WARDOGS Season 1
September 2026 Early Access launch: economy rework, progression change, vehicle balance, and reliability fixes.
Season 1 is the WARDOGS Early Access launch build, published 9 September 2026. This page is the changelog so you know exactly what moved in the vendor, the XP track, and the vehicle catalogue before you spend your first dollar on the 10th.
Numbers in this page come from the official Season 1 changelog on Steam. Playtest data from Closed Beta 02 (3 September 2026) is labelled separately — when they disagree, the Season 1 changelog wins.
Economy changes — FOB and Hammer prices
Two vendor items and several unlock payments changed for the longer Season 1 economy.
Vendor prices
| Item | Before Season 1 | Season 1 Price |
|---|---|---|
| Forward Operating Base (FOB) | $2,500 | $7,500 |
| Large Hammer | $1,600 | $2,400 |
The FOB price tripled. If your squad strategy relied on dropping a forward base early in the match, that math is now different.
Unlock payments (Support track)
| Item | Before Season 1 | Season 1 Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Medium Hammer (Support unlock) | $10,000 | $25,000 |
| Large Hammer (Support unlock) | $25,000 | $75,000 |
The Large Hammer moved from Support level 7 to Support level 8 alongside the price rise.
Vehicle unlock changes (Pilot and Driver tracks)
| Item | Track | Before Season 1 | Season 1 Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small Armored Supply Crate | Pilot | $5,000 | $10,000 |
| Little Bird with miniguns | Pilot | $25,000 | $50,000 |
| Z20 Lakota | Pilot | $50,000 | $35,000 |
| URAL | Driver | $50,000 | $35,000 |
| Dune Buggy | Driver | $35,000 | $25,000 |
| Kodiak Flatbed | Driver | $15,000 | $35,000 |
| Music Tape H | Driver | $5,000 | $2,500 |
Artillery Tank career unlock
The Artillery Tank career unlock rose from $400,000 to $500,000.
Recon scope rebalances
| Item | Track | Before Season 1 | Season 1 Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6-10x MRAD scope | Recon unlock | $25,000 | $40,000 |
| 6-10x MOA scope | Recon unlock | $30,000 | $45,000 |
Progression — slower from level 6 upward
The XP curve changed for Season 1. The launch curve replaces weekend-test pacing.
| Level | Cumulative XP before Season 1 | Season 1 cumulative XP |
|---|---|---|
| Level 6 | Unchanged | Unchanged |
| Level 10 | 25,000 | 35,000 |
| Level 20 | 111,500 | 250,000 |
| Level 50 | 838,000 | 1,000,000 |
The notes also moved several items between levels:
- Large Hammer: moved from Support 7 to Support 8.
- Artillery Tank: moved from Career 55 to Career 90.
- Heavy Tank: moved into Driver level 35.
Each season can use a different XP curve and item order, so Season 1 values carry the build label.
Gameplay changes
Vehicles
- Z20 Lakota: balance and pitch adjustments, input damping across devices, capped turret rotation, quieter chase-camera rattle.
- 155mm, 122mm, and flare deployables now consume more loadout room.
Reporting
A tracking system and report weighting were added. Server messages now distinguish an actual ban from other disconnections more clearly.
Server browser
Filtering was reworked. Community-server image scaling was fixed. “Host a Server” now links directly to hosting options.
Voice, performance, and crash fixes
Voice chat
- Recovery after a failed join.
- Stale-channel rejoin handling.
- Push-to-talk targeting improvements.
- A visible communications state so you know when your mic is live.
Rendering
- DLSS Frame Generation can now toggle without requiring a restart.
- Shadow caching and high-benchmark shadow behaviour changed.
Startup
Clearer early-failure messages and a recovery route were added so you know why the client did not boot.
Crash fixes
Frame Generation, off-thread network calls, chatbox tooltips, buildables, and weapons whose owner left the match are all named in the official notes as fixed paths.
Build history
| Build | Date | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Season 1 Early Access | September 10, 2026 | Current registered launch build |
| Closed Beta 02 | 3-6 September 2026 | Playtest data (now superseded) |
| Closed Beta 01 | 21-24 August 2026 | Playtest data (now superseded) |
What this means for your wallet
The FOB at $7,500 and the Large Hammer at $2,400 are the headline numbers. In practical terms:
- Forward base rushers need to budget $7,500 before the match starts, not $2,500.
- Hammer-only loadouts cost more to field at both the vendor and the Support unlock track.
- Progression is slower — the median player is expected around level 20 after 20-25 hours, not level 25+.
- Vehicle costs moved — Z20 Lakota and URAL got cheaper; Little Bird with miniguns and Small Armored Supply Crate got pricier.
Before you spend on the 10th, run the budget tool with Season 1 prices. The weapon tier list and vehicle tier list reflect Beta 02 data — updates for Season 1 prices will follow as the community catalogues the launch build.
Related pages
Frequently Asked Questions
Quick answers to the most common WARDOGS questions.
What is the Season 1 build?
Season 1 is the WARDOGS Early Access launch build, published 9 September 2026 alongside the game's Steam Early Access release on 10 September 2026.
Did FOB prices really triple?
Yes. The Forward Operating Base vendor price rose from $2,500 to $7,500 in Season 1. This affects any squad that planned early FOB placement as a standard tactic.
How did progression change?
XP requirements are unchanged below level 6, then become progressively slower. Level 10 requires 35,000 XP (was 25,000), Level 20 requires 250,000 (was 111,500), and Level 50 requires 1,000,000 (was 838,000).
What vehicle prices changed?
Z20 Lakota dropped from $50,000 to $35,000. URAL dropped from $50,000 to $35,000. Dune Buggy dropped from $35,000 to $25,000. Little Bird with miniguns rose from $25,000 to $50,000. Small Armored Supply Crate rose from $5,000 to $10,000.
Will the tier lists update for Season 1 prices?
Current tier lists reflect Closed Beta 02 data (3 September 2026). As the community catalogues Season 1 launch prices, the weapon tier list and vehicle tier list will be updated. Check the live vendor for confirmed Season 1 numbers.