Definitely gonna keep an eye on this one, devs already hinting at being pro consumer/customer focused ### Key points * No cash shop or pay-to-win * There will be no way to buy in-game currency with real money. * Developers want cosmetics and rewards to reflect player achievement. * Transparency and long-term support * The team says they are not trying to become a giant AAA competitor like Battlefield or Call of Duty. * Their philosophy is to keep development sustainable by: * delivering good content consistently, * staying transparent with the community, * and building trust so players keep returning. * They emphasize making a game they personally want to play instead of chasing maximum monetization. * Gameplay style * The game sits between arcade shooters and hardcore mil-sims. * Gunplay is designed to feel responsive and fluid, but the overall gameplay direction leans toward realism. * Progression system * Nearly everything is tied to progression. * Your preferred playstyle influences what you unlock, rewarding specialization and consistent gameplay choices. * 100-player structure * Matches support up to 100 players across 3 teams. * Team sizes naturally fluctuate because players can join and leave long-running matches. * Server admins can customize server population limits. * Loot and economy * Players can loot ammo, meds, weapons, and most purchasable items. * However, the game is not intended to function like a traditional extraction shooter. * Performance goals * Optimization has reportedly been a priority from the beginning. * Developers test on average consumer gaming PCs, not just top-end hardware. * They prioritize low input latency and high framerates for competitive gameplay. * Battlefield comparisons The team explicitly says War Dogs is not* intended to be a “Battlefield killer.” * Instead, they want to create a different large-scale shooter experience that can coexist with Battlefield. * Their target is a dedicated niche community rather than massive mainstream dominance. * Matchmaking * No skill-based matchmaking. * Players join through a server browser system. * The developers believe strong personal performance and earning cash can still feel rewarding even when your team loses. * Platforms * PC is the primary launch platform. * Xbox and PlayStation versions are planned for the future. * Persistence system * Early access persistence mainly revolves around keeping earned cash between matches. * Long-term plans include deeper character progression, passive systems, player skills, and meta-game mechanics outside active matches. * Release plans * Playtests are planned before launch. * Early access is expected later this year. * Early access may last 12–24 months while developers iterate alongside community feedback. ### Overall tone The developers present War Dogs as a community-driven tactical shooter focused on: * realism without excessive hardcore frustration, * meaningful progression, * fair monetization, * optimization, * transparency with players, * and long-term sustainable development rather than aggressive AAA-scale growth.