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WARDOGS Final Beta Test Starts September 4

The second beta test was originally planned to be announced during the FPS Games Show, but the early announcement suggests the developers are confident in the game's momentum, which includes a first beta that peaked at 100,000 concurrent players and ranked first in Twitch viewership for two consecutive nights.

Key Facts

  • The second closed beta test for WARDOGS begins at 3:00 AM JST on September 4, 2026, and runs until 5:00 PM JST on September 6, according to 4Gamer.net.
  • The first closed beta, held from August 22 to 24, saw over 100,000 concurrent players on Steam and surpassed 1 million wishlist registrations.
  • WARDOGS is scheduled for early access release on September 11, 2026, on PC via Steam.
  • Participation in the second beta is guaranteed for pre-order purchasers, while other players can apply via the Steam store page for a lottery-based access grant.
  • The second beta test is scheduled to start in conjunction with the FPS Games Show broadcast event, which begins at 18:00 UTC on September 3.

Reporting from 6 sources: 4Gamer.net, GAME Watch (Impress), Automaton, Denfaminicogamer, and 2 more.

WARDOGS Final Beta Test Starts September 4

Publisher Team17 and developer BULKHEAD announced on September 2 that the second closed beta test for the 100-player military FPS WARDOGS will begin at 3:00 AM JST on September 4. This will be the final test before the game's early access release on September 11 on PC via Steam. The test runs until 5:00 PM JST on September 6, according to 4Gamer.net, though other sources list the end time as September 5. The beta is scheduled to start in conjunction with the FPS Games Show broadcast event, which begins at 18:00 UTC on September 3. The first closed beta, held from August 22 to 24, drew over 100,000 concurrent players on Steam and surpassed 1 million wishlist registrations. Participation is guaranteed for pre-order purchasers, while other players can apply via the Steam store page for a lottery-based access grant. The test aims to check server scaling, Twitch Drops, DLC, VoIP, and login queues, with the developers calling on participants to 'break our systems.' A 'big announcement' is also teased for the FPS Games Show.

  • BULKHEAD is a Derby, UK studio founded in 2015, known for The Turing Test and Battalion 1944.
  • During Battalion 1944 development, the studio raised roughly 40 million yen via crowdfunding but later issued full refunds after player numbers fell.
  • On August 12, BULKHEAD posted a video titled "10 Reasons Not to Buy WARDOGS," which honestly covered early access risks, the studio's Battalion 1944 history, and the option to disable voice chat.
  • The first beta drew approximately 500,000 total participants, with a peak of 100,000 concurrent players on Steam.
  • Matches pit three teams on a 256 km² map; the first team to 100 points wins by holding randomly generated control zones.
  • Players start each match with $10,000 in funds, which carry over between matches and can buy weapons, equipment, and vehicles like rocket launchers and tanks.
  • Support roles include transporting supplies by helicopter and building forward bases by hand.
  • Funds also come from team actions such as reviving fallen allies.
  • The FPS Games Show, starting 18:00 UTC on September 3, has announced exclusive content for titles including Rainbow Six Siege and Escape from Tarkov.
  • As of writing, the Japanese-language Steam store page had not been updated with beta details; the English page carried the information.
  • The store page lists Japanese display support for the game.

Synthesized by Yomimono from the 6 cited sources below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited, then editorially reviewed before publishing.

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