WARDOGS game mode and server types: Control Zone, Infantry Mode, Low-Level and Limited Mode explained

WARDOGS has no list of classic modes such as Team Deathmatch or Conquest. There is one core mode that works the same on every server, plus several server types that restrict gear, vehicles or player level. This guide separates what BULKHEAD has officially described, what players report and what has only been announced. As of 26 October 2026.

The core mode: fighting over the Control Zone

In its official FAQ from February 2026, BULKHEAD describes the mode like this:

• 100 players fight in three teams: Lonestar, Valkyra and Manticore.
• On a 256 square kilometre map, a randomly placed Control Zone of two by two kilometres is active.
• The team with the most players in the zone earns points. The first team to reach 100 points wins.
• Inside the Control Zone, a smaller Hot Zone shifts around. Players there count double and earn double cash.

The inspiration is the King of the Hill mod for ARMA, whose creators the design team says it worked with. Because the zone and player behaviour change every time, no two matches are meant to play the same. Since Season 2, rules against late switching apply as well, such as a 15-minute switch lock once a team leads by more than ten points. Our Season 2 launch overview has the details.

Server types in the Deploy menu

Since Update 0.1.2 on 30 September 2026, the Deploy button leads to four categories: Official, Community, Infantry Mode and Low-Level. According to the patch notes, this is a first step towards signposting players to servers running these modifiers.

• Official: servers run by BULKHEAD with the regular rules. Since Season 2 they enforce regional ping limits, capped at 175 since 21 October.
• Community: servers run by players or clans. Operators set the name, rules, moderation and ping limit.
• Infantry Mode: servers without the most powerful vehicles. More in the next section.
• Low-Level: servers for players below a level limit.

Infantry Mode: what is officially known

In September, CEO Joe Brammer publicly admitted that there are too few infantry servers. The original plan was for the community to host them, but there are not enough. The aim of the mode, he said, is to remove some of the most powerful vehicles. BULKHEAD has not published a complete official list of allowed and blocked vehicles.

The name therefore does not mean you have to walk everywhere. Players in the Steam discussions report that attack vehicles are missing but armed Humvees with an LMG or minigun are sometimes allowed. Others name tanks and the Havoc as blocked while transport vehicles remain. These are individual reports and can differ between servers, not least because many infantry servers are community servers.

How to find an infantry server

• Click Deploy in the main menu and pick the Infantry Mode category.
• Use region select and the ping filters. A matching server is little use if the ping limit kicks you after a few minutes.
• Read the server name and description. Community operators usually list their rules there or on their Discord, such as which vehicles are allowed.
• Check the vendor after joining. Whatever it does not offer is blocked on that server. That is the most reliable check.
• Hold off on expensive gear until you know the rules. Your cash is the same account on every server.

With tanks and heavy vehicles missing, fortified FOBs are harder to crack there. Season 2 moved C4 and the new Molotov into the Assault track, which makes them important tools against buildables on infantry servers in particular.

Low-Level servers

Low-Level servers are meant to give new players rounds against opponents of similar strength. BULKHEAD has not published the exact level limit; players mention level 30 without evidence. Check the limit in the server browser. According to the studio, the planned Limited Mode servers are to replace Low-Level servers.

Announced: Limited Mode

On 15 October, BULKHEAD announced Limited Mode servers without power weapons and heavy vehicles. According to reports on the developer video, Level 4 armor, tanks and artillery would be absent, so matches play closer to the Level 2 armor stage. Brammer also called the idea Primitive Servers at one point; the name is provisional.

The timing has shifted: first the mid-season Update 0.25 was mentioned, then Season 3 in the developer podcast of 25 October. The podcast also said infrared gear will not be available in Limited Mode. Until launch, all of this is an announcement rather than a playable mode.

What is not a separate mode

The Season 2 Wager vendor is an optional feature within normal matches: you stake cash on objectives you choose. According to the patch notes it was not available at launch and is meant to open later in the season. Rain is not a mode either but a weather state, explained in our weather guide.

Further reading

Background on the infantry question is in our news article "WARDOGS Season 2: wipe, rain and new plans for infantry and jets". How ping kicks work and how to filter for suitable servers is covered in our troubleshooting article on high ping. Our Season 2 balance guide sums up what changed for weapons and buildables.