Wardogs Season 3 is live: Sabatulo city map, Limited Mode and a catch-up bonus for players leaving for GTA VI

Video: "WARDOGS | Season 03 Trailer", official BULKHEAD channel, the Season 3 trailer linked in the studio's Steam announcement: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SKeLS41KLNo

Wardogs Season 3, update 0.3.0, went live on Steam on November 12, 2026 after a maintenance window announced for 13:00 to 15:00 UTC (2:00 to 4:00 p.m. Paris time). Developer Bulkhead's official patch notes list a first city map, a new mode, a new unlock system and a catch-up mechanic that the studio explicitly ties to players who want to play GTA VI first (official Steam patch notes of November 11 and launch announcement of November 12, read November 13, 2026, Paris time).

1. What is new at launch

• Sabatulo: the game's first city map, with tight streets, high-rises and destruction, and locations such as a central hospital, a swimming pool, a power station and the river embankment. Bulkhead describes a mix of urban firefights, close-quarters combat and verticality.
• Limited Mode: vendor items are limited to what is typically available early to mid season. There is no Hollow Point or Armor Piercing ammo, no Level 3 or Level 4 armor, no attack vehicles, no CIWS, Stingray, MG Nest or Drill Rig, and no anti-tank mines. Progression and cash earned carry over to other modes.
• Multi-track unlocks: armor, backpacks, tactical vests and parachutes can now be unlocked from every role track. Bulkhead calls it a temporary solution until an intel-based progression system arrives next year.
• Slower season: the season is now roughly three months long, and overall progression speed is slowed, closer to Season 1 according to the studio.

2. The catch-up mechanic and GTA VI

• The patch notes ask: "Want to play GTA VI and come back to WARDOGS?" and answer that an XP catch-up bonus and an extended vendor discount will kick in week by week for low-level players, per role, increasing through the season.
• The stated goal is to give players with less time a shot at midgame items in each role before the season ends, plus key counters to endgame power items.
• The notes do not give the bonus percentages or the weekly steps. We do not know them.
• The vendor discount for the losing faction is now based on how far it is behind the first-place faction, not the faction one place above it.

3. Gameplay changes worth knowing before you queue

• Infrared Range Finder removed from the vendor until a redesign.
• Assault rifle torso damage is back to Season 1 values and LMG torso damage matches assault rifles (upper torso +13%, middle and lower torso +3% compared with Season 2).
• Every DMR now kills an unarmored player in 2 body shots (was 3) and in 1 headshot without a helmet (was 2).
• Compound bow arrow speed is up 50%.
• Basic Parachute is now an emergency parachute (price $500 to $1,250, cannot be pulled within about 20 m of the ground); Sport Parachute price goes from $700 to $2,250. Helicopter passengers now see their height above the ground.
• Ping limit raised to 250 on all official regions, after what Bulkhead describes as a ban wave of 185,000+ players.

4. Price and DLC

• Bulkhead says the first Early Access price increase happens at the end of Season 3 on January 28, by $5. PCGamesN reports it as $40 to $45; the patch notes themselves only say "$5".
• A Movember "Tactical 'Stache" DLC is available, with 100% of profits going to the Movember charity, according to Bulkhead.
• Twitch Drops are enabled for Season 3.

5. What we could not confirm

• The exact catch-up numbers and how fast they scale.
• Whether the DDoS attacks on Asian servers are over: Bulkhead says infrastructure changes are targeted for Season 3 release, and asks affected players to try again at launch. We have no independent confirmation.

6. Your turn

Are you coming back for Sabatulo, or waiting to catch up after GTA VI on November 19? Tell us in the comments which role you play and whether Limited Mode is what you were waiting for.

Sources

• BULKHEAD, "WARDOGS | Season 03 Patch Notes", Steam Community announcement, November 11, 2026.
• BULKHEAD, "WARDOGS | SEASON 03 IS NOW LIVE", Steam Community announcement, November 12, 2026.
• PCGamesN, "Wardogs Season 3 arrives with a new map, a limited mode, a post-GTA catch-up system, and a dynamic mustache DLC", Ken Allsop, November 12, 2026 (used only for the $40 to $45 price figure).
• BULKHEAD YouTube channel, "WARDOGS | Season 03 Trailer".
• Image: official Sabatulo screenshot from the Steam patch notes. © Bulkhead.

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