WARDOGS sold 1.25 million copies in 24 hours - the servers couldn’t handle the launch

WARDOGS was released in early access on September 10 and sold 1.25 million copies in the first 24 hours.This is a great start for a new online game.But the servers couldn’t handle such an influx of audience on the first day.

The BULKHEAD developers let players onto the servers in waves for several hours, released an urgent hotfix and separately apologized for the queues and crashes.At its peak, there were more than 300 thousand people on Steam at the same time.

100 players, three teams and money inside the match

WARDOGS is a tactical FPS with large maps, vehicles, destructible environments and construction.One match involves up to 100 players divided into three teams.

The main mode is built around zones of control that change position from match to match.Therefore, teams cannot follow the same route over and over again.Money earned during the match goes towards equipment and support.

The game is still in Early Access.The authors explicitly use this stage to adjust balance, servers, and match pacing.

Queues and urgent hotfix on the first day

The most remarkable story of the first watches is not the mechanics, but the queues.BULKHEAD has reported connection issues, sudden disconnections, and long login waits.After the first hotfix, the developers began to gradually increase the number of players who were allowed onto the servers.

Interest in the game was not limited to the initial peak.The official Steam community page announced the 1.25 million copies sold, and the player counter kept at hundreds of thousands at a time.

Reviews are still changing along with the servers

At the start, the user rating dropped noticeably due to queues and technical problems.But the situation is changing quickly: on the morning of September 12, Steam shows Very Positive — 19,666 positive reviews out of 23,881 English-speaking ones.

The game has just entered early access, so the starting rating will still change.What is more important is how many players will remain after the first rush.

Separately, the developers have already stated that console versions are planned for 2028.For now, WARDOGS remains a PC project.

1.25 million copies - now we need to keep players

It’s too early to compare WARDOGS with Battlefield based on one successful launch.

But 1.25 million copies per day show that the demand for a large military FPS outside the usual series is huge.Now BULKHEAD needs to prove that behind a strong launch there is a game that people will want to return to in a month.

Official WARDOGS updates on Steam.

🎮 SNBK Games

News • Reviews • Retro