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A few notable quotes from Bulkhead CEO Joe Brammer's latest Wardogs discussion video on X, in which he reacts to a video from YouTuber JbowenDaMan.
Wardogs continues to be one of my favorite games of the year, but almost three weeks into early access, I understand why developer Bulkhead was anticipating agita as players got deeper into its progression. The 100-player FPS has a serious XP grind, and some say they were having a better time before the most dedicated players started unlocking the highest tiers of vehicles, armor, and weapons.
Brammer's insights on player feedback and the studio's philosophy on balance are a useful lens into how Bulkhead sees its game—first and foremost a sandbox shooter where no two matches are the same, and not a competitive FPS that requires perfect balance.
"Sometimes in our game, we're going to be OK with something being a bit overpowered for a season and then underpowered next season, to keep it interesting," he said. "That doesn't mean I think level four armor is working, or that our balancing is great. I think the endgame is a bit sh*t."
(Image credit: Team17)
It can be quite discouraging to face heavily-armored players with a pea shooter, or get smacked around by the strongest vehicles, so I'm curious what Bulkhead is considering to improve the endgame. Many think the thicker armors should go away entirely, and I admit I've had the same reaction when my killers shrug off six bullets to the chest, but that would rid the game of valuable build variety.
Wardogs firefights are asymmetrical by nature, and I wouldn't want to change that. While I'm unlocking stuff slower than the best players, the truth is that I'm also playing like a cheapskate—buying level two armor and cheaper guns because I don't want to risk a $20k loadout. Going into fights at a disadvantage is its own thrill, because I can still eat a bigger fish by getting the drop on them, and then become the bigger fish by looting their stuff.
Top of my mind is the changing playstyles of Wardogs week-to-week. Recently I've had a lot of matches where very few teammates want to do my favorite thing—push the Hot Zone and fight—and instead choose to focus on building or attacking FOBs. It can be frustrating to the point of not wanting to play, but as Jbowen and Brammer note, Wardogs is more fun when you're willing to adapt what you're doing to the current shape of the match. Instead of getting annoyed, I could try to pivot to hunting FOBs, learning anti-air, or practicing my pilot skills.
Brammer also reminded folks that Wardogs' planned metagame features will affect progression in the future. Bulkhead plans to add Tarkov-style skills that are improved through repetition, like tactical sprint duration and staying in-scope when cycling a sniper rifle bolt. Skills will be persistent, not wiped from season to season. In addition to cash and XP, a future "intel" resource will be used for unlocking gun parts and attachments that go beyond the current crop of grips, scopes, and muzzles.
"You're playing 25% of the game," as Brammer put it.
Sounds intriguing and intimidating. I really like how approachable Wardogs is right now, and my experience with full gunsmith systems in Battlefield 6 and CoD have me worried players will optimize guns until they're boring, but maybe Bulkhead's approach will be different.
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