Wardogs developers scrap controversial faction-specific bonus experiment after one day

Bulkhead, the developers behind the early access sandbox shooter Wardogs, have officially walked back an experimental bonus system introduced with the launch of Season 2. The scheme, which granted exclusive cash and XP bonuses to players joining the Lonestar (Blue) faction, was intended to help rehabilitate the team’s reputation and improve its historically low win rates. However, according to Rock Paper Shotgun, the experiment was shut down just one day after launch.

The Fallout of a Failed Experiment

In a video announcement, Bulkhead CEO Joe Brammer admitted the team made a mistake, stating, “We were wrong. We fucked up.” The developers had anticipated that the modest 5% cash and 2.5% XP boost would be minor enough to influence faction picks without breaking the game’s economy. Instead, top-tier players began amassing significant wealth, potentially destabilizing the progression balance of the game.

Beyond economic concerns, the incentive structure caused technical friction. Players were reportedly abandoning servers en masse if they could not join the Blue team, leading to matchmaking delays as teams failed to fill up properly. The developers have since hotfixed the bonuses out of the game.

Shifting Focus to Balance

While the faction bonus has been scrapped, Bulkhead noted that other, more traditional rebalancing efforts have proven more successful. Specifically, adjustments to spawn locations on the Bakuriani map have shown better results in stabilizing faction win percentages. These location changes will remain in the game.

Looking forward, the team is now targeting a vehicle XP exploit. Some players have been abusing logistics rewards—gained by completing safe round trips—to rapidly unlock powerful late-game vehicles like tanks. As a temporary measure, the studio has reverted vehicle progression rates to their Season 1 speeds while they work on a permanent solution.

Why it matters

For Wardogs players, this reversal signals an immediate return to a more level playing field regarding faction selection and progression. If you were one of the players impacted by the matchmaking instability or the resulting economic disparity, these issues should now be resolved following the hotfix.

Looking ahead, players should be aware that vehicle progression has been slowed back to previous levels. Bulkhead appears to be prioritizing stability and fair progression over radical social experiments, so expect future updates to focus on conventional balance adjustments rather than faction-specific bribes. Keep an eye on server health and vehicle progression speeds as the team continues to refine the Season 2 experience.