This weekend marks a significant event for military shooter enthusiasts with the concurrent betas for both the highly anticipated Wardogs and the latest installment in the Call of Duty franchise, Modern Warfare 4. Both titles are currently dominating the Steam sales charts, with Modern Warfare 4 holding the top spot and Wardogs impressively securing second place, a notable achievement for a new IP from a less established studio.
Modern Warfare 4, developed by Infinity Ward, aims to refine the established Call of Duty formula. The beta offers players a taste of what to expect from the studio's first outing since 2022. The game excels at replicating realistic weapon handling and sound design—such as meticulous reload animations and the distinct sounds of gunfire and shell casings—within an accessible arcade-like framework. This year's beta also includes a sample campaign mission.
The Wardogs beta, which began on August 21 and runs until August 24 UTC, is accessible to those with pre-orders. The game presents a different vision of the military shooter, focusing on a 100-player player-versus-player experience. It features a high degree of realism, with a fast time-to-kill, lethal headshots, and intricate reloading mechanics where players load individual bullets into magazines. Maps are vast, requiring dedicated transport for soldiers to reach combat zones. Despite its hardcore milsim elements, which draw comparisons to titles like Squad and Escape From Tarkov, Wardogs incorporates accessibility features such as a killcam. Developer Bulkhead aims to attract players from mainstream shooters and battle royales to a more complex experience, positioning it as a manageable leap for fans of franchises like Battlefield.
Developer Bulkhead has encouraged players to refund Wardogs if they are unsatisfied after the beta, a testament to their confidence in the product. However, server issues stemming from unexpectedly high demand, with over 87,000 concurrent players reported, have hampered the experience for many. This has led to players spending more time in the Modern Warfare 4 beta while awaiting stable access to Wardogs. The Modern Warfare 4 beta is split into two weekends: pre-order access runs until August 25 PT, followed by an open beta from August 28 to September 1 PT. Wardogs is available for pre-order at $40.