WARDOGS on PC
The technical picture
WARDOGS is Windows-only on Steam, needs a GTX 1660 or better, about 50 GB of storage, and runs kernel-level Easy Anti-Cheat. BULKHEAD has aimed deliberately low on hardware — the minimum specification targets 1080p Low at 60 fps and the studio has described a scalable low-end presentation. There is no verified Steam Deck, Proton or Linux support, and controller support on PC is officially described as limited.
Technical pages
Official minimum and recommended specifications, storage, and a GPU-by-GPU read on whether your card clears the bar.
Can I run WARDOGS? Best Settings & FPSWhich settings actually cost frames in a 100-player match on a 256 km² streaming map, and where to start on low-end hardware.
TroubleshootingWon't launch, crashes on startup, stutters, high ping, stuck in queue — ordered by what actually causes most launch-week failures.
Error Code 1147405308Why “Access Denied” appeared during the Closed Beta, why it appears after the test closed, and which risky unofficial fixes to avoid.
Failed to authenticate with online services Anti-Cheat & Secure BootWhat kernel-level Easy Anti-Cheat does, whether Secure Boot is required, and why it blocks Steam Deck.
Server StatusHow to tell an outage from a problem on your own machine, and which official channels report first.
Technical specification at a glance
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Operating system | Windows 10 (minimum) / Windows 11 (recommended), 64-bit |
| Minimum GPU | Nvidia GTX 1660 or AMD RX 590 |
| Recommended GPU | Nvidia RTX 3070 or AMD RX 6700 XT |
| Minimum CPU | Intel Core i5-8600 or AMD Ryzen 5 3500 |
| Recommended CPU | Intel Core i7-12700K or AMD Ryzen 7 5700X |
| Memory | 16 GB (both minimum and recommended) |
| Storage | Around 50 GB |
| Network | Broadband required — online multiplayer only |
| Anti-cheat | Easy Anti-Cheat, kernel-level |
| Controller support | Limited (officially described) |
| Steam Deck / Linux | Not supported |
| Languages | 14, including Simplified and Traditional Chinese |
Why WARDOGS is a hard technical problem
It is worth understanding what the engine is being asked to do, because it explains both the settings that matter and the problems most likely to appear at launch.
- 100 players in one match. Networked state for a hundred clients, plus vehicles, plus player-built structures, plus destruction.
- 256 km² per map. Terrain at roughly one metre per pixel, streamed continuously as players move by helicopter at speed.
- Destructible geometry. Walls that change state mid-match and have to stay consistent across every client.
- Player-built structures. Forward operating bases and fortifications are runtime additions to a level that was not authored with them in place.
BULKHEAD has published a Level Design & Performance developer video specifically about how it approached this. The stated hardware targets — 1080p Low 60 fps on a GTX 1660 — are deliberately modest for a game of this scope, which is an encouraging signal but not a guarantee. Real performance across a full 100-player match cannot be verified until the build is live.
What to expect at launch
The August Closed Beta already exposed one important diagnostic distinction: an authentication code can be server-side even when the game client launches normally. Opening-day login load produced reports of error 1147405308; after the test ended, the same Playtest entry could no longer authenticate because the beta service was closed.
This is an Early Access launch of a 100-player game with over a million wishlists. Realistic expectations for the first week: matchmaking pressure and queues, anti-cheat installation failures on a subset of machines, driver-specific crashes, and traversal stutter while shader caches build. None of that is unusual; all of it is covered on our troubleshooting and server status pages, which will be updated actively through launch week.
PC FAQ
Is WARDOGS well optimised?
BULKHEAD has targeted accessible hardware and published performance-focused developer material. Whether that holds up across live 100-player matches is not verifiable before launch.
Does WARDOGS need an SSD?
No SSD is listed as a requirement, but the build is around 50 GB and streams a 256 km² map, so an SSD is strongly advisable.
Does WARDOGS support controllers on PC?
Controller support is officially described as limited. Plan on mouse and keyboard.
Can I play WARDOGS on Steam Deck or Linux?
No verified support. Kernel-level Easy Anti-Cheat is the obstacle and Linux is not a stated priority. Details.
How big is the WARDOGS download?
Around 50 GB according to the Steam store page.
Sources: the official Steam store page (all specifications, storage, languages, controller support) and Team17's Level Design & Performance developer video. Back to the WARDOGS wiki.