Wardogs Early Access Launch Hit By Server Queues

The military first-person shooter Wardogs launched in early access on Steam today, immediately hitting 300,000 peak concurrent players. The $40 title also became the platform's top-selling game despite its developer advising against purchasing it due to server instability.

Developer Bulkhead has released a hotfix targeting the severe server issues that have plagued the launch. Players currently logged in and stuck in a queue must close the game to download the update, after which they will be placed back into a queue. The developer stated players will be allowed into the game in "controlled batches," though the size of these groups was not specified, indicating queues will likely continue for now.

More players will be gradually admitted as problems are resolved, but Bulkhead provided no specific timetable for a full fix. The patch also aims to resolve issues with joining servers and players being kicked from matches. "We will be actively monitoring the ongoing situation post hotfix and will be working through the night to see this resolved," the developer wrote on Steam. "We apologize for the inconvenience this has caused."

Launch Day Server Struggles

The massive influx of players forced Bulkhead to implement a server queue system, which quickly became a topic of discussion on social media. Users shared screenshots showing queue positions, with some reporting over 300,000 people ahead of them in line.

Bulkhead responded to the situation, attributing part of the problem to the studio being "rate limited." The company said it was working with Valve to increase this limit to match those granted to "larger titles." In an attempt to improve the flow, Bulkhead made the decision to kick everyone from the queue at one point, a move intended to help more players get in faster.

Developer Comments on Queue Issues

Bulkhead boss Joe Brammer gave an update on the queuing problems. He stated the queue system itself is not "specifically broken." Instead, he explained that Wardogs did not receive the same rate limit treatment from Valve typically afforded to AAA games. "Hang in there," Brammer said.

Launch issues extended beyond queues, as players reported receiving bans for seemingly no reason. Bulkhead acknowledged these "incorrect bans" and stated it is working to address them immediately.

Game Details and Future Plans

Wardogs is a large-scale military FPS featuring 100 players divided into three teams battling on a map set in a fictional version of Eastern Europe. Alongside the PC early access launch, Bulkhead revealed plans for a console edition on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S, scheduled for release in 2028. For those eager to purchase the game now, Steam keys are available at a discount on the Fanatical store.