Wardogs Launches Tomorrow into Early Access: All Release Times at a Glance

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For those who've been itching to play since the closed beta, the wait is almost over: Wardogs officially enters Early Access on September 10, 2026. The title from British studio Bulkhead, published by Team17, is described as a 100-player mil-sim that takes cues from Arma but feels much closer to Battlefield in combat. Large-scale vehicle battles, open maps, and tactical squad play are at its core.

When Does Wardogs Launch into Early Access?

The Early Access launch is set for a single global time: 4:00 PM UTC. For the German-speaking community, this specifically means 6:00 PM CEST. If you prefer to calculate in other time zones, here are the key launch times at a glance:

4:00 PM UTC
6:00 PM CEST (Germany, Austria, Switzerland)
5:00 PM BST (United Kingdom)
12:00 PM ET (US East Coast)
9:00 AM PT (US West Coast)

Because the launch is tied to a single global time, players in time zones further west will actually start playing in the early morning hours of September 11.

How Has Wardogs Evolved Since the Closed Beta?

The closed beta ran from August 21–23, 2026, and September 3–6, 2026, for all who pre-ordered the game, and it likely instilled great confidence in Bulkhead and Team17: On Steam, Wardogs reached a peak of around 245,000 concurrent players during the second beta phase. This is a remarkable number for a tactical niche shooter that deliberately positions itself closer to the mil-sim corner of Arma than the fast-paced arcade gameplay of major shooter brands. For comparison: For years, games have repeatedly tried to carve out a niche by bridging the gap between realistic simulation and accessible mainstream shooters, but most quickly fade into obscurity. The fact that Wardogs could mobilize such a large player count even in the beta phase shows the significant appetite for a more accessible iteration of the mil-sim formula. The title also fits perfectly into this environment because there's currently a lot happening in the Battlefield sphere anyway, such as the new Rapid Royale mode in Battlefield 6 Redsec, which we recently featured.

What Do Players Need to Know for Launch?

At its Early Access launch, Wardogs will initially be available only for Windows PC via Steam. There are two purchase versions: the Standard Edition for $39.99 USD and a Supporter Edition for $49.99 USD with additional cosmetic content. Bulkhead expects the Early Access phase to last 12 to 24 months before the full 1.0 version is released. Those jumping in now should therefore factor in that this is a game actively under development: content, balancing, and server stability will noticeably change in the coming months. Existing game progress from the beta is expected to be retained, according to previous announcements.