Wardogs Loses Momentum: FOB and Mortar Meta Sparks Player Complaints

Wardogs, the competitive shooter by Bulkhead that blends elements of Battlefield and Escape From Tarkov, recorded an extraordinary player surge when it debuted in Early Access on Steam on 10 September. SteamDB data shows a peak of 428,666 concurrent players over the first weekend, dropping by only about 26,000 the following week. Yet behind those impressive numbers, complaints about game balance began to dominate community discussion.

The main issue lies in the dual progression system that is Wardogs' signature. Players must earn in-game money to buy gear on every respawn, but access to certain items is locked behind levels earned from XP. Because the community advances at a uniform pace, the game's meta shifts quickly. At first, snipers dominated because most players were still wearing Level 1 armor. A few days later, hot zones—areas that grant double points—became the center of intense infantry combat. Now, as powerful weapons and equipment unlock, FOB (forward operating base) and mortar-based strategies are dictating play.

The harshest criticism came from FPS content creator TheTacticalBrit, who called Wardogs "increasingly a game about building FOBs and less about fighting over the control zone." On Reddit, user Icy_Hurry8645 complained about the confusion of finding action outside the FOB, sharing a screenshot showing nearly their entire team gathered at one base. The cause: drills active at the FOB act like magnets that pull the hot zone to that location. Teams holding inside the FOB can rack up points very quickly, and according to user Cainsiderate, that is also the most profitable option.

Beyond FOBs and mortars, Level 4 armor—the highest protection tier—is a source of frustration. A Reddit user, I_C_Weiner2, reported facing an enemy in a Level 4 helmet and armor who remained standing after taking three 12GA slugs at close range, then returned fire and continued attacking with a PKM. "Before any team scored 20 points, that player had already racked up more than 30 kills," they wrote. They judged there were so many balance problems that the game lost its fun in a short time. The post drew widespread support, signaling that similar complaints are widely felt.

Bulkhead is not turning a blind eye. Wardogs CEO and executive producer Joe Brammer posted on X that his team is preparing for "increasingly negative sentiment toward Wardogs." Even so, some players still defend the state of the game, arguing that Wardogs is not a run-and-gun shooter. However, the real criticism is not about the viability of mortars, FOBs, or drills, but about their power being too dominant. Others have shared screenshots of 100-0-0 victories thanks to a team constantly rushing the hot zone, but that strategy demands coordination and communication that are not always available.

"Wardogs is a fantastic innovation in the FPS space, and its future is bright. But cracks are starting to show; this will be a test for Bulkhead to respond quickly before too many players leave."

For the Indonesian market, Wardogs' dynamics reflect a common challenge for live-service games: maintaining balance while the community moves fast. Although there is no official data on the Indonesian player base, discussions in regional forums show growing interest in tactical shooters. The arrival of Season 2 on 15 October will be a crucial moment. If Bulkhead fails to patch the balance gaps, it is not impossible that the wave of players who surged in will shrink. Conversely, timely fixes could strengthen Wardogs' position as a serious contender in the hardcore genre. The question is whether Bulkhead can read these signals before the momentum is truly gone.