An Unexpected Balance Shift
Just one day after the launch of Wardogs Season 2, developer Bulkhead Interactive has abruptly canceled a planned incentive program. The strategy, which offered extra XP and in-game currency as a 'bribe' to encourage players to join the Blue team, backfired by being far too effective at skewing game balance.
Bulkhead CEO Joe Brammer openly acknowledged the error, stating,
“We were wrong. We fucked up.”
The Impact of the Incentive
Initially, the studio offered a 5% bonus to Lonestar cash and a 2.5% boost to XP for the Blue team. While these figures seemed modest, they created a massive disparity in player distribution. Brammer noted that while average players saw little change, 'top-tier' gamers leveraged the bonuses to gain a significant advantage.
The consequences went beyond just in-game stats. Co-founder Howard Philpott explained that the incentive negatively influenced match participation, as players would frequently quit and restart games if they were not placed on the favored Blue team. This created a cycle of instability for those looking to start a match.
Looking Ahead and Rectifying Exploits
Despite the failed experiment, the developers noted that other balance adjustments, such as new spawn points on the Bakurani map, have been successful and will remain in place. Moving forward, the studio is focusing on further stabilizing the experience.
In addition to removing the team bonuses, the team is implementing several key updates:
- Fixes for driver progression systems.
- Patches for a driver exploit that allowed players to access tanks prematurely.
- Upcoming launch of 'Limited Mode' servers, which will exclude power weapons and vehicles.
Bulkhead has also taken a hard stance against those who abused the system; players found intentionally exploiting the progression bugs will face 24-hour bans, alongside a total reset of their accumulated cash and XP.