In the course of the year 2026, a new shooter will emerge that can be a direct competitor to Battlefield but aims to be a bit more tactical than EA’s shooter.
Which game is it? In February 2026, a new shooter caught the lustful eyes of genre fans: WARDOGS. The game from the developer “BULKHEAD” describes itself as an “All out Warfare‘-First-Person-Shooter” that offers large-scale battles and a destructible battlefield in a modern, realistic setting.
The announcement trailer for the shooter has since been viewed over 525,000 times and has convinced numerous shooter fans. Many comments under the trailer on YouTube indicate that WARDOGS could become a Battlefield killer, as Battlefield 6 has already lost their interest.
WARDOGS wants to start Early Access on Steam sometime in 2026. However, a specific date is not yet known. A console version could also follow with the full release.
In the footsteps of ARMA’s King of the Hill
What is the game about? WARDOGS is a shooter in which up to 100 players, divided into three teams – don’t ask me how that mathematically works – fight over an area on a large map. This involves infantry, tanks, helicopters, and of course the destruction of buildings.
WARDOGS is inspired by “King of the Hill” matches in ARMA 3, which is why the developers are also collaborating with the creator of the original “King of the Hill” mod for the military simulation. However, WARDOGS is not meant to be a simulation.
The gameplay is overall more tactical and realistic than in Battlefield 6, but the developers do not want to forget that it is a game. On a scale, they place it between Battlefield 6 and games like ARMA or Squad.
Impatient players suffer from thoughtless gameplay
What makes the game special? The great uniqueness of the game is the cash system. Similar to Battlefield, you can fulfill various roles like Medic or Assault in WARDOGS, but you decide yourself which equipment you take into battle.
Similar to an extraction shooter, you assemble your loadout and lose it when you die. New weapons and gadgets must be purchased from merchants or on the black market. You earn the cash for this through actions that help your team, such as kills, revives, and the like.
This system results in you being punished by the loss of your equipment and the money spent on it when you recklessly rush into the ranks of your enemies, die, and are merely a burden instead of a help to your team.
Could this really be a Battlefield killer? No, and the developers do not want that either. They emphasize that they are making their own game that differs from both Battlefield and ARMA, etc. They are aware that WARDOGS will not be a game for everyone.
Overall, the developers are literally baking smaller rolls and say they do not want to beat Battlefield. They also believe that there will inevitably be a natural decline in player numbers after the early access release of the game. If WARDOGS settles somewhere between 3,000 and 10,000 daily active players, that would already be a success for the studio.
If you do not want to wait for WARDOGS but are already looking for a new game, feel free to check out our list of the best shooters of 2026. Maybe something will appeal to you: The 25 best shooters of 2026 – These PvP and PvE games impress with their gameplay
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