An Experiment That Worked Too Well

Just 24 hours after the launch of Wardogs Season 2, developer Bulkhead Interactive has abruptly canceled a controversial incentive plan. The studio had previously announced a “bribery” scheme intended to encourage players to join the underpopulated Blue team, but the initiative was retracted after it proved to be far too effective.


In a recent developer update, Bulkhead CEO Joe Brammer candidly addressed the error: “We were wrong. We fucked up,” he admitted. While the incentives themselves—a 5% increase in Lonestar cash and a 2.5% XP boost—seemed modest on paper, they created a massive imbalance in practice.


The Impact of 'Tryhard' Optimization

According to the development team, while casual players saw little benefit from these percentages, high-level “top tier” players optimized their gameplay to exploit these boosts significantly. Consequently, the Blue team began dominating the game by a wide margin.


Beyond the competitive imbalance, the bonuses were negatively affecting the user experience. Bulkhead co-founder Howard Philpott noted that the system was disrupting game flow, with players frequently leaving matches if they were unable to join the Blue team to secure the extra rewards.


“I don't think we expected it to be this much of a swing,” admitted Philpott.

Course Correction and Future Fixes

Bulkhead is now pushing a backend update to immediately remove the Blue team XP and cash bonuses. However, the studio emphasized that not all rebalancing efforts were failures. Adjustments to spawn points on the Bakurani map, for example, have proven successful and will remain in place as part of the ongoing effort to refine the game.


In addition to removing the team incentives, the update addresses several technical issues, including:

  • Adjustments to driver progression mechanics.
  • A patch for an exploit that allowed players to access tanks prematurely.
  • Planned future implementation of “Limited Mode” servers, which will exclude power weapons and vehicles.

To address the abuse of the tank exploit, the studio is taking firm action: the small subset of players identified as “very clearly” taking advantage of the bug will face a 24-hour ban, alongside a total wipe of their accrued cash and experience points.