WARDOGS announced by BULKHEAD and Team17, this new tactical FPS is enters Early Access this year

From Press Release:

Derby, UK (5th February 2026) — BULKHEAD and Team17 today announced WARDOGS, a Tactical All Out Warfare FPS coming to Steam Early Access in 2026. This is not a battle royale. This is not an extraction shooter. This is a brand-new take on large-scale FPS that prioritises tactical depth, teamplay, and player freedom.

WARDOGS is a Tactical All Out Warfare FPS where one hundred players are split across three teams and fight for control of a central zone. Set in the derelict industrial mountains of Eastern Europe, it plays out on a destructible battlefield where cash is earned and cash is king.

The game mode – Inspired by Arma 3’s community created mod ‘King of the Hill’ – has three teams fight for control of a randomized 2x2km central ‘Control Zone’ within its large 256km² map. The team with the most players within the control zone earns points – with the first team to reach 100 points winning the match.

At the core of WARDOGS is a persistent cash system that ensures every decision actually matters. Each life, you purchase a custom loadout from a wide selection of weapons, gear, utility items, and vehicles to help your team win the match. Every teamplay action in the Control Zone rewards cash from reviving squadmates, transporting friendlies to the zone, or controlling the objective. WARDOGS doesn’t just encourage teamplay; it rewards it. It is the player’s choice how they want to play, earn, and spend their profits.

Cash earned is banked into your account and persists from match to match – meaning a smart investment into better gear, equipment or a vehicle at the right time has the potential to turn the tide of battle and can yield massive returns. The variables in zone location and player tactics mean no match ever plays out the same.

The battlefield also evolves through destruction and base building. Structures can be damaged, destroyed, fortified, or repurposed, allowing teams to shape important locations without flattening the entire environment. Planning, coordination, and adaptability are rewarded over raw reflexes alone.

WARDOGS is powered by BULKHEAD’s proprietary War Dynamics Framework, a custom framework built on top of Unreal Engine designed to support large scale, player driven warfare. Developed in collaboration with real world specialists including aerospace and ballistics experts, the framework delivers grounded vehicle handling and consistent weapon behaviour while supporting the game’s scale, persistence, and reward driven systems.

WARDOGS also marks a new chapter for BULKHEAD, which is now independently owned by the developers themselves once again following its separation from Tencent. With full creative control restored, the team is building WARDOGS transparently alongside its community and the original mod creators ‘Sa-Matra’. Early Access in 2026 will focus on refining the game’s core systems, expanding features & content and responding directly to player feedback.

Wishlist Wardogs today on Steam

About BULKHEAD:

BULKHEAD is a video game development studio based in Derby, UK with an ambition to make a mark on the FPS genre. Founded in 2015 by a small group of friends the studio has expanded from creating acclaimed indie titles like The Turing Test and Battalion 1944 to building a larger team focused on ambitious multiplayer experiences such as WARDOGS. The studio was recently acquired from Tencent by a newly-formed consortium comprising SMG, everplay and HIRO Capital and BULKHEAD’s latest title WARDOGS is being published by Team17.

About Team17:

Founded in 1990, Team17 is a leading developer, video games label, and creative partner for developers around the world. Part of the everplay Group plc with an extensive portfolio of over 140 titles, and fully encapsulates the spirit of independent games. Team17’s portfolio of multi-award-winning and award-nominated in-house brands include Hell Let Loose, Golf With Your Friends, The Escapists, and the iconic Worms franchise, alongside its games label partner titles, including the award-winning games Date Everything, Dredge, and Overcooked! franchise. Visit www.team17.com for more information.