{"rewrite":{"id":"r_9b5575f04141e5cd658d675d","clusterId":"c_4b26f79fb5a55050f64f1c84","slug":"wardogs-second-beta-test-set-for-september-4-ahead-of-early-access","model":"deepseek-v4-flash","headline":"WARDOGS Final Beta Test Starts September 4","summary":"Publisher Team17 and developer BULKHEAD announced on September 2 that the second closed beta test for the 100-player military FPS WARDOGS will begin at 3:00 AM JST on September 4. This will be the final test before the game's early access release on September 11 on PC via Steam. The test runs until 5:00 PM JST on September 6, according to 4Gamer.net, though other sources list the end time as September 5. The beta is scheduled to start in conjunction with the FPS Games Show broadcast event, which begins at 18:00 UTC on September 3. The first closed beta, held from August 22 to 24, drew over 100,000 concurrent players on Steam and surpassed 1 million wishlist registrations. Participation is guaranteed for pre-order purchasers, while other players can apply via the Steam store page for a lottery-based access grant. The test aims to check server scaling, Twitch Drops, DLC, VoIP, and login queues, with the developers calling on participants to 'break our systems.' A 'big announcement' is also teased for the FPS Games Show.","whyItMatters":"The second beta test was originally planned to be announced during the FPS Games Show, but the early announcement suggests the developers are confident in the game's momentum, which includes a first beta that peaked at 100,000 concurrent players and ranked first in Twitch viewership for two consecutive nights.","webCardHtml":"\u003cp\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eBULKHEAD is a Derby, UK studio founded in 2015, known for \u003cem\u003eThe Turing Test\u003c/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eBattalion 1944\u003c/em\u003e.\u003c/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eDuring \u003cem\u003eBattalion 1944\u003c/em\u003e development, the studio raised roughly 40 million yen via crowdfunding but later issued full refunds after player numbers fell.\u003c/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eOn August 12, BULKHEAD posted a video titled \u0026#34;10 Reasons Not to Buy WARDOGS,\u0026#34; which honestly covered early access risks, the studio\u0026#39;s \u003cem\u003eBattalion 1944\u003c/em\u003e history, and the option to disable voice chat.\u003c/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eThe first beta drew approximately 500,000 total participants, with a peak of 100,000 concurrent players on Steam.\u003c/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eMatches pit three teams on a 256 km² map; the first team to 100 points wins by holding randomly generated control zones.\u003c/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003ePlayers start each match with $10,000 in funds, which carry over between matches and can buy weapons, equipment, and vehicles like rocket launchers and tanks.\u003c/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eSupport roles include transporting supplies by helicopter and building forward bases by hand.\u003c/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eFunds also come from team actions such as reviving fallen allies.\u003c/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eThe FPS Games Show, starting 18:00 UTC on September 3, has announced exclusive content for titles including \u003cem\u003eRainbow Six Siege\u003c/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eEscape from Tarkov\u003c/em\u003e.\u003c/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eAs of writing, the Japanese-language Steam store page had not been updated with beta details; the English page carried the information.\u003c/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eThe store page lists Japanese display support for the game.