Wardogs looks like Battlefield with a persistent economy, and I'm fascinated by the consequences

100 players, three teams, constant fighting. That's the premise at the heart of Wardogs. That and the endless flow of cash as you earn and burn currency with each life, as you throw down with every other player to try and be the, er… top dog. Please laugh.

In a new trailer shown at the PC Gaming Show, you can see a lot of Battlefield-esque blasting as we see not one, not two but three helicopters getting smote by a man on the ground with a launcher. It's enough to make you not want to get in a helicopter.

The most intriguing part for me is the promise of a persistent economy where each in-game action that helps your team win earns you cash which you can spend in your next life, or even a later game. How this plays out will be key to how fun the game feels to play—if it brings a small sense of your meta-progression mattering into combat then it'll infuse the moment-to-moment gunplay with a little bit of the terror of extraction shooters, creating a more explosive format.

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If they get it wrong, it'll feel like growing up working class, as the millionaire Wardogs players will run amok with better weapons, vehicles and general opportunities than anyone else. I'll probably still enjoy it, as the only valid war is class war. This is your warning Wardogs nepo babies, I'll be coming for you.

In the trailer, Bulkhead Studios says "Wardogs isn't a game made for everyone, instead it's a grounded hardcore shooter that doesn't forget it's a game," but really it looks a lot like the type of open-world team shooters that are beloved by most people. If it feels like something you might want to have a go at, they're running some playtests which you can sign up for via the QR code in the trailer. You can also wishlist it on Steam.

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