Wardogs is an upcoming multiplayer FPS game from Bulkhead, which developed the once-successful Battalion 1944. Described as “tactical all-out warfare,” the team is adamant that Wardogs will occupy a middle ground in the genre between arcade-like shooters such as Call of Duty and Battlefield, and hardcore simulators like Arma or Escape From Tarkov.
Wardogs needs to do its talking on the battlefield, so to speak, but it does have potential. There are a number of intriguing mechanics being promised, one of which allows you to essentially become an arms dealer in the endgame, selling weapons to your teammates as soon as you enter a match.
“For time-strapped players, we want to add the ability to invest your [in-game] cash, and upgrade your own businesses,” explains Howard Philpott, UI/UX director at Bulkhead in an early access preview video. “Having your side hustle businesses making items for the next time you and your mates get back online to play is the true endgame. Buying out a weapon or vehicle manufacturer will allow you to produce custom loadouts cheaper than the in-match vendor.”
Rather than making guns solely for personal use, though, you can become an arms dealer yourself and turn a profit.
“If you’re really business-savvy, you should consider unlocking high-level items, then selling them to other players in the match via supply crates, with your own markup to make a profit,” Philpott continues. “Or just compete and sell them cheaper than the guy next to you.” It’s giving “buying sweet shops from the corner store and selling them on the playground” vibes.
Joe Brammer, executive producer, explains in the same video that this mechanic is entirely optional though, and only for players who want to “min-max their cash spending and time spent in and out of the game, there’s real potential to profit more over the course of a season compared to someone only buying weapons and vehicles from the in-game vendors.”
This announcement comes alongside the reveal that earned in-game cash will be exchangeable for gold bars, described as the “endgame currency,” which are used for permanent cosmetic unlocks. However, the cash to gold bars exchange rate will fluctuate on a daily basis, making for an economy-based metagame. At the end of a season, any remaining cash you have will be automatically converted into gold bars, to ensure newer players aren’t at a financial disadvantage.
Unsure what Wardogs actually is? Well, the developer has been plenty clear about what it isn’t. It isn’t a battle royale, nor is it an extraction game, and it isn’t trying to make a “Battlefield killer.” The flagship game mode features up to 100 players per match, split into three teams, fighting for one control zone on a huge map. Yes, that means if the player count is at the maximum, one team will have an extra player.
Cash is primarily earned by performing any in-game actions: killing an enemy, healing a teammate, flying teammates into the control zone, the list goes on. If you spend a lot of money on better equipment, you risk not turning a profit if you don’t play well or win the game. The best news? Cash cannot be bought via microtransactions. Huzzah.