Wardogs starts in Early Access, but players have to sit in queues and receive error messages. Here you will find out about the server status.
In Wardogs, the first players can start since 6:00 PM. We will keep you informed here on time for the launch with a live ticker about the current server status, queues, and error messages!
Wardogs Launch: Server Status and Queues in Live Ticker
Friday, September 11, 2026
01:55 AM
The situation seems to be stabilizing slowly. The player count is currently according to SteamDB over 331,000 simultaneously active users, trending upwards.
We are ending our live ticker here. Stay patient if you’re still in the queue, and despite the rough start, have a lot of fun gaming!
01:45 AM
The developers continue to let players through the queue in waves, they explain on X. They are proceeding cautiously to ensure server stability.
01:05 AM
In a video on X, BULKHEAD CEO Joe Brammer provides direct insights into the studio and tours the filled office. There, the developers are working on all fronts – from backend to community support to watching streams. Brammer takes full responsibility again for the issues at launch. At the same time, he defends that streamers are let onto the servers faster – they are simply entertainers with a large reach.
00:55 AM
On X, the CEO of BULKHEAD appears transparent and posts a photo revealing the current status. Up until that point, 135,584 players had made it through the queue to the servers.
They are only letting people through in waves. He takes responsibility for it: “We will get this done, but this is on my account. That’s exactly why we are releasing on a Thursday,” he explains.
00:45 AM
After our colleague Dariusz tried again to enter the game, he was greeted once more with a familiar sight. His conclusion: That’s probably it for tonight.
Meanwhile, the official Wardogs Discord team explains that they are currently cautiously letting waves of players into the game who can then join the servers. They also warn players not to let trolls convince them that restarting the game shortens the wait time. The opposite is the case – those who restart will drop to the back of the queue.
00:35 AM
On Reddit, it is reported that NVIDIA has apparently identified issues with Wardogs. According to a thread, there are complications relating to the anti-cheat system. This primarily affects users who launch the game via NVIDIA’s cloud platform. The company has already been in contact with developer BULKHEAD to fix the problem.
Thursday, September 10, 2026
11:25 PM
After the restart, the long queues apparently returned to the menu – at least that’s what several players report in the Wardogs subreddit.
10:35 PM
Wardogs logs you out automatically, brings hotfix
There is now a hotfix on Steam and accompanying patch notes. We have translated them for you with the help of AI:
Launch Stability Hotfix #1
We have just released a small client update that should help fix the issues that have arisen since launch.
- All currently logged-in players are prompted to close WARDOGS and restart the game.
- Afterward, you will be prompted to download the latest client update.
- Once the update is installed and you restart the game, all players will return to the login queue.
- We will then begin allowing players back into the game in controlled groups.
- Once we can confirm that players can successfully join and fill the servers, we will gradually increase the number of players allowed in.
This client hotfix is intended to solve several of the issues encountered, including:
- Players cannot join servers.
- Players are unexpectedly kicked from servers while playing.
- Extended wait times in the login queue.
We will continue to actively monitor the situation after the hotfix and work throughout the night to resolve the issues. We apologize for the inconveniences caused.
Source: Steam
10:25 PM
If you no longer feel like it and prefer to switch to another game: You are not alone. Our colleague Dariusz, for example, still had no way to join a game through the server browser and prefers to try to enter the game later. Hopefully then without a queue and error-message simulator.
According to SteamDB, the player count is currently decreasing, which is mainly due to the automatic logouts. While at the peak around 337,000 players were simultaneously active in Wardogs, there are currently about 188,000.
9:55 PM
It’s starting! You will be logged out automatically. At the same time, you should receive an update on Steam. If not, restart your launcher.
As the team explains on Discord, when you restart the game, you end up directly in the server queue. To ensure server stability, the developers are letting players in gradually in waves.
9:25 PM
In a post on X, the Wardogs team writes that they are performing another restart. All players will be logged out, and there will be a short break while they bring everything back online.
In Discord, they add that they are restarting the backend.
We will keep you updated.
9:05 PM
Meanwhile, Wardogs according to SteamDB has climbed into the top 3 of the most played games on Steam. Currently, around 270,000 players are simultaneously playing the new shooter.
8:53 PM
Wardogs shuts down all servers – Restart should solve the issues
Attention: There is a complete restart. In Discord, the team writes: “All active servers will be shut down. They will then be restarted.“
On X, the team adds: “The reason for this is a problem that did not occur in the previous beta. We are actively working to get as many of you into the game as quickly as possible. Apologies for the interruption.”
8:48 PM
Meanwhile, Wardogs on Steam has over 8,800 reviews. The rating has slightly improved, currently 45% of the reviews are positive – recently it was only 39%.
8:40 PM
In a short video on X, Joe Brammer (CEO of BULKHEAD) reports that the long queues were also due to a limitation from Valve itself. They are not treated like a AAA title and thus receive less capacity for the current influx.
8:35 PM
We continue to receive error messages when trying to join a match through the server browser. This time it says: “The connection to the server could not be established in a reasonable time.”
It remains exciting, or something.
