The burgeoning multiplayer shooter Wardogs, which has achieved significant success on Steam, is currently grappling with an unusual problem: a widespread player aversion to its blue team, known officially as Lonestar. This phenomenon, dubbed an 'anti-blue meta' by the community, is leading to imbalanced matches and even preventing some games from starting.
In Wardogs, up to 100 players are divided into three teams: blue (Lonestar), red (Valkyra), and green (Manticore). While the developer, Bulkhead, acknowledges the uneven team sizes inherent in a three-team split of 100 players, the community has rapidly developed distinct stereotypes for each faction. The blue team has emerged as the de facto choice for inexperienced players, resulting in it being perceived as the least skilled and the team that almost never wins.
This perception has led to a significant portion of the player base actively avoiding the blue team. Players are reportedly spending considerable time on the team selection screen, repeatedly clicking on red or green in an effort to bypass Lonestar and its perceived negative outcomes. The issue has become prevalent enough to be a recurring meme within the Wardogs community.
Team Stereotypes and Gameplay Implications
The red team, Valkyra, is often characterized as aggressive, with squads frequently engaging in offensive maneuvers but typically neglecting game objectives like control zones. This often results in red team players achieving high kill counts but failing to secure victory, as points are awarded for controlling designated areas rather than player elimination.
Green, Manticore, is generally seen as the team for players who have mastered the game's mechanics. These players tend to strategically utilize map features such as towers, establish Forward Operating Bases (FOBs), and employ mortars for bombardment. While this approach can lead to victories, the current in-game progression system, which rewards individual cash gains, makes playing selfishly on the red team a more immediately profitable choice for players focused on personal advancement.
The consequences of this team bias are starkly illustrated by community manager posts showcasing chaotic and unproductive gameplay centered around the blue team. One widely shared clip depicts multiple failed attempts by blue team players to pilot helicopters, leading to crashes and collisions, suggesting a general lack of coordination and skill.
Personal experience playing exclusively on the blue team during a recent weekend mirrored these community observations, with consistent losses and instances where opposing teams secured overwhelming victories. Shifting to other teams notably improved the gameplay experience due to increased coordination and a reduced sense of solo play.
The developers are aware of the situation, as evidenced by social media discussions and community efforts to rally support for the blue team. However, the ongoing memetic nature of the problem risks creating a self-perpetuating cycle. While the developers could potentially address this by implementing automatic team selection, this would first require a functional party system to allow friends to reliably join matches together.
Beyond the social dynamics, some players suggest that subtle gameplay factors might contribute to the blue team's struggles. The blue team's spawn point is reportedly situated in a position that is somewhat disadvantageous, being between the red and green spawns. Additionally, the blue team's uniforms are considered more conspicuous, potentially making them easier targets.
The question of whether certain colors are psychologically associated with beginner status, or if new players simply select the first option without consideration, remains open. Regardless of the precise cause, the persistent underperformance and player avoidance of the blue team presents a significant challenge for an otherwise well-received shooter.