WARDOGS Season 2 Backlash Forces Bulkhead to Remove Bonuses

Bulkhead has removed controversial team bonuses from WARDOGS Season 2 just one day after launch, following complaints that the changes had disrupted the multiplayer shooter's competitive balance.

The developer originally introduced a 5% cash bonus and a 2.5% XP boost for players joining Lonestar, the Blue team, hoping to improve its performance and encourage more players to select the faction.

However, the experiment produced unexpected results. Experienced players began joining the Blue team to take advantage of the additional rewards, helping it become the strongest faction in many matches.

In an official video statement shared through the WARDOGS account, Bulkhead CEO Joe Brammer acknowledged that the studio had misjudged the changes.

Brammer explained that the bonuses were intended as a temporary experiment, but their impact on high-level players proved greater than expected.

Bulkhead subsequently removed the cash and XP advantages through a server-side update.

The developer also addressed criticism surrounding the Blue team's original disadvantages, explaining that it had already redesigned and tested spawn locations on the Bakurani map.

Alongside the balance changes, Bulkhead adjusted Driver progression to prevent players from advancing too quickly and announced further measures against gameplay exploits.

WARDOGS Season 2 launched on October 15, introducing additional gameplay changes, including dynamic rainfall that affects battlefield visibility and sound.

The multiplayer shooter remains in Early Access on PC, allowing Bulkhead to continue testing balance adjustments and gameplay systems ahead of its full release.