Wardogs has surged to the top of Steam’s premium sellers shortly after opening pre-orders, giving the upcoming 100-player tactical FPS an impressive start ahead of its Early Access launch.
Developed by British studio Bulkhead, Wardogs is a large-scale multiplayer military shooter built around hardcore combat, teamwork and a persistent player-driven economy. The game is scheduled to enter Steam Early Access on September 10, 2026, with a beta planned for August 21 for players who pre-order.
What makes its early success particularly unusual is the way Bulkhead has been marketing the game. Instead of simply trying to convince as many players as possible to buy Wardogs, the studio recently published a video outlining “10 Reasons NOT to Buy Wardogs.”
The developers openly discussed potential reasons players might want to wait, including its Early Access status, the $39.99 asking price, the possibility of declining player numbers after launch and the studio’s plans to prioritise fixing bugs and responding to feedback rather than constantly releasing new content.
Bulkhead also addressed its history with Battalion 1944, acknowledging the problems surrounding its previous multiplayer FPS and telling players who remain sceptical about the studio that they shouldn’t feel pressured to purchase Wardogs.
Despite that unusually cautious approach, Wardogs quickly climbed Steam’s sales charts after pre-orders became available, becoming the platform’s top-selling premium game. The strong performance suggests there is considerable interest in Bulkhead’s attempt to deliver a more hardcore alternative to mainstream large-scale shooters.
Wardogs supports battles involving up to 100 players and sits somewhere between the accessibility and scale of Battlefield and the more demanding gameplay found in hardcore tactical shooters. Bulkhead has also stressed that Wardogs is neither a battle royale nor an extraction shooter.
The studio says there will be no traditional monetisation during Early Access, with standard weapon camos and in-game gold intended to be earned through playing rather than purchased separately.
Whether Wardogs can maintain its momentum once players actually get their hands on it remains to be seen, but becoming a Steam top seller before its Early Access release gives Bulkhead a promising start.
Wardogs enters Steam Early Access on September 10, with its pre-order beta beginning August 21.