In a span of a few months, WARDOGS blitzed from season 1 to season 3. Season 1 left a massive impact on players and led many to fall in love with the game. But the recently concluded season 2 was a massive letdown. It had several issues that made the game unplayable for many, and it did not really address some of the game's problems, like progression. Season 3 is out, and with it come massive changes that could hopefully improve the game's state. Here is everything you need to know about WARDOGS Season 3.
WARDOGS Season 3 Explained
WARDOGS New Map: Sabatulo
At launch, WARDOGS had only 2 maps that didn't feel distinct enough from each other. Then came Zestafona, a map that heavily encouraged mega FOBs. Season 3 brings a new map that looks to be completely different from the other 3. Sabatulo brings the quintessential urban warfare experience to WARDOGS. It features lots of narrow streets and more verticality than the other maps. The map seems to favor infantry since narrow streets with vertical spaces overlooking them are death traps for vehicles.
WARDOGS Limited Mode Explained
One of the biggest issues with WARDOGS is progression. No matter what BULKHEAD does, it seems players progress way too quickly, making the game unplayable for more casual players. Limited Mode is their attempt to effectively address this issue. In this mode, players cannot use Hollow Point or Armor Piercing ammo, level 3 or 4 armor, or attack vehicles. This is all to address the progression issue, since starting the season late is practically unplayable. Finally, this mode also encourages more kinetic gameplay by disabling popular FOB builds like the Drill Rig, Stingray, MG Nest, and the CIWS, as well as anti-tank mines.
Multi-Branch Unlocks and Catch-up Mechanics
Having to grind a certain role to unlock a certain item or piece of equipment never really made sense. It wasn't fun for most players, and it made progression feel extremely linear. Multi-branch unlocks let you play how you want by having more than one way to unlock items. New armor can be obtained on Assault far earlier than grinding it on your WARDOGS level.
Along with the added branches, lower-level players receive bonus XP in the new catch-up mechanic. Every week, lower-level players receive an increasing XP boost as well as extended vendor discounts, calculated per role. This is to help players who casually enjoy the game and want to hop off for other games every now and then. Hopefully this is enough to balance the game's stilted progression.
Where is the Infrared Range Finder
One of the game's most broken pieces of equipment has been removed from the vendor. The Infrared Range Finder is arguably the most overpowered item thanks to its spotting capabilities. It has a massive zoom that lets you spot enemies from ridiculous distances, and it uses thermal signatures to spot enemies. Unless you're blocked by a thick brush or completely hidden behind a wall, you will get spotted.
The Season 2 nerfs to this item did not do enough to discourage its use. Despite needing batteries, players still used the Infrared Range Finder way too much. Now in Season 3, the item has been removed from the vendor until they find a way to balance it.