8:18 PM
In a press release, it says that Wardogs has already broken the mark of one million copies sold right on schedule for the launch in Early Access on Steam.
8:05 PM
Wardogs struggles with error messages and negative reviews on Steam
Dariusz has made it into the game, but receives an error message when trying to join a server in the server browser:
8:00 PM
Meanwhile, Wardogs on Steam is flooded with negative reviews. Of the over 5,000 reviews, only 39% are currently positive, mainly due to the eternally long queues and incorrectly distributed permabans.
7:55 PM
On Reddit, several players report that they were banned immediately after launch. The developers are aware of the issue and explain on Discord that a small group of players is being falsely banned upon joining the server. This is due to an error with the first-look account link, which primarily affects participants of the first tests. A suitable fix is expected to appear shortly.
7:50 PM
It seems something is happening. On Twitch, you can no longer only see queues in the thumbnails in the Wardogs category.
And in the Wardogs Discord, the team writes: “We see that more players are slowly entering matches – thank you for your patience! The player count on the servers is rising as the queue is gradually processed.”
Are you able to get into the game meanwhile?
7:45 PM
We are in! At least Dariusz reports that he has indeed made it into the game.
7:39 PM
I would prefer to write something positive, but apparently that will not be happening for now. After our colleague has reached position 15,000, another error message has come in. That seems to be the current loop we are stuck in. At least the new queue after the restart is getting slightly shorter every time – currently 180,000. How about you?
7:33 PM
We are still stuck in queues. Dariusz had earlier some hope that we were making progress, but was then thrown out due to an error message and a crash, only to start again at position 284,000.
Meanwhile, viewer counts on Twitch are continually rising. Over 330,000 people are currently watching others play Wardogs… or rather hang in queues.
7:25 PM
After the long queue, unfortunately, players do not receive a start into the game, but rather an error message. It says: “Authentication with the online services has failed.”
A small silver lining: After that, according to our colleague Dariusz, the queue goes significantly faster. He slid directly to 217,000.
And the developers are aware and are addressing the issue. On the official Discord, it says: “We will clear this queue. Everyone currently in the queue to log into the game will be kicked. Thank you for your patience @everyone. This should help improve the situation. We will keep you updated as best as we can.”
7:20 PM
If you haven’t picked up your Twitch drops for Wardogs yet, you can do so until September 14. Just pick a streamer who is streaming in the Wardogs category on Twitch and watch for 30 minutes for the first drop. For the second drop, you need to subscribe to one of the channels.
On Twitch, over 326,000 people are currently watching streamers in the Wardogs category.
7:10 PM
I wish you a good evening (Nicole)! I would wish you a lot of fun gaming, but it seems it will still take a while until that is possible. As the comments to our live ticker show, some of you are still stuck in long queues – selghammer is even at position 347,000.
We will stay on it and keep you updated in the meantime.
6:59 PM
Dariusz has now reached position 118,000. I will now hand over the ticker to my dear colleague Nicole because I urgently need something to eat, she will keep you updated!
6:56 PM
What age group do you actually put yourself in? On Reddit, there is a hot debate about who Wardogs is actually for:
6:52 PM
On Twitch, some report queue positions around 348,000… who offers more?
6:49 PM
On X.com, the developers share:
“Currently, players are gradually streaming onto the servers as we gradually increase capacity.
However, thousands are still waiting in the registration queue.
Currently, there is an access restriction, and we are working directly with Valve to address this issue and adjust our access restrictions to those of larger titles.”
6:46 PM
To bridge the time, here is a side anecdote from Dariusz:
“There are already cheaters again. I’m waiting in a Twitch stream and there just came the in-game message that a player was banned from the server for cheating.”
6:43 PM
Meanwhile, Dariusz has reached around 128,000 in line as our highest. It seems to be getting faster.
On Reddit, people continue to report error messages. Someone also shares their “high score” waiting position with 270,345.
6:39 PM
The numbers in the queue are slow to decline. Dariusz is currently at around 142,000.
The player count on Steam continues to rise and is now at 257,477 simultaneous players. Will we reach 300,000?
6:33 PM
It’s slowly progressing. Colleague and shooter enthusiast Dariusz has at least fought his way to position 147,995.
If you see an error stating that your account is restricted, that is a known issue and is likely related to FirstLook. But it seems to have been resolved for the first few colleagues.
6:28 PM
On Discord, the developers have now issued the message:
“Currently, thousands of players are in the registration queue, who will gradually enter the game and onto the servers as they increase their capacity.
However, some players are being pushed to the end of the queue – we sincerely apologize for this. The response is much, much larger than during the beta.
Please be patient while we resolve these problems. We will do everything we can to get you all into the game as quickly as possible.”
6:26 PM
We are still plagued by error messages and a death queue. We are now at position 165,925. And how about you?
6:22 PM
The player numbers on Steam are skyrocketing, currently at almost 200,000 players.
6:16 PM
The servers should be open, but many – including us – are not only stuck in queues but are also receiving error messages. It currently seems that the servers are still having issues.
We will stay on it for you and see what can be done.
Do you also have error messages or even found solutions? Let us know in the comments!
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