Wardogs, a popular 100-player online military shooter on Steam, is currently grappling with a significant problem: players are switching teams mid-match to cheat and disrupt gameplay. The game, which focuses on large-scale battles and base building, allows players to swap allegiances freely, a feature now being exploited to undermine matches.
This team-switching exploit has become a prevalent issue, with players using it to infiltrate and destroy well-defended Forward Operating Bases (FOBs) by joining the opposing team. Once inside, they can dismantle defenses, allowing their original teammates to easily conquer the base. The problem has been widely discussed on the game's official Discord server and subreddit, with numerous players reporting instances of griefing and sabotage.
Beyond base destruction, the exploit enables other forms of disruptive behavior. Some players reportedly switch teams to scout enemy positions and relay information in real-time to friends on the other side. In other cases, losing players have been known to switch teams and engage in team-killing at main spawn points, causing further chaos and frustration. The ability to switch teams was originally implemented to help friends easily join matches together, as Wardogs lacks a robust party or lobby system. The intention was to provide flexibility, allowing players to join a friend who might have joined a server late on a different team. However, this flexibility has become a tool for cheating and trolling, making matches that can last over an hour intensely unpleasant for many.
Joe Brammer, the game's executive producer, has acknowledged the issue on Twitter, stating that the development team is currently deciding on a design fix. The developers have also confirmed via a Steam roadmap that changes to the team-switching mechanic are planned for a future update. Until these changes are implemented, players must contend with the possibility of spies and griefers operating within their ranks, further compounded by the community's requests for a vote-to-kick option, which is currently unavailable.
Since its launch this month, Wardogs has achieved significant success on Steam, attracting over 400,000 concurrent players and selling two million copies according to developer Bulkhead. While the game's popularity has undoubtedly contributed to the increased likelihood of encountering cheaters and trolls, the developers' promise of a fix offers hope for resolving the team-switching problem and improving the overall player experience.