The ambitious "social experiment" introduced in Season 2 of the multiplayer sandbox FPS Wardogs has been unceremoniously cancelled after just one day. Developers Bulkhead attempted to improve the win rates and reputation of the game's Lonestar faction, colloquially known as Blue Team, by offering it bonus in-game cash and experience points.
This initiative, which began with the launch of Season 2, was intended to incentivize more skilled players to choose Lonestar, thereby boosting its historically dismal performance. However, the experiment quickly spiraled out of control.
Bulkhead CEO Joe Brammer acknowledged the failure in a video statement, stating, "We were wrong. We fucked up." He explained that while the bonus amounts—5% for cash and 2.5% for XP—were not expected to be substantial for the average player, top players were earning significant amounts of in-game currency, potentially disrupting the game's progression balance. The additional cash alone allowed some players to accumulate thousands of war dollars.
The bonus also led to an influx of players attempting to join Lonestar at the start of matches. This surge caused delays as players would leave servers if the faction was full, searching for other matches where they might secure a spot on the incentivized team. Consequently, matches were delayed until all three teams had enough players.
While the cash and XP bonuses have been removed, Bulkhead has stated that other rebalancing efforts for the Lonestar faction, such as adjustments to spawn locations on the Bakuriani map, have been more effective and will remain in place. These changes have reportedly contributed to improving the faction's win percentages.
Separately, the developers are addressing a vehicle XP exploit that allowed players to rapidly earn experience by repeatedly entering and exiting faction headquarters. This exploit enabled some players to unlock high-tier vehicles, like tanks, prematurely. As a temporary measure, vehicle progression rates have been reverted to their Season 1 levels while a more permanent fix is developed.