WARDOGS Season 2 balance: what changes for damage, armor, parachutes and building

Season 2 changes more than the arsenal; it rewrites some of the basic rules of combat. This guide sorts the official balance changes from the 14 October 2026 patch notes by what they mean for your loadout and play. The percentages come from BULKHEAD. We have not taken our own measurements, and later hotfixes may move individual values again. As of 23 October 2026.

Big calibres lose base damage

According to the studio, calibres like .308 and 7.62x54mmR were dealing close to sniper damage in assault rifles, DMRs and LMGs while firing much faster. Base damage per calibre therefore drops:

• .308 Winchester: minus 25 percent
• 7.62x54mmR: minus 20 percent
• 7.62x39mm: minus 19 percent
• .50 Cal: minus 16 percent

This applies to every weapon using these rounds, including vehicle weapons such as the Little Bird, Z20 and Humvee miniguns. Sniper rifles get higher hit-location damage to keep their big single shots. The FAL is still the assault rifle with the highest damage per shot, but now sits closer to the TCX-SPR and M4.

Clearer roles for weapon classes

• DMRs sit between assault rifles and snipers. Headshots and upper-body hits are slightly weaker, and all DMRs get a new recoil pass.
• Assault rifles distribute damage more evenly across the upper, middle and lower torso and deal slightly less on body shots.
• LMG body damage now matches assault rifles. Their edge is sustained fire and magazine size.
• The Scout Rifle kills targets without a helmet with one headshot; a Level 1 helmet takes two.
• The MP5 gets a more horizontal recoil pattern, and the Super-45 loses much more damage beyond 50 metres.
• The MGL-40 is slower, less accurate and weaker at the edge of its blast radius, especially from the Little Bird bench.
• The Mosin gets the PU 91/30 scope (3.5x), and other optics no longer fit.

Top turrets on heavy and artillery vehicles now use the same hit-location values against infantry as assault rifles and LMGs.

Armor and helmets: less protection, more side effects

• Level 3: damage reduction from 55 to 50 percent.
• Level 4: damage reduction from 65 to 60 percent.
• The Level 4 helmet muffles game audio and proximity chat, restricts your field of view and fogs over while sprinting.

In return, Level 3 helmets reduce suppression by 68 percent and Level 4 helmets by 80 percent. Shotgun slugs and the Compound Bow now scale against armor by its tier. Our practical take: if you sprint a lot and rely on your ears, weigh the Level 4 helmet carefully against the Level 3 one.

Suppression hits harder

Suppression has been rebuilt. Near misses from small and medium calibres are considerably stronger, while fast-firing weapons such as SMGs and pistols are not rewarded disproportionately. Screen shake was reduced so you stay in control. Fighting from cover and suppressive LMG fire matter more as a result.

Parachutes: no more last-second pulls

Parachutes take longer to open and will not open below roughly ten metres. If you are falling fast and pull below about 50 metres, you will not slow down in time and will take fall damage. The Basic Parachute now costs 500 instead of 100 dollars, the Sport Parachute 700 instead of 1,000. Pull earlier than in Season 1 and leave yourself a margin.

Building becomes an investment

BULKHEAD reworked build costs, speed and durability so that structures are a considered investment. Some supply costs:

• Bremmer wall: 15 to 32, door 22 to 80, gate 85 to 200.
• Air raid shelter, bunker and crow's nest: 100 to 200.
• L81 Mortar: 150 to 600, Stingray: 150 to 650.
• Talon 9K-SAM: 1,000 to 650, Vanguard CIWS: 1,500 to 1,200.
• Hot Zone Magnet: 2,250 to 2,750.

The medium hammer contributes less per swing, crit spots give a smaller bonus, and the large hammer is unchanged. The Talon now reloads in five seconds instead of two. Talon and mortar use far more munition supplies per restock, and a new animation slows the mortar's rate of fire. Drill rigs need more fuel to start, run for a shorter time and have a much longer cooldown before they can be rebuilt.

Other rules: barbed wire and sandbags can be placed on Bremmer walls, and barbed wire no longer earns cash or XP for kills. Unfinished buildables collapse as soon as they lose support. Doors and gates can no longer be breached with a hammer; the Halligan bar opens both. The CIWS shreds light cover but struggles against heavy fortifications.

Vehicles

Tracked vehicles feel heavier and bounce less on landing. The Humvee is less stiff over terrain and climbs better but builds speed more slowly. The Dune Buggy brakes less effectively and drifts more. Explosives and placeables can no longer be used from enclosed seats. The CIWS now takes 2.25 times as long to kill the spawn vehicle.

What to check now

Test your favourite weapon in the Firing Range and in a match before relying on old habits. Players using .308 and 7.62 weapons, heavy helmets and build-heavy strategies are affected most. Current unlock levels and vendor prices are covered in our Season 2 progression and economy guide.