Your first match

Keys are covered in Controls.

Your first matches in WARDOGS aren’t about kills — they’re about learning the economy and not losing your starting $10,000 (the Season 1 amount) in a couple of bad pushes.

1. Don’t spend it all at once

The classic rookie mistake: buy the most expensive rifle with every attachment, then get sniped a minute later. Lost gear doesn’t come back. Ready loadouts for your balance are in What to buy on your budget.

Since Season 2 the AK74 is unlocked from the start and costs $800: a good first gun after the free faction rifle. The Rebuy Last Loadout button at the vendor fills it with your last kit, which you can edit before buying.

2. Stick with your squad

WARDOGS is a squad game. A squad reaches the zone faster, covers each other and revives the wounded. A lone wolf in a 100-player match is usually just easy income for another team.

If a teammate kills you, since Season 2 the game asks you to Forgive or Punish. Punishments add up to kicks and escalating bans. Respawning and leaving the safe zone without voting counts as forgiving.

3. Earn money beyond kills

You get paid for:

kills and assists;
transporting teammates;
supplying teammates;
reviving the wounded;
presence in the Control Zone or the Hot Zone;
seeding an empty server: since Season 2 the first players on an empty server get a reward and a vendor discount once the match begins.

If gunfights aren’t working out yet, drive people, run supplies and revive. It’s steady income with less risk.

4. Figure out where the fight is

The Control Zone spawns at a random spot on a huge map. Before you run in, check the map: where the zone is, where the Hot Zone is and which directions the enemies come from. More in The Control Zone. How to get there — see Getting to the zone.

5. Watch your balance between matches

Money carries over between matches. A good match isn’t only a win — it’s a growing balance. If you keep ending up in the red, simplify your loadout.

Next: Getting to the zone.