WARDOGS is the new kid on the block in large-scale combat simulators. It’s an intense, realistic first-person shooter with some innovative in-game mechanics, such as a monetary system that allows players to unlock an increasingly powerful arsenal the more they explore a match and dominate their enemies.
It’s the kind of game that promises to threaten the status quo held by shooters like Battlefield, but last night, during the launch of the Modern Warfare 4 beta, it had its sights set on Activision’s super-sized Call of Duty title. And, at one point, WARDOGS was beating Modern Warfare 4.
WARDOGS Set To Be a Success in the Shooter Space
WARDOGS comes from Bulkhead, a British studio with a love for the industry that goes far beyond simply making these games. Recently, the team revealed an interesting new gaming showcase called The FPS Games Show, coming on September 3rd to pay tribute to some of the best first-person shooters in the business.
For now, all eyes are on WARDOGS, the large-scale, sandbox-style shooter that promotes multiple styles of play across massive maps, encouraging emergent sequences and ensuring that no match unfolds the same way twice.
It has proven to be a hit already. Last night, the game’s most major playtest yet went live, and this time, folks were allowed to stream gameplay. This resulted in the game catapulting up the charts on Twitch and other similar platforms.
At one point, WARDOGS was trumping all other games on Twitch, even beating Modern Warfare 4, the beta for which had gone live at almost the same time.
Even when Modern Warfare 4 peaked on Twitch, it only managed to grab 271,000 viewers on day one of the multiplayer (and campaign) beta. WARDOGS peaked at just shy of 200,000, which is a fair effort for a brand-new IP trying to cut its teeth in a contested, saturated market.
On Steam, WARDOGS managed a peak player count of 92,000, which, again, is a commendable effort. Modern Warfare 4, on the other hand, produced a total of 115,000 peak players. The separation isn’t what you’d expect from a brand-new indie shooter and arguably the most popular, recognizable first-person shooter franchise in history.
It’s also worth pointing out that the sentiments surrounding Modern Warfare 4 are not positive. On Steam, the beta product has produced a shocking review score, hitting a whopping 61% negativity from more than 2,000 reviews. On social media, the game is getting picked to pieces by players, many of whom say it’s just not different enough from previous Modern Warfare titles.
Have you played WARDOGS or Modern Warfare 4’s beta? Let us know on the Insider Gaming Discord server what you think about them.
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Grant has been gaming for 30+ years and in the industry for 10+. You'll probably find him playing a post-apocalyptic game or an extraction shooter somewhere.
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