Last checked: 16 September 2026 · early access Season 1 build. Early-access numbers change between patches; the in-game vendor is the final word.
Cash buys, XP unlocks
The single most misunderstood system in WARDOGS is progression. Cash from team actions buys the gear; XP from the same actions opens the eligibility to buy it. An “unlock” is not a free item — the URAL still costs $35,000 at the vendor even after you earn the Driving rank that lets you purchase it. Plan your bankroll and your XP track as two separate ladders.
The six tracks and what feeds them
| Track | Trigger behaviour | Confirmed unlocks |
|---|---|---|
| Assault | Kills and assists | Advanced rifles |
| Medic | Revives and heals | Medkit, defibrillator |
| Recon | Recon marks | Ghillie suit, claymore mine |
| Support | Repairs and builds | Heavy tools, launchers |
| Driving | Operating vehicles | Trucks, buggies, tanks |
| Pilot | Flying aircraft | Aircraft eligibility |
The brief confirms the first four tracks and their unlock rewards; Driving and Pilot are named as the remaining two. We do not invent what Pilot unlocks, because the brief does not list it.
The key unlock milestones
These are the verified gates, transcribed from the brief. Each is a level on a track unless noted as career level.
| Track and level | Unlocks |
|---|---|
| Driving 3 | URAL |
| Driving 6 | Kodiak Assault |
| Driving 8 | Dune Buggy |
| Support 8 | Large Hammer |
| Driving 10 | Kodiak Flatbed |
| Driving 16 | Large Supply Crate |
| Driving 18 | URAL Covered |
| Driving 25 | URAL Attack |
| Driving 30 | Rotary-machine-gun Humvee |
| Driving 35 | Heavy Tank |
| Career 90 | Artillery Tank |
Notice the driving line dominates the vehicle ladder: from the URAL at Driving 3 all the way to the Heavy Tank at Driving 35, then the career-level-90 Artillery Tank as the capstone. Support 8’s Large Hammer is the one non-driving gate in the table, and it is also a $2,400 vendor purchase.
The pacing you should expect
Per the Season 1 brief, the XP curve slows between levels 10 and 20 and flattens after level 35. The developer’s stated pace is that an average player reaches about level 20 in 20–25 hours. We grade that as a single source, so treat it as a planning estimate, not a guarantee. The flattening after 35 is why the jump from Heavy Tank (Driving 35) to Artillery Tank (Career 90) is a long, deliberate grind.
Practice without the risk
The free firing range lets you use every weapon, attachment, and vehicle with no risk and no spend. Per the brief, it is a safe place to learn the vehicles you are about to unlock. Use it before you sink $35,000 into a URAL you have never driven.
Clean-play warning
BULKHEAD’s 12 September 2026 policy is explicit: organised XP farming draws heavier punishment than casual play, and cash-bug abuse can bring a reset or ban. Earn your track levels through real matches — reviving, marking, driving, building — not through a repeatable exploit. The money guide covers the legitimate payouts that also feed these tracks.
Picking your first track
New players should pick a track that matches how they already want to play, because the XP comes from the behaviour, not from a grind you resent. If you enjoy keeping the squad alive, the Medic track (revives and heals) is the most reliably paid. If you like vehicles, Driving is the longest ladder but it owns the entire vehicle unlock table from the URAL at Driving 3 to the Heavy Tank at Driving 35. Recon rewards marking, which also pays $100 per mark in cash, so the track and the economy reinforce each other from the start.
The discount window and progression
Players below level 9 get a store discount, per the single-source brief, which makes your first real purchases the ones to time. Since XP unlocks eligibility and cash buys the item, the efficient path is to earn your early ranks through normal play, buy the gear you will actually use while the discount is active, and let the deeper unlocks (Support 8’s Large Hammer, Driving 8’s Dune Buggy) arrive as a natural consequence of playing the role you chose.
Where this connects
To price the vehicles these ranks open, the vehicle and gear prices page lists every verified tag, including the $500,000 Artillery Tank. To plan a kit around your current rank, the starter loadout page sets the early priorities, and the loadout budget planner adds up whatever you are eligible to buy.