# Beak Mode

> WARDOGS guides, fixes and settings, written from the game, updated as patches land.

## Guides
- [WARDOGS beginner tips: how to earn cash, win the zone and not waste your first night](https://beakmode.app/wardogs-beginner-tips): What new WARDOGS players get wrong in the first hours: how cash works, what to buy first, how three-team King of the Hill actually plays, why you shouldn't rush the zone, vehicles, building and the settings to fix before you spawn.
- [WARDOGS best settings for FPS and visibility (1080p, 1440p, 3440×1440)](https://beakmode.app/wardogs-best-settings): The WARDOGS graphics settings that cost frames and the ones that hide enemies. Tested presets for 1080p, 1440p and 3440x1440 ultrawide, plus the upscaler, frame-gen, FOV and audio settings worth changing on day one.
- [WARDOGS controller support: what works, what doesn't, and the settings to use](https://beakmode.app/wardogs-controller-support): WARDOGS has limited controller support in Early Access. Which pads work, what's mapped, how to get an Xbox or PlayStation pad recognised through Steam Input, aim settings that make it playable, and what's missing.
- [WARDOGS crashing or not launching on PC: every fix that works](https://beakmode.app/wardogs-crashing-fix): WARDOGS crashes on startup, closes silently or crashes mid-match. The fixes in the order to try them, from overlays and Easy Anti-Cheat to drivers, HAGS and shader cache, and how to tell which one you have.
- [Is WARDOGS on PS5, Xbox or crossplay? Platforms explained](https://beakmode.app/wardogs-crossplay-console): WARDOGS is PC-only on Steam in Early Access. No PS5, Xbox Series or Switch version is announced and there's no crossplay because there's nothing to cross with. What BULKHEAD has said, what would have to change, and the PC-only realities.
- [WARDOGS DLSS, FSR, XeSS and frame generation: which to use and when](https://beakmode.app/wardogs-dlss-fsr-frame-generation): Upscaler settings for WARDOGS by GPU and resolution: DLSS vs FSR vs XeSS, Quality vs Balanced vs Performance, whether frame generation is worth the input lag in a 100-player shooter, and the sharpening and Reflex/Anti-Lag settings that go with them.
- [WARDOGS download size, preload and install: what to do before launch](https://beakmode.app/wardogs-download-size-preload): WARDOGS is a 50 GB download. How to preload on Steam if you pre-purchased, fixing slow launch-week downloads, where to install it, the shader cache space it needs, and how to check your files are complete.
- [WARDOGS Easy Anti-Cheat errors: untrusted system file, service not running, launch error](https://beakmode.app/wardogs-easy-anti-cheat-error): The Easy Anti-Cheat errors WARDOGS throws at launch and what each means, from "EasyAntiCheat is not installed" to "untrusted system file" and "game security violation", with the fix for each, plus what kernel-level EAC actually blocks.
- [WARDOGS FOV, sensitivity and the aim settings that matter](https://beakmode.app/wardogs-fov-sensitivity): Where the FOV slider is, what to set it to on 16:9 and ultrawide, converting your sensitivity from CS2, Battlefield or Squad, ADS sensitivity, and the crosshair and motion settings that affect hitting people at 200 metres.
- [WARDOGS high ping, lag and rubber-banding: how to fix it](https://beakmode.app/wardogs-high-ping-lag-fix): WARDOGS lagging, rubber-banding, hit registration off, or ping over 100 ms. How to read the ping in the browser, pick the right region, fix Wi-Fi and router problems, and when the server is the problem, not you.
- [How to join a WARDOGS community server (and find a good one)](https://beakmode.app/wardogs-join-community-server): Where community servers appear in WARDOGS, how to filter and favourite them, what "queue" means, and how to tell a well-run server from a dead one before you commit an evening to it.
- [WARDOGS known issues at launch, updated live](https://beakmode.app/wardogs-known-issues): Running list of WARDOGS Early Access launch issues with status and workaround: server browser, shader compile hangs, EAC launch failures, voice, controller gaps, performance on 13th/14th-gen Intel, and what BULKHEAD has acknowledged.
