A Military Shooter Weekend Like No Other

This weekend, the military first-person shooter (FPS) genre is in for a treat. Two highly-anticipated titles, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 and Wardogs, are holding simultaneous betas for those with a pre-order. The two games, currently the top two sellers on Steam, couldn’t be more different in their approach to the genre.

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Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 is the latest installment in the popular franchise, developed by Infinity Ward. This is their first major title since 2022, and the beta has already shown promising signs of the series’ return to form. With meticulous reload animations, ear-piercing sound effects, and a campaign mission, Modern Warfare 4 is a game that fans of the series won’t want to miss.

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On the other hand, Wardogs is a new kid on the block, developed by Bulkhead. This 100-player milsim has recently surpassed one million wishlists on Steam, and its instant popularity is not surprising given the game’s organic buzz throughout 2026. With a closed playtest word-of-mouth, Wardogs has built a reputation for being a game that’s something special.

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Beta Details

Here are the beta details for both games:

• Wardogs Beta:
• Start time: 17:00 UTC August 21
• End time: 02:00 August 24
• Pre-order access guaranteed
• Steam playtest requests open
• Refundable
• Modern Warfare 4 Beta:
• Pre-order beta (weekend 1): August 21 to August 25 10 AM PT
• Open beta (weekend 2): August 28 10:00 AM PT to September 1 10 AM PT

Both games offer a unique take on the military FPS genre, and it’s exciting to see how they will evolve in the coming months. Whether you’re a fan of Call of Duty or looking for something new, this weekend is the perfect time to jump in and experience these two shooters.

Wardogs: A Simpler Approach

Wardogs seeks to simulate a lot of reality, with time-to-kill being short, headshots being extremely lethal, and reloading sometimes meaning loading individual bullets into magazines. Maps are gigantic, kilometers-wide regions that require dedicated player pilots to taxi soldiers to warzones. But Wardogs is also an outlier among milsims like Squad, Escape From Tarkov, and Arma for its arcadey concessions aimed at accessibility, like a killcam.

Developer Bulkhead is building an on-ramp for folks who play mainstream shooters or battle royales to try something more complex. If you like Battlefield, Wardogs isn’t a huge leap.

Modern Warfare 4: A Return to Form

Modern Warfare 4, on the other hand, is more of a good thing. This is Infinity Ward’s first major title since 2022, and it’s clear that the best Call of Duty developers are back. With a campaign mission, fun gameplay, and the series’ signature sound effects, Modern Warfare 4 is a game that fans of the series won’t want to miss.

It’s worth noting that the beta for both games is currently experiencing server issues due to higher-than-expected turnout. Over 87,000 people have already joined the Wardogs beta, and it’s clear that these games are going to be big hits.