Bulkhead’s tactical first-person shooter WARDOGS entered early access on Steam on September 10 and turned into one of the platform’s biggest launches of the year. The game reached a peak of 428,666 concurrent players shortly after release, putting it among the most-played titles on Valve’s service. If you still haven’t tried it, the shooter is available on its Steam store page.
From one million to 2.2 million copies
The sales curve was steep from the very first day. WARDOGS sold one million copies on day one and 1.25 million by day two. Five days after release, Bulkhead announced two million sales.
According to Rhys Elliott of Alinea Analytics, the total now stands at 2.2 million copies sold on Steam. When you line the numbers up against other launches at the same point in time on Valve’s platform, WARDOGS is ahead of both Arc Raiders (1.7 million) and Helldivers 2 (1 million).
- Day one: 1 million copies
- Day two: 1.25 million copies
- Day five: 2 million copies
- Now: 2.2 million copies
Around $70 million in revenue
Elliott’s data puts revenue generated so far at roughly $70 million. That means WARDOGS has already earned more on Steam alone than Bungie’s Marathon has across PC and console to date. “It’s another reminder that, when it comes to live-service games, community trumps budget and pedigree,” Elliott said.
He also points to the price as a key factor. At $40, WARDOGS sits below the friction point of a $70 AAA release, which lets it capture a large volume of players who are priced out of premium titles. According to Elliott, Bulkhead knew exactly who the game was for, priced it fairly, built its community before launch and actually talked to it.
What it means for you as a player
A player base this large is good news for matchmaking and for the pace of updates, but WARDOGS still has work ahead of it. The game will stay in early access for one to two years, and a console version is planned for 2028. “We are adamant that we do not want to be in Early Access for a long time,” the Steam page reads. We covered Bulkhead’s stance on development and the console timeline in a separate article.
Bulkhead boss Joe Brammer said overnight that Season 2 will bring “lots of new content and changes” as WARDOGS moves into the next phase of development. Elliott adds that the game has “some maintenance hills to climb and a strong roadmap to deliver on” before it can dream of reaching the heights of an Arc Raiders.
User reviews are now sitting at ‘Very Positive’ after the initial complaints about launch problems, and gameplay clips from the game have been going viral. Players have even started avoiding the Lonestar faction, based on the perception that it attracts the worst players and loses the most games.
The big test is still to come
The open question is whether WARDOGS can hold this momentum with Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 and GTA 6 on the horizon. Both Arc Raiders and Helldivers 2 enjoyed huge interest months after release and went on to sell many millions of copies, so WARDOGS has a long road ahead before it matches them in the long term.
Where to go next
If you’re jumping in now, we’ve put together guides to the core systems: start with weapons and unlocks, then look at building and the FOB, and if you want to play in a group, we have a squad guide as well. Everything we’ve written about the game lives on our WARDOGS hub.
FAQ
According to data from Rhys Elliott of Alinea Analytics, WARDOGS is now at 2.2 million copies sold on Steam. Bulkhead itself announced two million sales five days after launch.
At the same point after launch on Steam, yes. WARDOGS sits at 2.2 million copies against 1.7 million for Arc Raiders and 1 million for Helldivers 2. Both of those games kept selling for months afterward, though, so the long-term comparison is still open.
The game costs $40 and launched in early access on Steam on September 10. Bulkhead expects to stay in early access for one to two years.
A console version is planned for 2028.
Bulkhead boss Joe Brammer said Season 2 will bring “lots of new content and changes” as the game enters the next phase of development. No specific details have been announced yet.