WARDOGS Community Servers: Hosting, Customisation & Admin Tools
What community-hosted servers can do at Early Access — admin bans, map and lighting customisation, infantry-only and hardcore modes, and why BULKHEAD enforces approved hosting partners.
WARDOGS community-hosted servers are live now, since the Steam Early Access launch on September 10, 2026. Three partners were approved ahead of launch — QONZER, BisectHosting, and xREALM — and the model BULKHEAD has chosen is structured around two principles: server performance cannot be sacrificed for hosting provider profit, and the community should be able to police its own games. This page covers what server admins can do, what is customisable now, and what is coming later. If you are stuck behind the official login queue, our server status guide explains when to wait and when to switch.
1. What Community Servers Are For
Community-hosted servers in WARDOGS serve two distinct purposes that BULKHEAD has framed publicly:
- Cheat protection. Admins get Archon tools to ban cheaters on the spot. BULKHEAD has called community servers "the ultimate cheat protection" because human admins can react to observed behaviour faster than automated anti-cheat can prove a new cheat method. More on the anti-cheat stack is on the anti-cheat page.
- Customisation. Admins can alter the default WARDOGS experience — maps, lighting, level caps, passwords, and officially-supported mode variants. The customisation surface is intentionally limited at Early Access and will expand over time.
2. Approved Hosting Partners
WARDOGS community servers are not arbitrary self-hosted boxes. BULKHEAD has chosen an approved-partner model for a specific reason: server performance.
WARDOGS is a demanding 100-player game with a lot happening at once. BULKHEAD has explicitly called out other FPS games that have allowed server hosts to overload their server infrastructure to increase their own profits at the expense of network performance. To prevent this, WARDOGS uses a specific server licence and contract offered to providers that demands certain standards are not just met but consistently maintained.
| Requirement | Why It Exists |
|---|---|
| Hardware verification | Approved partners have passed hardware checks to confirm they can support the 100-player game without choking under load. |
| Reliability verification | Partners must demonstrate consistent uptime and network performance, not just peak capability during a sales pitch. |
| Server licence and contract | Legal enforcement of the performance standards. Partners who fail to maintain them can lose the right to host. |
| Pre-orders open before Early Access | Approved partners are hosting community servers now — the quickest way around the official login queue at peak hours. |
3. What Admins Can Customise at Early Access
The customisation surface on community servers is intentionally limited at Early Access. BULKHEAD has framed Early Access as a foundation, and the levers admins can pull now will increase over time.
| Lever | Status at Early Access |
|---|---|
| Map selection | Available — admins can choose which maps the server rotates. |
| Lighting variants | Available — day/night and other lighting variants can be set. |
| Minimum player level | Available — admins can set a level floor for joining. |
| Maximum player level | Available — admins can set a level cap for joining. |
| Cache for joining | Available — admins can configure the joining cache behaviour. |
| Server password | Available — admins can lock the server to a known player base. |
| Infantry-only mode | Available as an officially-supported mode — connects to persistent cash and XP. |
| Hardcore mode | Available as an officially-supported mode — connects to persistent cash and XP. |
| Disable specific items / weapons | Not yet available — BULKHEAD has said this will arrive over time, with economy adjustments to match. |
4. How Progression Works on Community Servers
WARDOGS carries a persistent cash and XP economy across matches. On community servers, progression handling depends on what the server is running:
- Officially-supported modes (infantry-only, hardcore). The community server connects to the same persistent cash and XP economy as official servers. Players keep their progression.
- Custom rule sets. BULKHEAD has not detailed how far custom rules can diverge before progression stops carrying over. Item-level disabling — when it arrives — will be paired with economy adjustments to keep the cash system balanced.
5. Archon Admin Tools
Community server admins get access to Archon tools. BULKHEAD has not published the full Archon feature list, but has confirmed the core capability: admins can ban cheaters on the spot. This is the structural complement to the official anti-cheat stack — official servers rely on automated detection and report processing, while community servers can rely on human judgement in real time.
6. What Is Not Available at Early Access
- Disabling specific items. The most-requested customisation feature. BULKHEAD has acknowledged the demand but is not ready to deliver it at launch — the economy needs to be adjusted to match any item restrictions, and that work is ongoing.
- Full custom-rule progression. How far a community server can diverge from officially-supported modes before progression stops carrying over is not yet documented.
- Self-hosted boxes. WARDOGS does not support arbitrary self-hosting at Early Access. All community servers run through approved hosting partners under the performance contract.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does WARDOGS have community servers?
Yes. WARDOGS shipped with community-hosted servers at Steam Early Access launch on September 10, 2026, and they are live now. Community servers let admins use Archon tools to ban cheaters, customise the match experience, and run officially-supported modes such as infantry-only or hardcore while staying connected to the persistent cash and XP economy. Because they have their own slots and admins, they are also the quickest way around the official login queue at peak hours.
Can I host my own WARDOGS server?
Not directly. WARDOGS community servers are run through BULKHEAD's approved hosting partners, not arbitrary self-hosted boxes. The studio has chosen this model to enforce server performance standards — 100-player matches are demanding, and BULKHEAD does not want hosting providers to overload server infrastructure to maximise their own profits at the expense of network performance.
What can admins customise on a WARDOGS community server?
At Early Access, community server admins can choose maps, lighting variants, minimum and maximum player levels, cache for joining, and set passwords. Running officially-supported modes such as infantry-only or hardcore mode connects the server to the persistent cash and XP that players earn on official servers. Item-level disabling (banning specific weapons or gear) is not yet available — BULKHEAD has said this will arrive over time as the economy is adjusted to match.
Can community server admins ban cheaters?
Yes. Community server admins get Archon tools that let them ban cheaters on the spot and police their own games. BULKHEAD has called community-hosted servers 'the ultimate cheat protection' because admins can act in real time on observed behaviour, faster than the official anti-cheat stack can detect and prove a new cheat method.
Does WARDOGS community server XP carry over to official servers?
Yes, when running officially-supported modes. If a community server is running infantry-only or hardcore mode — the confirmed officially-supported variants — it connects to the persistent cash and XP that players earn on official servers. Custom rule sets that diverge from officially-supported modes may not share progression; BULKHEAD has not detailed the full separation yet.
Who are the approved WARDOGS hosting partners?
Three partners were approved ahead of launch — QONZER, BisectHosting, and xREALM — and their servers are available now. Each has passed hardware and reliability verification to support the 100-player game. The server licence and contract offered to providers demands that certain performance standards are not just met but consistently maintained.