Economy and Cash

0:22 In Wardogs every player starts with $10,000, per the Steam store page, pays for the whole loadout every life (weapons, gear, utility and vehicles), loses what they carry when they die, and earns money back through teamplay; the balance persists from match to match until a season ends. Bulkhead's pitch is that "every decision affects YOUR account balance" (Bulkhead, May 21, 2026), and the cash number is the closest thing Wardogs has to a score of your own. This page covers the economy as it stands in Season 2 (update 0.2.0, Oct 15, 2026): how you earn, what things cost, what unlocks cost, what happens at a wipe and when you go broke. For the fastest routes to money, see the Money Making Guide.

Quick facts

Sources: Steam store page, read Oct 26, 2026; Bulkhead's Top Questions, Feb 18, 2026; Bulkhead's pre-order post, Aug 11, 2026; GameSpot, Sep 14, 2026.

How the money works

1:32 Your total sits in the top right of the screen, and next to it is the profit or loss of the current life, red when you are in the hole and green when you are ahead, as TheGamer describes it. PCGamesN calls that small number "the yardstick" for how well a life went and likens the whole system to a Counter-Strike-style persistent cash count. Everything you buy stays on your corpse when you die: GameSpot puts it simply, "you lose everything when you die," and anyone can loot the body. Vehicles are the same: Rock Paper Shotgun notes you buy them yourself and are on the hook if they are lost, and Kotaku confirms a destroyed vehicle is not refunded.

Eurogamer's review sums up the stakes: $10,000 "is just about enough" for a rifle, ammo and a basic revive kit, and a half-decent loadout costs at least $4,000 to $5,000; being killed is the only way it found to lose money. Some things are free: each faction's starter rifle costs nothing but its ammo (PCGamesN), the Pouch backpack is $0 per Dexerto's Wardogs database, and the vendor hands out one free Emergency Resuscitator a life (Dexerto, PC Gamer).

Every way to earn cash

Bulkhead says every teamplay action pays: revives, transport, kills, spotting "and MORE". Bulkhead's Season 2 patch notes list most of the current rates; Bulkhead corrected the logistics figures after posting to the amounts players get when they drop in the Control Zone. Figures marked with an outlet are that outlet's, from the date shown.

Sources: Bulkhead's Season 2 patch notes, Oct 14, 2026.

1:13 Some earnings have no Season 2 figure from Bulkhead. In the closed beta, PC Gamer saw a revive pay $900, a bandage heal $200, each productive hammer swing $15 and a finished build $1,200 to $1,500. Standing in the zone pays a steady drip, which Eurogamer says is doubled in the Hot Zone, and PC Gamer measured it at "hundreds of dollars by the minute" there in the beta (see Hot Zone and Towers). A medic also earns assist cash when a revived player goes on to get kills, an effect Shacknews says "lasts quite a while".

Players pay each other too. Passengers can tip pilots and drivers (PCGamesN); a downed player can press F1 to offer a bribe of up to $500 to whichever medic revives them (Season 2 moved the controller bind for Bribe to X, per the notes). A supply crate you fill and drop pays you whenever a teammate buys from it, and Shacknews suggests stocking sought-after gear and bumping up "the tax"; since Season 2, sales to one buyer pay less each time until you break even, and selling to an enemy pays nothing. Parking the spawn APC earns you money every time a teammate spawns on it.

Winning pays a lump sum at the end of a match. Bulkhead has not published the amount; Eurogamer put the win bonus at about $20,000 in Season 1, and added that you can "comfortably make double" that by building at the back. In Season 2, players who seed empty servers get rewards and a vendor discount once the match begins (the size is not published), and a team at least 40 points behind second place gets 20% off at the vendor. More on the end of a match in Control Zone and Scoring.

Rewards for destroying vehicles and buildables

4:27 Every vehicle variant has its own kill reward in Season 2, armed variants give 1.5 times the XP of the plain ones, and attack vehicles are worth more the more kills they have (Bulkhead's Season 2 notes). A destroyed buildable pays its build supply cost in cash, with XP about 25% of that; since update 0.1.2 a half-built schematic pays only for its build progress. The clip is Bulkhead's May 2026 example, before Early Access: an RPG costing about $3,000 against $10,000 for a packed enemy Little Bird.

Sources: Bulkhead's Season 2 patch notes, Oct 14, 2026. Full lists on Destruction and Vehicles.

What things cost

Prices are what the vendor charges in Season 2. Where Bulkhead's notes give a price it is theirs; the rest are per Dexerto's Wardogs database, whose item pages match the Season 2 notes wherever both give a figure.

Sources: Bulkhead's Season 2 patch notes, Oct 14, 2026; Dexerto's Wardogs database, read Oct 26, 2026; Bulkhead's pre-order post (starter rifles), Aug 11, 2026; PCGamesN, Sep 11, 2026.

