Wardogs: competitor to Call of Duty and Battlefield with 105,000 players

Intelligence Summary
- Wardogs, a tactical war sim from Bulkhead and Team17, has already hit over 105,000 concurrent players in playtest.
In brief
- Wardogs is a 100-player tactical war simulator that is currently in playtest.
- The game has more than 1,000,000 wishlists on Steam and peaked at 105,000 concurrent players.
- Developer Bulkhead previously worked on Battalion 1944, raising expectations for Wardogs.
GAME-scanner analysis
Wardogs, developed by Bulkhead and published by Team17, is positioning itself as a serious rival to established franchises like Call of Duty and Battlefield. The impressive peak of 105,000 concurrent players during the Steam playtest shows there is strong interest in the game. This is especially notable given Bulkhead’s recent history, as Battalion 1944 did not make the impact the studio had hoped for. The massive total of more than 1,000,000 wishlists on Steam suggests players have high expectations for the gameplay and tactical elements Wardogs promises to deliver.
What does this mean for players?
For players, this means a new option is entering the market that could offer a fresh take on the tactical shooter genre. The big question is whether Wardogs can keep those players engaged after early access begins. Competition is fierce, and how the game evolves and responds to feedback will be crucial to maintaining its player base.
Timeline
21 August 2026 - Wardogs launches a Steam playtest.
24 August 2026 - This article is published.
10 September 2026 - Expected Early Access launch.