- [WARDOGS low FPS and stuttering fix: why it stutters and what actually helps](https://beakmode.app/wardogs-low-fps-stuttering-fix): WARDOGS stutters, hitches when players spawn, or runs at 40 FPS on a good PC. The difference between shader stutter, CPU-bound stutter and VRAM stutter, and the fix for each, including HAGS, driver settings, Windows tweaks and the settings order that matters.
- [WARDOGS maps and modes at launch: Bakurani, Ozeti, Zestafona](https://beakmode.app/wardogs-maps-and-modes): The three WARDOGS launch maps and their variants, how the King of the Hill control-zone mode works with three teams, the cash and loadout system, and what BULKHEAD has said is coming through Early Access.
- [WARDOGS server browser empty or no servers showing: fix](https://beakmode.app/wardogs-no-servers-showing): The WARDOGS server browser shows no servers, keeps refreshing, or every server is full. The region filter trick that fixed it for most beta players, plus firewall, VPN and NAT causes.
- [WARDOGS player count: beta peak, launch numbers and where to check live](https://beakmode.app/wardogs-player-count): WARDOGS peaked at about 245,000 concurrent players on Steam in the open beta. What that means for launch, how to check the live count, why it matters for server browser and queue times, and how it compares to other launches.
- [How to refund WARDOGS on Steam (and the two-hour trap)](https://beakmode.app/wardogs-refund): Steam refunds WARDOGS within 14 days if you've played under two hours, and the shader compile and menu time count. How to request it, what counts as playtime, refunding the Supporter Pack separately, and what to check before you buy so you don't need to.
- [WARDOGS release time: when Early Access unlocks in your time zone](https://beakmode.app/wardogs-release-time): WARDOGS unlocks on Steam on 10 September 2026 at 16:00 UTC. That's 17:00 UK, 18:00 Central Europe, 12:00 New York, 09:00 Los Angeles, 02:00 Sydney on the 11th. Preload status, download size and what to do while you wait.
- [WARDOGS server hosting compared: BisectHosting vs QONZER vs xREALM](https://beakmode.app/wardogs-server-hosting): You can't self-host WARDOGS. BULKHEAD licenses the server build to approved hosts only. What each approved host offers, slot tiers (60/80/100), what admins can control at launch, and which to pick for a UK or EU community.
- [WARDOGS server queue: how long it takes and how to skip it](https://beakmode.app/wardogs-server-queue): Why WARDOGS servers have queues at launch, how fast a 100-slot queue moves, the browser tricks that get you in faster, and the one guaranteed way to never queue with your regular group.
- [WARDOGS on Steam Deck and Linux: does it work?](https://beakmode.app/wardogs-steam-deck-linux): WARDOGS uses kernel-level Easy Anti-Cheat and the Proton module isn't enabled at launch, so it doesn't run on Steam Deck or Linux. What that means, whether it could change, and the workarounds that do and don't exist.
- [WARDOGS stuck on loading screen or shader compilation: how to fix it](https://beakmode.app/wardogs-stuck-loading): WARDOGS hangs on the loading screen, the shader compile never finishes, or you sit in "joining server" forever. What each one means and the fix, including HAGS, shader cache, server overload and the one-region browser trick.
- [WARDOGS Standard vs Supporter Edition: what the extra £9 buys](https://beakmode.app/wardogs-supporter-edition): WARDOGS is £36.99 in Early Access; the Supporter Edition is £45.99. Exactly what's in the Supporter Pack (camos, helicopter skin, icon, bobbleheads), whether it's worth it, and what BULKHEAD has promised about prices and monetisation.
- [WARDOGS system requirements: minimum, recommended and what actually runs it](https://beakmode.app/wardogs-system-requirements): Official WARDOGS PC specs (minimum GTX 1660 / i5-8600 for 1080p 60, recommended RTX 3070 / i7-12700K for 1440p 70+), what they mean in practice, VRAM and RAM limits, download size, and a will-it-run table for common cards.
- [WARDOGS proximity chat and voice not working: fix](https://beakmode.app/wardogs-voice-chat-not-working): WARDOGS voice chat silent, mic not detected, teammates can't hear you, or proximity chat cutting out. Input device, push-to-talk, Windows privacy, Discord conflicts and the settings that fix it.