War Dogs, a new 100-player milsim first-person shooter, has experienced an overwhelming launch, drawing more than 300,000 players on its early access debut. The game has become Steam's global top seller, but its immense popularity has led to severe server strain and extended login queues.
Developer Bulkhead has taken the game's servers offline entirely to address the stability issues. "We are actively working towards getting as many of you in game as soon as possible. Apologies for the disruption," the studio announced via X. The developer noted that these problems were not present in previous beta tests and stem from an issue that emerged only at launch. Players attempting to log in are currently met with an error.
When the servers do come back online, players can expect to face login queues. In a video statement, Bulkhead CEO Joe Brammer indicated that these queues are partly due to Valve's rate-limiting policies. "Ideally we'd be on a triple-A tier for some of this stuff, but we're not," Brammer explained. "So we're talking to them, trying to get that sorted out. It is what it is. I wouldn't leave the queue, I'd just stay in."
Despite the launch day disruptions, the surge in player numbers highlights the game's significant appeal. Bulkhead had conducted multiple closed betas leading up to the release, including one final test over the past weekend where players were invited to "obliterate our servers," suggesting confidence in the game's readiness for a large player base. The developer has advised players to prepare for a Steam client update and to expect staggered re-entry into the game in waves to ensure a more stable experience once services are restored.