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","blueskyPost":"BULKHEAD's WARDOGS final beta runs only three days, ending before early access on September 11. The server stress test is the last checkpoint before launch, and the team is asking players to break the systems on purpose.","twitterPost":"WARDOGS' final beta is a three-day stress test. BULKHEAD wants players to break the servers before early access on September 11.","threadsPost":"WARDOGS' final beta is a three-day window, and BULKHEAD is explicitly asking players to break the servers. The test checks login queues, VoIP, and DLC. If the systems hold, early access on September 11 becomes a formality. If they don't, the launch window gets interesting.","newsletterBlurb":"The final beta test for the 100-player military FPS WARDOGS begins September 4, following a first beta that peaked at 100,000 concurrent players. Early access launches September 11 on Steam, with a 'big announcement' teased for the FPS Games Show.","attributionJson":"[{\"source\":\"4Gamer.net\",\"url\":\"https://www.4gamer.net/games/981/G098198/20260902027/\",\"title\":\"WARDOGS Second Beta Test Starts September 4 JST: A Large-Scale Military FPS Enjoyable in Various Play Styles\"},{\"source\":\"Automaton\",\"url\":\"https://automaton-media.com/articles/newsjp/20260902-464533/\",\"title\":\"Highly Anticipated 100-Player FPS 'WARDOGS' Holds 'Second Beta Test' Just Before Release. Final Adjustments Underway, with a 'Big Announcement' Also Planned for the Day\"},{\"source\":\"Denfaminicogamer\",\"url\":\"https://news.denfaminicogamer.jp/news/260903b\",\"title\":\"Large-scale FPS 'WARDOGS' with up to 100 players announces second closed beta test, starting September 4 at 3:00 AM Japan time\"},{\"source\":\"Game Spark\",\"url\":\"http://www.gamespark.jp/article/2026/09/02/171614.html\",\"title\":\"Final Beta Test Announced for 100-Player Military FPS 'WARDOGS'! Title Surpassed 100,000 Concurrent Players in Previous Test\"}]","lintFlagsJson":null,"lintHits":0,"costUsd":0,"inputTokens":12100,"outputTokens":1737,"status":"published","repairAttempts":0,"nextRepairAt":null,"factsAttemptedAt":1788517364,"createdAt":"2026-09-02T02:13:49.000Z","publishedAt":"2026-09-02T02:17:22.000Z","updatedAt":"2026-09-02T23:23:22.000Z"},"cluster":{"id":"c_4b26f79fb5a55050f64f1c84","canonicalTitle":"最大100人ミリタリーFPS『WARDOGS』最終ベータテスト発表！前回テストでは同時プレイヤー数10万人突破の注目作","representativeArticleId":"a_e15fbd4d3a68f9096a05f26a","sourceCount":6,"writtenSourceCount":4,"writeAttempts":0,"isSolo":false,"entitiesJson":"{\"anime_titles\":[],\"manga_titles\":[],\"work_titles\":[\"WARDOGS\"],\"studios\":[],\"people\":[],\"type\":\"announcement\",\"domain\":\"games\",\"is_roundup\":false}","contentType":"news","status":"written","firstSeenAt":"2026-09-01T23:00:03.000Z","lastSeenAt":"2026-09-06T23:00:00.000Z","updatedAt":"2026-09-06T23:06:40.000Z"},"attribution":[{"source":"4Gamer.net","url":"https://www.4gamer.net/games/954/G095479/20260906001/","title":"【今週のモチベ】100人規模のタクティカルFPS「WARDOGS」の早期アクセスが始まる 2026年9月7日〜9月13日"},{"source":"GAME Watch (Impress)","url":"https://game.watch.impress.co.jp/docs/kikaku/2138430.html","title":"100人規模の戦場で生まれるドラマが面白い！「WARDOGS」インプレッション"},{"source":"Automaton","url":"https://automaton-media.com/articles/newsjp/20260906-465390/","title":"注目の100人対戦FPS『WARDOGS』、クローズドベータが突如“オープンベータ”化。誰でも参加できる"},{"source":"Denfaminicogamer","url":"https://news.denfaminicogamer.jp/news/260905d","title":"最大“100人”で対戦する大型FPS『WARDOGS』プレイテスト版の同接数が「21万人」突破と大盛況。「稼いだ資金で戦い方を買う」戦場、戦車で挑むも分隊として活躍するも自由。なかには、ひたすら心肺蘇生するヒーローも"},{"source":"Game Spark","url":"http://www.gamespark.jp/article/2026/09/06/171827.html","title":"【無料で誰でも参加】100人FPS『WARDOGS』いきなりOBT化で24万人集う―9月6日17時に終了なので急げ！デカすぎ戦場に行きヘリに拠点建築に何でもアリの長時間バトルを体感せよ"},{"source":"GameBusiness.jp","url":"https://www.gamebusiness.jp/article/2026/09/04/27899.html","title":"最大100人ミリタリーFPS『WARDOGS』最終ベータ開始で最大同接“16万人”突破！前回テストの記録を5万人以上更新―ただの射撃場開放でも3万人集まってた注目作"}],"entities":{"anime_titles":[],"manga_titles":[],"work_titles":["WARDOGS"],"studios":[],"people":[],"type":"announcement","domain":"games","is_roundup":false},"keyFacts":["The second closed beta test for WARDOGS begins at 3:00 AM JST on September 4, 2026, and runs until 5:00 PM JST on September 6, according to 4Gamer.net.","The first closed beta, held from August 22 to 24, saw over 100,000 concurrent players on Steam and surpassed 1 million wishlist registrations.","WARDOGS is scheduled for early access release on September 11, 2026, on PC via Steam.","Participation in the second beta is guaranteed for pre-order purchasers, while other players can apply via the Steam store page for a lottery-based access grant.","The second beta test is scheduled to start in conjunction with the FPS Games Show broadcast event, which begins at 18:00 UTC on September 3."]}