WARDOGS Factions

WARDOGS features three factions — Lonestar, Valkyra, and Manticore — locked in a three-way war for control of the fictional Eastern European region of Kolchia and its rare resource, PV-1. Each faction has a distinct identity, color, and lore background, though all three have access to the same weapons and equipment. Here is everything we know about the factions in WARDOGS.

1. Lonestar — The Western Heavy-Hitters

Lonestar is described as the heavy-hitters in the Western paramilitary world. Hailing from Texas, Lonestar represents a private military company with deep roots in Western private security and mercenary operations. They are the blue team on the battlefield. Lonestar's aesthetic and background draw from modern Western military and PMF (Private Military Firm) culture, making them a recognizable force for players who prefer a Western military identity.

2. Valkyra — The Soviet Restoration

Valkyra is the red team, a Russian faction whose stated goal is to return the Soviet People's Republic to greatness. Valkyra draws its identity from post-Soviet military power and nationalist ambition, representing a force that seeks to restore former Soviet glory through military dominance in the Kolchia region. Their aesthetic leans into Eastern Bloc military hardware and doctrine.

3. Manticore — The Shadow Army of Persia

Manticore is the green team, representing the Kingdom of Persia — described as Tehran's shadow army. Manticore brings a Middle Eastern military identity to the conflict, operating as a covert and unconventional force in the battle for Kolchia and the PV-1 resource. Their lore positions them as a shadowy, opportunistic faction that leverages guerrilla and asymmetric tactics alongside conventional military power.

4. The Setting: Kolchia and PV-1

All three factions fight over control of Kolchia, a fictional Eastern European industrial mountain region. The setting was inspired by the development team's real-world field trip to Georgia, which informed the terrain, architecture, and atmosphere of the game world. Kolchia is a 256 km² sandbox that contains randomly generated 2×2 km Control Zones where the main battles take place.

The driving force behind the conflict is PV-1, a rare resource that all three factions seek to control. PV-1 is described as the resource that fuels the Eurasian conflict, making it the central MacGuffin of the WARDOGS narrative. While the lore provides motivation for the war, gameplay is focused on the Control Zone king-of-the-hill mechanics rather than resource extraction.

5. Do Factions Have Gameplay Differences?

As of the current beta and available information, there is no evidence that the three factions have unique gameplay mechanics. The following aspects have been confirmed to be identical across all factions:

This means your choice of faction is primarily a cosmetic and lore preference. All players start with $10,000 cash, can purchase from the same weapon pool, and compete under identical rules in the Control Zone. The Supporter Edition does include faction-themed weapon camos (Valkyra A-91, Lonestar Bushmaster, Manticore KH-2002), but these are purely cosmetic.

6. Factions in the Control Zone Game Mode

In WARDOGS, 100 players are divided into three teams representing the three factions. The core game mode is inspired by King of the Hill: every 30 seconds, the team with the most players inside the randomly generated 2×2 km Control Zone earns a point. The first team to reach 100 points wins the match.

Because each faction fields roughly 33 players, no single team has an inherent advantage. The outcome depends on teamwork, cash management, and tactical coordination — including transporting players to the Hot Zone, building forward operating bases (FOBs), and controlling objectives. The persistent cash economy carries over between matches, so factions that work together effectively can build increasingly powerful loadouts over time.