Running costs come out of the same balance. Helicopters repair and refuel at HQ by drawing "the necessary funds from your in-game earnings," as GamesRadar+ puts it, and their ammo and flares are bought there too. Every weapon, armor piece and vehicle on these lists is on Weapons, Armor and Gear and Vehicles.

Unlocks cost cash too

Reaching a level only makes an item available: you then pay a one-time cash price to unlock it, as TheGamer explains, before buying it at the vendor price every life. The unlock prices are far larger than the vendor prices. In Season 2 the Gold Market itself costs $150,000 at Wardog level 35; per Dexerto's database the Defibrillator costs $110,000 at Medic 22, Level 4 Armor $200,000 at Wardog 100, the L2A6 $500,000 at Driver 35 and the Havoc $650,000 at Pilot 35. Every track and its costs are on Progression and Unlocks.

Seasons, wipes and Gold Bars

2:40 Cash lasts only as long as a season. Dexerto's guide says a wipe resets cash, levels and role XP, and that Gold Bars, season-exclusive items and Twitch Drop items stay. Leftover savings become Gold Bars: Insider Gaming reports they convert automatically "based on their value at the end of the season", and Dexerto says the exchange rate moves daily. Gold Bars buy cosmetics only; see Gold Bars and the Gold Market.

Season 2 began on Oct 15, 2026 with a wipe back to level 1. Bulkhead's notes do not state the balance a player starts a new season with. PCGamesN wrote that Season 2 "is also when your bank account goes back to zero", while the store says every player starts with $10,000; as of Oct 26, 2026 no Bulkhead post settles it. The next wipe is expected with Season 3, which Bulkhead CEO Joe Brammer targeted for Nov 12, 2026 with a "fresh economy reset" in a reply on Steam reported by PCGamesN; it is not yet in a Bulkhead news post. More on Seasons and Wipes.

Going broke

0:14 Wardogs has no published bankruptcy rule, loan, minimum loadout or cash cap: none appears in Bulkhead's posts as of Oct 26, 2026. What happens is simpler. PCGamesN warns that "a couple of deaths with a full loadout and you'll basically be on nothing," and recommends the way back it used: the free starter rifle, zone income and looting bodies. You can always spawn with the free rifle, the free Pouch and the free resuscitator, stand in the zone, and earn. PC Gamer's Morgan Park described the habit many players fall into, buying "level two armor and cheaper guns because I don't want to risk a $20k loadout". Budget kits are on Best Loadouts and the Money Making Guide. The clip is Bulkhead's June pre-alpha match, where the squad takes the free Bushmaster and the free resuscitator at the vendor.

The Wager Vendor

4:16 Season 2 added the Wager Vendor, an experiment that lets you bet your own cash on your own performance. In Bulkhead's preview you pick objectives (kills in the Hot Zone, delivering players), set how many deaths you will allow yourself and set the stake; stacking objectives lengthens the odds and raises the payout, and a live tracker sits above the minimap. It was not open when Season 2 launched, was due "later in Season 2," and Bulkhead says it "is not a permanent addition" and may come and go; it also said it may pull it "if it turns out to be too exploitable". As of Oct 26, 2026, Vi.ki has found no Bulkhead post saying it has opened. The clip is Bulkhead's April 2026 plan, which first described betting you can kill 10 enemies in one life.

Exploits and economy abuse

Bulkhead treats cash and XP exploits as cheating. Its Sep 12, 2026 post set the rules: abusing a cash exploit means a timed ban and cash and XP reset to 0, publishing exploit tutorials means a permanent ban, and joining a known XP-farm server for more than a few minutes means a permanent ban, because "we track every server you enter" (reported by Rock Paper Shotgun on Sep 14). Update 0.1.2 on Sep 30 made revives server authoritative, capped vehicle fly-through rewards, cut pay for pallets left at FOBs outside the zone, and said leniency for first offenders "is now over", with Real Money Trading also punished by a reset.

15:01 Season 2's first day brought a Driver exploit: driving just outside HQ, dropping pallets and returning let players unlock tanks on day one. Bulkhead fixed it and gave fewer than 1,000 heavy exploiters 24-hour bans, Eurogamer reported, and PC Gamer added that those players' cash and XP were wiped. The same day Bulkhead ended Season 2's Lonestar bonus of 5% cash and 2.5% XP after one day (see Factions). Bans in general are on Anti-Cheat and Bans. In the clip, from Bulkhead's Oct 24 podcast, its developers say the exploit affected fewer than 400 players.

Frequently asked questions

How much money do you start with in Wardogs? Every Wardogs player starts with $10,000, per the Steam store page. Bulkhead has not stated the starting balance after a seasonal wipe as of Oct 26, 2026.

Does cash carry over between matches in Wardogs? Yes: Wardogs cash persists from match to match within a season. It is wiped at the end of a season, and leftover savings are converted into Gold Bars.

What happens when you die in Wardogs? You lose everything you carried, and it stays on your body for anyone to loot. Vehicles you bought are not refunded when they are destroyed.

