Progression is no longer weekend-beta pacing
The developer slows levels 10–20 and flattens the curve from 35 onward. Its median-player playtime remark is a balancing target, not a guarantee. Published XP bands are a partial table rather than an explicit complete leveling formula.
| Level | Before | Season 1 XP band |
|---|---|---|
| 6 | 8,750 | 9,250 |
| 10 | 25,000 | 35,000 |
| 15 | 54,750 | 110,000 |
| 20 | 111,500 | 250,000 |
| 25 | 192,000 | 325,000 |
| 30 | 293,750 | 400,000 |
| 35 | 416,500 | 500,000 |
| 40 | 551,250 | 650,000 |
| 45 | 689,500 | 800,000 |
| 50 | 838,000 | 1,000,000 |
Source: BULKHEAD Season 1 changelog · Season 1 · Reviewed through patch 0.11 · Last verified 2026-09-19. These are published changes, not a complete inventory.
Vendor and progression costs
| Item | Context | Before | Season 1 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forward Operating Base | Vendor purchase | $2,500 | $7,500 |
| Large Hammer | Vendor purchase | $1,600 | $2,400 |
| Artillery Tank | Career progression | $400,000 | $500,000 |
| 6–10x MRAD scope | Recon progression | $25,000 | $40,000 |
| 6–10x MOA scope | Recon progression | $30,000 | $45,000 |
| Medium Hammer | Support progression | $10,000 | $25,000 |
| Large Hammer | Support progression | $25,000 | $75,000 |
| Small armoured supply crate | Pilot progression | $5,000 | $10,000 |
| Little Bird with miniguns | Pilot progression | $25,000 | $50,000 |
| Z20 Lakota | Pilot progression | $50,000 | $35,000 |
| URAL | Driver progression | $50,000 | $35,000 |
| Dune Buggy | Driver progression | $35,000 | $25,000 |
| Kodiak Flatbed | Driver progression | $15,000 | $35,000 |
| Music Tape H | Driver progression | $5,000 | $2,500 |
Source: BULKHEAD Season 1 changelog · Season 1 · Reviewed through patch 0.11 · Last verified 2026-09-19. These are published changes, not a complete inventory.
Do not treat every dollar figure as a per-life purchase. Read economy changes for the context or use the vendor calculator.
Unlock order changed
| Item | Track | Previous | Season 1 level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sports Parachute | Career | Career 36 | 35 |
| Large Backpack | Career | Career 56 | 55 |
| 762x54mm AP | Career | Career 83 | 82 |
| 556mm AP | Career | Career 85 | 83 |
| Deagle | Career | Career 90 | 85 |
| Artillery Tank | Career | Career 55 | 90 |
| PP-19 50-round drum magazine | Medic | Medic 33 | 29 |
| Large Hammer | Support | Support 7 | 8 |
| URAL | Driver | Driver 4 | 3 |
| Kodiak Assault | Driver | Driver 8 | 6 |
| Dune Buggy | Driver | Driver 10 | 8 |
| Kodiak Flatbed | Driver | Driver 2 | 10 |
| Large Supply Crate | Driver | Driver 20 | 16 |
| URAL Covered | Driver | Driver 30 | 18 |
| Music Tape H | Driver | Pilot 28 | 23 |
| URAL Attack | Driver | Driver 40 | 25 |
| Humvee with minigun | Driver | Driver 35 | 30 |
| Heavy Tank | Driver | Career 35 | 35 |
Source: BULKHEAD Season 1 changelog · Season 1 · Reviewed through patch 0.11 · Last verified 2026-09-19. These are published changes, not a complete inventory.
Heavy Tank moves from Career to Driver at level 35. Artillery Tank moves to Career 90. The unlock tracker lets you mark this published subset without connecting a game account.
Input, voice and stability
Helicopter damping now applies to every input device; Z20 Lakota receives a balance pass and sluggish-pitch fix. Turret operator rotation gains a maximum speed, without a published numeric cap. A tank-aiming DPI issue is fixed.
Voice recovery after failed joins, push-to-talk targeting and re-login are improved, with a visible communication status. DLSS Frame Generation can be disabled without restarting; the changelog fixes two related crash paths and describes additional startup, buildables and network fixes.
What this page does not infer
Price cuts are not vehicle tier rankings. A published input fix is not a tested keybind layout. Planned seasonal curves do not by themselves announce universal progress wipes. Read patch 0.11 for the later server-browser changes.
Update history
September 19, 2026 — first sourced summary, checked against the launch changelog and later 0.11 notice. Official announcement date: September 9, 2026.
Sources and review
Last verified 2026-09-19. Published changes are not a complete live database.
- 01Pre-Load Live & Season 1 Changelog — 9 September 2026 ↗BULKHEAD · Official site
- 02WARDOGS on Steam ↗BULKHEAD / Team17 · Official store
- 03WARDOGS Launch Trailer — 10 September 2026 ↗BULKHEAD · Official site