BULKHEAD has confirmed that WARDOGS Season 3 will launch on November 12, bringing forward the next major reset for its tactical FPS following a rocky second season. The announcement comes alongside a massive anti-cheat crackdown, with the developer issuing permanent bans to 185,000 accounts associated with cheating, exploiting, real-money trading (RMT) and gold farming.
CEO Joe Brammer has also spent much of the weekend addressing the situation on social media, sharing details of the crackdown, warning players about upcoming graphics-setting restrictions and responding directly to accusations of unfair bans.
He’s also been extremely vocal towards cheaters and what will happen once they’re caught: “You fuck with us and our legitimate players, don’t be surprised when we come for you and your entire digital bloodline.”
WARDOGS Season 3 Arrives November 12 With a New Map and Longer Seasons
Season 3 will arrive less than a month after Season 2 launched on October 15. BULKHEAD had already announced plans to bring forward the next reset after acknowledging that its latest progression changes had backfired, with some players reaching Tier 4 armor and main battle tanks (MBTs) within days.
In its November 6 developer video, the studio opened with a commitment to stability and consistency, declaring: “No crazy changes. No social experiments.”
Brammer admitted that the team had reacted too aggressively to player feedback during Season 2, explaining that its attempts to improve progression had removed one of the things that made the first season satisfying: “the journey.”
“We were too aggressive with the changes, and that’s on us,” he added.
Rather than chasing every community complaint, BULKHEAD now wants to establish a more consistent foundation while developing WARDOGS towards its 1.0 release. As Brammer put it, the team’s new approach is “Fuck the noise.”
The most immediate addition is Sabatulo, a completely new urban battlefield designed around close-quarters combat. BULKHEAD says the map will give everyone an opportunity to learn a new environment together, recreating some of the shared discovery that accompanied the early success and launch problems facing WARDOGS.
The studio is also moving to three-month seasons, giving players considerably more time to complete progression and reach their personal goals before the next wipe. Progression will be brought closer to Season 1’s pace, while a new multi-track unlock system will make certain equipment available through multiple roles.
Season 3 will also introduce Limited Mode, an alternative ruleset intended to reduce equipment disparities and maintain an early-to-mid-game experience throughout the season. Planned restrictions include FMJ-only ammunition, a Tier 2 armor cap and a reduced selection of attack vehicles, excluding the Havoc.
Cash and XP earned in Limited Mode will remain available in the standard mode, and vice versa, allowing players to switch between the two without losing their progression. BULKHEAD says the final list of restrictions is still being determined.
Joe Brammer Details 185,000 Bans and Warns Cheaters on Social Media
The biggest announcement from BULKHEAD’s developer video concerns its anti-cheat operation. Following 187 million hours of gameplay analysis and nearly four million unique players, the studio says it has activated additional detection systems much earlier than originally planned.
According to the developers, 4.89% of players globally had been using some form of external modification software. That figure was higher in Europe, where BULKHEAD reported that 5.7% of copies sold had been flagged.
The resulting crackdown covers 185,000 accounts. This includes players using unauthorised external tools for advantages such as aim and recoil assistance or fire-rate manipulation, alongside exploiters, RMT operations and gold-farming networks.
This isn’t BULKHEAD’s first attempt to tackle the problems affecting its matchmaking. In October, the studio lowered its official server ping limit to 175ms while developing a more comprehensive region-locking system, following complaints about cheating, disruptive cross-region play and high-ping opponents.
Brammer took the opportunity to publicly call out one particularly successful exploiter on X, asking: “To the guy who made $143m in Season 2… Did you think we weren’t watching?”
Another source of controversy concerns graphics modifications. On November 7, Brammer warned that Season 3 would bring detection of previously unidentified abuses involving potato mode, Nvidia Inspector and other graphics changes. He recommended that affected players perform a fresh installation if they wanted a second chance.
BULKHEAD subsequently clarified that third-party software used to remove smoke, grass or change textures to gain an advantage is bannable. Players will receive warnings when attempting to launch with prohibited settings, while deliberately bypassing those restrictions can result in a ban. The studio also distinguishes between legitimate low-end graphics options and attempts to manipulate settings beyond what the game officially permits.
The response from players has been divided, although many Steam discussions have welcomed the crackdown, with some calling it a major victory for legitimate players. Others have questioned the timing, arguing that Season 2’s damage had already been done, while several players have claimed to have received bans they believe were unjustified. These remain individual player allegations rather than confirmed wrongful bans.
Brammer has also warned that the studio expects retaliatory review bombing from banned accounts. In the developer video, he acknowledged that negative reviews could hurt sales, Steam visibility and potential investment opportunities, but insisted that the crackdown was necessary. He explicitly asked players to leave honest reviews, whether positive or negative, rather than requesting unconditional support.
BULKHEAD says this isn’t the end of its anti-cheat efforts. Further improvements and a player trust score offering greater control over the experience are planned for 2027. Other multiplayer shooters are also strengthening their enforcement systems: our coverage of ARC Raiders’ major Frozen Trail update also examined Embark’s introduction of permanent bans for known cheat programs, linked-account enforcement and hardware bans.
The Last Word on WARDOGS Season 3
WARDOGS is approaching an important moment in its Early Access development. Season 2 exposed problems with progression and the studio’s willingness to react too quickly to community feedback, while the scale of its cheating problem has clearly demanded a more immediate response.
Season 3 won’t solve everything, but Sabatulo, longer seasons, alternative progression and Limited Mode give players several reasons to return. More importantly, BULKHEAD appears to be committing to a clearer development direction rather than constantly changing course. Whether its anti-cheat measures can maintain a fairer experience will be just as important as the new content when the update arrives on November 12.
Featured Image Credit
Image via Steam