What happens if you go broke in Wardogs? Wardogs has no published bankruptcy rule or loan. You can still spawn with your faction's free starter rifle, the free Pouch and the free Emergency Resuscitator, then earn money back in the Control Zone.

Can you buy cash or Gold Bars in Wardogs? No. Bulkhead pledged on Aug 11, 2026 never to monetize in-game cash or Gold Bars; the only paid item in Early Access is the optional Supporter Edition, which is cosmetic.

How much do you get for winning a match in Wardogs? Bulkhead has not published the win bonus. Eurogamer put it at about $20,000 in Season 1.

What is the Wager Vendor in Wardogs? It is a Season 2 experiment that lets players bet their own cash on objectives they choose, with a death allowance and a stake. Bulkhead said it would open later in Season 2 and come and go, and that it is not permanent.

Sources

• WARDOGS store page, Steam, read Oct 26, 2026
• WARDOGS - TOP QUESTIONS, Bulkhead (Steam news), Feb 18, 2026
• WARDOGS - Tactical Depth & Teamplay, Bulkhead (Steam news), May 21, 2026
• PRE-ORDER NOW!, Bulkhead (Steam news), Aug 11, 2026
• SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE & PATCH 0.11, Bulkhead (Steam news), Sep 12, 2026
• WARDOGS | Update 0.1.2 (Minor Patch), Bulkhead (Steam news), Sep 30, 2026
• WARDOGS | Season 02 Preview, Bulkhead (Steam news), Oct 9, 2026
• WARDOGS | Season 02 Patch Notes, Bulkhead (Steam news), Oct 14, 2026
• How to make money fast in Wardogs, PC Gamer, Sep 9, 2026
• Bribing medics to revive me first in Wardogs is one of my favorite shooter mechanics in ages, PC Gamer, Sep 11, 2026
• Wardogs is the only FPS where I actually expect to get revived, PC Gamer, Sep 17, 2026
• I did the math on my Wardogs XP grind, and now I wish I hadn't, PC Gamer, Sep 25, 2026
• Wardogs boss talks balance, XP, and why 'the endgame is sh*t' right now, PC Gamer, Sep 29, 2026
• 'We f**ked up': 1 day into Wardogs Season 2, PC Gamer, Oct 16, 2026
• Battlefield 6's next challenger is Wardogs, PCGamesN, Feb 5, 2026
• Wardogs is a brilliant exercise in greed as teamwork, PCGamesN, Aug 11, 2026
• How to make Wardogs money fast, PCGamesN, Sep 11, 2026
• Wardogs Season 2 is an experimental effort in evolution, not revolution, PCGamesN, Oct 9, 2026
• "We f***ed up:" Bulkhead admits Wardogs Season 2 "got a few things wrong", PCGamesN, Oct 16, 2026
• "We've got to slow down," Wardogs developer admits after Season 2's rocky rollout, PCGamesN, Oct 25, 2026
• How To Make Money Fast In Wardogs, TheGamer, Sep 11, 2026
• How To Win Matches In Wardogs, GameSpot, Sep 14, 2026
• Wardogs early access review - a shooter for the gig economy, Eurogamer, Sep 29, 2026
• Wardogs devs rush to fix XP exploit allowing players to quickly unlock tanks, Eurogamer, Oct 16, 2026
• Wardogs presents a different kind of FPS power fantasy: making fat stacks as a pacifist rideshare driver, Rock Paper Shotgun, Sep 11, 2026
• "We track every server you enter": the Wardogs devs are "coming down hard" on XP farms and cash exploits, Rock Paper Shotgun, Sep 14, 2026
• Steam's Latest Super Hit Is A Massive 100-Player Warzone Simulator, Kotaku, Sep 11, 2026
• Best and fastest ways to make money - Wardogs, Shacknews, Sep 28, 2026
• How to fly a helicopter in Wardogs, GamesRadar+, Sep 16, 2026
• Wardogs players will keep long-term XP progress despite seasonal wipes, Insider Gaming, Oct 9, 2026
• Wardogs wiki, Dexerto: Pouch, Emergency Resuscitator, Sep 4, 2026; Wardog, Medic, Driver, Pilot, Sep 5, 2026; Gold Bars explained, Sep 8, 2026; Wipes explained, Sep 22, 2026; all read Oct 26, 2026
• WARDOGS | Game Mode Explained, Bulkhead, Feb 12, 2026 (video)
• WARDOGS | Early Access & Beyond, Bulkhead, Apr 7, 2026 (video)
• WARDOGS | Tactical Depth & Teamplay, Bulkhead, May 21, 2026 (video)
• WARDOGS | Pre-Alpha Gameplay, Bulkhead, Jun 6, 2026 (video)
• WARDOGS | Road to Season 02, Bulkhead, Oct 9, 2026 (video)
• THE HOTZONE | Ep 1 | "The Wipe", Bulkhead, Oct 24, 2026 (video)