Ten Reasons Not to Buy WARDOGS — Bulkhead's Honest Marketing Paid Off

Most studios sell you reasons to buy their game. Bulkhead, the British studio behind WARDOGS, released a 15-minute video titled "Ten Reasons NOT to Buy WARDOGS" — and the reverse pitch worked so well the game shot into Steam's global top-10 sellers right after launch.

What the Studio Admitted

• The Early Access build is thin. At launch: 3 maps, 37 weapons, 21 vehicles. Early Access will run roughly 24 months, focused first on bug fixing and balance — no promised monthly maps or vehicles.
• The pricing ladder. The full game is targeted at $55.99, dropping to $49.99 until every feature lands — but for the first Early Access year the team judged even that too high and set the entry price at $39.99, with staged increases as content grows.
• Future monetization is possible. The 1.0 version may add extra paid content — stated up front, not discovered later.
• It's not a graphics showcase. No 4K240 dreams; the team says performance purists should temper expectations.
• The studio's own history. Bulkhead is candid about Battalion 1944 — the failed previous game, the publisher fallout, the fully refunded Kickstarter — and told anyone who can't trust them on that record simply not to buy.
• Population reality. Post-hype, they expect the player count to settle at a stable 3,000–5,000 concurrent — a deliberately modest, sustainable target.
• Voice chat will get ugly. Regional/proximity voice means trash talk comes with the territory.
• It's hardcore and punishing. High risk, heavy losses, no apologies.
• Gamepad support exists — with aim assist — but the game favors keyboard and mouse.
• Refunds are always available. Unhappy pre-order players can walk away at any time.

Why It Worked

Players responded to the transparency the industry rarely offers: "You gave me ten reasons not to buy, and I bought in ten seconds." Analysts noted that pre-declaring an Early Access game's limits defuses exactly the expectation gap that usually burns EA buyers — and for a studio repairing its reputation, the honesty itself was the marketing.

If the arguments convinced you to wait, our should you buy guide runs the same ledger; if they convinced you to buy, the beginner guide is where to start.

Related: closed beta word of mouth · should you buy · price and editions