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Season 03 is now live. BULKHEAD released Update 0.3.0 on 12 November 2026, servers are back online, and WARDOGS Season 03 is officially live. The four confirmed launch features are the new Sabatulo city map, the new Limited Mode, New Multi-Track Unlocks and the New Catch-Up Mechanic, detailed in the 11 November Season 03 Patch Notes. The pre-launch preview wording in the sections below is now superseded: the date, the patch notes and these features are officially confirmed, not planned or unconfirmed.
Officially confirmed restriction list (Season 03 Patch Notes). The patch notes introduce the following items with "For example"; only the items explicitly listed by the studio are reproduced here, with no speculation:
- No Hollow Point (HP) or Armor Piercing (AP) ammo.
- No Level 3 or Level 4 armor.
- No attack vehicles.
- No CIWS, Stingray, MG Nest or Drill Rig.
- No anti-tank mines.
All progression and cash earned also carry over to other modes.
Quick answer
Limited Mode is a separate playlist announced for WARDOGS Season 3 on 6 November 2026, launching with the season on 12 November 2026. Its purpose is to preserve early-to-mid-game combat by restricting weapons, ammunition, armour and vehicles, so that a player's high-tier equipment does not decide a fight before it starts.
Three restrictions are confirmed: FMJ-only ammunition, armour capped at Tier 2, and a reduced selection of attack vehicles. BULKHEAD explicitly says the final restricted-item list is still being determined. That sentence is the most important one on this page: it means the three published limits are a direction, not a final rule set.
Confirmed rules and their status
| Restriction | Wording from the announcement | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Ammunition | FMJ-only ammunition | Confirmed |
| Armour | Armour capped at Tier 2 | Confirmed |
| Attack vehicles | A reduced selection of attack vehicles | Confirmed |
| Weapons | Restricted as a category | Named, no list published |
| Cash and XP | Earned in either mode, usable in both | Stated as a design rule |
| Final restricted-item list | Still being determined | Explicitly open |
The earlier shorthand used in October coverage — "no power weapons and no vehicles" — does not match the current wording. The announcement says fewer attack vehicles, not none, and it says nothing about a blanket power-weapon ban. If you are planning a loadout around the October phrasing, update it.
Why BULKHEAD is adding it
Season 2 accelerated progression too aggressively. BULKHEAD has acknowledged that some players reached Tier 4 armour and main battle tanks within days, which compressed the gear curve and made the seasonal wipe land less cleanly than intended. Limited Mode is the answer for players who want the earlier part of that curve to last longer, without taking the option away from players who like the full sandbox.
Season 3 also moves progression closer to the Season 1 pace and extends seasons to roughly three months, giving players more time before each wipe and the studio more time to prepare the next update. These are season-wide changes, not Limited Mode rules, but they shape how much time you get to reach each tier.
Cash and XP between modes
The announcement states that cash and XP earned in Limited Mode can be used in the default mode, and vice versa. This makes the mode an alternative way to play rather than a separate progression silo.
What is not published:
- A conversion rate or any cap on cross-mode earnings.
- A per-action cash or XP table for Limited Mode.
- Whether restricted items are still owned but unusable, or simply not offered in the mode's buy menu.
- Whether vehicle and support-role earnings are calculated the same way.
- Whether a match in Limited Mode counts toward the same seasonal challenges.
Do not move in-game value around on an assumed rate. Record your cash and XP before the season starts so you can compare what actually changed.
Open questions before launch
- The final restricted-item list. BULKHEAD says it is still being set. This is the single biggest unknown and it will decide which weapons are worth practising.
- The Tier 2 armour cap in practice. No published armour table states which existing items sit at Tier 2 after Season 3 balance changes.
- Which attack vehicles remain. "Fewer" is a direction, not a list.
- Server browser rules and hosting. No server list, playlist name in the browser, or community-server control is published.
- Whether the mode is available at the exact moment Season 3 opens. The announcement ties it to the season but gives no mode-specific launch clock.
- FMJ-only scope. It is unclear whether this covers every weapon slot, sidearms, or vehicle-mounted weapons.
A Season 3 Patch Notes Preview was promised for the week after the announcement. That document, not press summaries, is where these items should be resolved.
How to prepare without guessing
- Practise with FMJ ammunition and Tier 2 or lower armour now. Those are the two restrictions with enough specificity to act on, even if the final list changes.
- Do not pre-buy a full high-tier kit for the new season. A wipe is coming, and Limited Mode is designed precisely to reduce the value of that kit.
- Keep one inexpensive infantry loadout ready. If the attack-vehicle pool is reduced, infantry and support play become a larger share of the fight.
- Check the server browser before assuming a server is Limited Mode. Apply the published rules only where the browser shows them.
- Wait for the patch notes preview before repeating a restriction list. The October "no vehicles" phrasing is already out of date.
Related guides
Sources
Each source has its own check date. A page update does not recheck every fact; older game builds and server notices may no longer apply.
- Official Steam announcements feed — WARDOGS | Road to Season 3, published 6 November 2026
Official · Source checked
- Official Steam news feed — Season 3 press release details
Official · Source checked
- Official WARDOGS X profile — Limited Mode cross-check
Official · Source checked
- Joe Brammer: Primitive Servers, name pending, 17 October 2026
Official · Source checked
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Limited Mode in WARDOGS?
Limited Mode is a separate mode planned for Season 3 on November 12, 2026. It restricts weapons, ammunition, armour and vehicles to preserve the feel of early-to-mid-game combat and reduce the advantage of high-tier equipment. It is not a replacement for the default mode; it is an alternative playlist.
What are the confirmed Limited Mode restrictions?
BULKHEAD describes three planned restrictions: FMJ-only ammunition, armour capped at Tier 2, and a reduced selection of attack vehicles. The studio explicitly says the final restricted-item list is still being determined, so these are planned rules rather than a final rule set. Earlier shorthand such as no power weapons and no vehicles should not be treated as final.
Do cash and XP carry between Limited Mode and the default mode?
Yes, in both directions. The Season 3 announcement says cash and XP earned in Limited Mode can be used in the default mode and vice versa, so players can move between the two experiences without losing progression. No conversion rate, cap or per-action earning table is published.
Is Limited Mode the same as Primitive Servers?
It is the same line of thinking but not a confirmed naming match. In October 2026 Joe Brammer referred to Primitive Servers, with the name still pending, as a future option for players who want to avoid power weapons. The Season 3 announcement uses Limited Mode and gives planned restrictions. Until BULKHEAD equates the two, treat the older name as provisional.