WARDOGSSeason 02
Soldier aiming down a holographic sight in a muddy back street

// Combat balance //

High calibre,
brought into line

.308 and 7.62x54mmR were doing near-sniper damage at assault-rifle fire rates. Season 2 cuts the rounds, re-tunes hit locations and rebuilds suppression.

// Damage update

Calibre base damage

The FAL keeps the highest damage per shot among assault rifles but now sits closer to the TCX-SPR and M4.

Base damage reduction by calibreBar chart: .308 Winchester cut 25%, 7.62x54mmR 20%, 7.62x39mm 19%, .50 Cal 16%..308 Winchester−25%7.62x54mmR−20%7.62x39mm−19%.50 Cal−16%
Applies to every weapon firing these rounds, including vehicle guns such as the Little Bird AH-6M, Z20 Lakota and Humvee miniguns.
Show as table
CalibreBase damage change
.308 Winchester−25%
7.62x54mmR−20%
7.62x39mm−19%
.50 Cal−16%

DMRs

  • Headshot and upper-body damage slightly lower.
  • Sit between assault rifles and snipers.
  • New recoil pass across all DMRs.

Assault rifles & LMGs

  • Torso damage evened out across upper, middle and lower.
  • AR body shots slightly weaker.
  • LMG body damage now matches ARs; LMGs win on sustained fire.

Snipers

  • Hit-location damage raised to offset the base cut.
  • Scout Rifle headshot one-shots a target with no helmet.
  • A Level 1 helmet takes two headshots.

// Protection

Armour & suppression

Armour damage reduction, Season 1 vs Season 2Level 3 armour and helmets drop from 55% to 50% damage reduction; Level 4 from 65% to 60%.0%20%40%60%80%Level 3 armour & helmet50% -5 ptsLevel 4 armour & helmet60% -5 pts
Damage reduction for Level 3 and Level 4 armour and helmets, in percentage points.

68%

Suppression cut

Level 3 helmet

80%

Suppression cut

Level 4 helmet

  • Suppression was inconsistent and often unnoticeable. It has been rebuilt around shared falloff curves per weapon, so being shot at feels consistent regardless of what is shooting at you.
  • Near-miss suppression from small and medium calibres is considerably stronger.
  • Rate of fire is now accounted for, so fast-firing small and medium weapons (such as SMGs and pistols) don't suppress disproportionately.
  • Suppression screen shake has been reduced to account for the increase in suppression effects - it should read clearly without fighting you for control.

// Air drops

Parachutes

~10m

Below this it will not open

~50m

Open below this falling fast and you take fall damage

$100 → $500

Basic parachute

$1,000 → $700

Sport parachute

Make sure you trust a pilot before getting into their aircraft. Alternatively - drive to the control zone or fly yourself.

// Per weapon

Recoil & weapon tuning

MP5

  • Recoil pattern updated to have more of a horizontal pattern, as it was too easy to use.

Super-45

  • Damage fall-off increased beyond 50m, its effective range, pushing it firmly into a close-quarters role.

MGL-40

  • Muzzle velocity reduced -25%.
  • 40mm outer radius now has a stronger damage fall-off.
  • Experiences much more inaccuracy and sway, slower ADS speed, and a reload penalty when sitting on the Little Bird bench, to reduce reliability.

Mosin

  • New PU 91/30 (3.5x) Scope for the Mosin.
  • Mosin no longer has access to other optic sights, as these sights were not intended to be compatible until future planned customisation features become available.

12 Gauge slugs

  • Slug damage against armor now scales with armor tier instead of one flat reduction.

Compound bow

  • Arrow trajectory has been updated to have a shorter drop-off.
  • Slightly more effective vs lower tier armor than season 1.
  • Bow damage against armor now scales with armor tier instead of one flat reduction.

Turrets vs infantry

  • We've also reduced how much damage turrets do to infantry depending on where the shot lands. Heavy and Artillery top machine turrets were using the same hit-location values as the helicopter cannon. Heavy and Artillery turrets now use the same hit-location values as assault rifles and LMGs.

Medical bag

100 → 150

Durability

// Playstyle

If you hate getting one-shot by .308

The biggest balance swing in the patch is aimed at exactly that.

What changes

  • .308 base damage −25%, 7.62×54R −20%, 7.62×39 −19%, .50 Cal −16%.
  • DMR headshot and upper-body damage is slightly lower, and every DMR gets a new recoil pass.
  • LMG body damage now matches assault rifles.
  • But armour protects less too: Level 3 drops 55% → 50%, Level 4 drops 65% → 60%.

Still the same, or still broken

  • Veterans still reach Tier 4 armour and AP ammo first, so the gear gap stays. Unfixed

// Playstyle

If you go Recon

Spotting money is down, and so is your .308.

What changes

  • Spotting pays ~30% less and now scales with the target’s value; a kill on your mark by another faction pays 25%, down from 50%.
  • The IR range finder costs $3,200 and runs on ~80-second batteries.
  • The new M14 unlocks at level 25 for $100k; the BMR-308 moves earlier, to level 20.
  • .308 base damage −25% and 7.62×54R −20%; snipers get higher hit-location damage to compensate.
  • The Scout Rifle now one-shots a headshot on a target with no helmet; a Level 1 helmet takes two.
  • Compound Bow price $800 → $1,350 and its unlock $75k → $150k, but arrows drop less.

Still the same, or still broken

  • Players already call spotting “mostly dead”, and recon gets no new earner to replace it. Reddit
  • Ghillie suits and the SV98 / MK22 lineup are only shuffled, not changed.