"We were wrong": Wardogs devs end Season 2's team-specific cash and XP bonus experiment after a single, tumultuous day

Wardogs’ Season 2 introduced a controversial experiment granting bonus cash and XP exclusively to the Lonestar faction, aiming to improve its reputation and win rates. The developers hypothesized that skilled players would join Lonestar, boosting its standing. However, the experiment was abandoned after just one day. Bulkhead CEO Joe Brammer publicly acknowledged the misstep, stating, 'We were wrong. We fucked up,' in a video announcing the immediate cancellation of the bonus scheme.

The developers expected the 5% cash and 2.5% XP bonuses to be minor incentives for most players, but top performers exploited them to earn disproportionately large rewards. The bonuses led to a surge of players selecting Lonestar, disrupting matchmaking as servers filled up quickly. Players abandoned other factions mid-match to join Lonestar elsewhere, causing delays until all teams had sufficient players.

The rush to join Lonestar during match starts created logistical issues, with players leaving servers prematurely to secure a spot in the favored faction. This behavior exacerbated delays and highlighted the unintended consequences of the experiment. The developers noted that the bonuses, though modest, were enough to skew progression for skilled players.

Despite the experiment’s failure, Bulkhead plans to retain other rebalancing efforts, such as adjusting spawn locations on the Bakuriani map, which have shown promise in improving Lonestar’s win percentages. The XP bonus was swiftly removed via a hotfix, though the broader rebalancing measures will persist as the team continues refining the game.