2026
- Wardogs Season 3 could be brought "significantly" forward, PCGamesN, Oct 17, 2026
- "We've got to slow down," Wardogs developer admits after Season 2's rocky rollout, PCGamesN, Oct 25, 2026
- When does Wardogs Season 3 start?, Shacknews, Oct 25, 2026
- WARDOGS on Steam (Early Access section), Steam, read Oct 26, 2026
Moments
WARDOGS | Answering Your Questions
BULKHEAD
WARDOGS | 10 Reasons NOT to Buy
BULKHEAD
WARDOGS | Early Access & Beyond
BULKHEAD
WARDOGS | Road to Season 02
BULKHEAD
THE HOTZONE | Ep 1 | "The Wipe"
BULKHEAD
- Each season has its own XP curve and item order, and progression is wiped each season (Bulkhead, Sep 9, 2026). Season…
- That pace is ending. "We've got to slow down. We can't do monthly seasons. We can't keep up," Brammer said on Oct 25…
- Brammer called the "big failure" of Season 1 "community servers and us not hosting official infantry and level cap…
Related
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BulkheadWardogs is made by Bulkhead (formerly Bulkhead Interactive), a studio in Derby, UK, that says it was founded in 2015 and is known for The Turing Test and Battalion 1944. Tencent sold it in Dec 2025 to a consortium of Super Media Group, everplay and HIRO Capital; Team17 publishes Wardogs.
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Development HistoryWardogs began at Bulkhead as a Tencent-backed AAA shooter and was scaled back to Steam Early Access after Tencent sold the studio in Dec 2025. It was built over 3+ years with the creators of the Arma King of the Hill mod (Sa-Matra), on Bulkhead's War Dynamics Framework in Unreal Engine 5, and planned for 5,000 concurrent players before 428,666 arrived.
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Player CountWardogs had 85,929 people playing on Steam on Oct 26, 2026, with a peak of 199,595 in the past day. Its all-time Steam peak is 428,666 on Sep 13, 2026, three days after the Early Access launch, whose first-day peak was 337,157 (SteamDB). Season 2 lifted the count from about 125,000 to 336,679 on Oct 15.
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Reception and ReviewsWardogs is rated Mostly Positive on Steam (74% of 80,852 English reviews) but Mixed over the last 30 days (55% of 45,402) as of Oct 26, 2026, after Season 2 and a 175 ms ping cap brought its worst review days. Critics like it: Eurogamer called it "a brilliantly refreshing take on the genre", and it has no Metascore yet.
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Release HistoryWardogs was announced on Feb 5, 2026, opened pre-orders on Aug 11, ran two closed betas (the second turned into an open beta on Sep 5) and entered Steam Early Access on Thursday, Sep 10, 2026, at 16:00 UTC. Season 2 arrived on Oct 15, 2026, and Season 3 is expected on Nov 12, 2026, per Bulkhead CEO Joe Brammer.
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AchievementsWardogs has 10 Steam achievements, one of them hidden ("That was rude": punch Kristopher in the Tutorial). "Top Dog" asks you to finish a match as the top cash earner across all three teams; "Big Spender" ($100,000 on one loadout) is the rarest, held by 0.0% of players on Oct 26, 2026.
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See also
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Gold Bars and the Gold MarketGold Bars are Wardogs' endgame currency: you get them by exchanging in-game cash, and leftover cash turns into Gold Bars at the end of a season, so they survive wipes. They are spent on camos in the Gold Market, which unlocks at Wardog level 35 for $150,000 in Season 2. Bulkhead has pledged never to sell cash, Gold Bars or camos for real money.
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Progression and UnlocksWardogs has seven progression tracks: the Wardog career track and six roles (Assault, Medic, Recon, Support, Driver, Pilot). Using a role's gear earns that role XP; reaching a level makes an item available, and you then pay a one-time cash unlock (the Havoc costs $650,000 at Pilot 35 in Season 2). Every track resets at a season wipe; Season 2 (Oct 15, 2026) made level 20 take less than half the Season 1 playtime.
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Best LoadoutsThe best Wardogs loadouts guides recommend are built on the AK74 or T-21 for a cheap start, the M4 at mid level and the FAL late, with Medic kits on the AMP-9 or Super-45 and Support kits on the M249 SAW or PKM, all bought again each life. Every published build dates from Season 1 (September 2026); Season 2 changed many prices and unlocks, and saved custom loadouts are planned, not in the game.
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Season 3Wardogs Season 3 is expected on Thursday, Nov 12, 2026, with a fresh economy reset, going by Bulkhead CEO Joe Brammer's reply on Steam as PCGamesN and Shacknews reported it. As of Oct 26, 2026 no Bulkhead news post confirms the date, the start time or the patch notes.
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Seasons and WipesWardogs wipes progression at the start of every season: each season has its own XP curve and item order, and Season 2 reset everyone to level 1 on Oct 15, 2026. Gold Bars, season-exclusive items and Twitch Drop rewards are kept, per Dexerto. Season 1 ran Sep 10 to Oct 15, Season 2 is expected to end with Season 3 on Nov 12, and later seasons are planned at about three months.
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Servers and MatchmakingWardogs has no matchmaking button: you pick a match from a server browser, through the Deploy screen's Official, Community, Infantry Mode and Low-Level choices. Official servers have kicked high-ping players since Season 2, with a 175 ms maximum since Oct 21, 2026, and limited servers are planned.