WARDOGS server seeding: from 0 to 20 players, without bots.

WARDOGS (Bulkhead / Team17, Steam Early Access since 10.09.2026) is a 100-player shooter with three factions. A round only begins once the server's minimum player count is reached — the owner sets it, 20 is the minimum. Community servers run with hosting partners and compete with the official servers in the server browser.

Random players prefer servers that already have population; a server at 0/100 stays at 0/100. The classic remedies — a seeder role in Discord, VIP slots as reward, fixed seeding times — work, but cost the community coordination every single evening.

What seedmyserver turns this into

• Seeder role → one-click seed call by the community admin, via browser push and @Seeder ping on Discord, while the server is below its threshold
• VIP slot → queue priority is earned: on participating servers, active seeders are automatically placed on the reserved list
• Trust → presence is verified through Warcon or the server's RCON API, not by screenshot or honour system
• Reciprocity → communities seed each other; those who only take drop down the call list
• Real players → no bots, no fake clients, no payments — only real players on their own Steam accounts

Set up in five minutes

1. Sign in with Steam and create a community (name, Discord invite, optional webhook for seed calls).
2. Add the server: recommended through your Warcon panel with a read-only API key (warcon.app, also hosted), otherwise RCON address and password from the hoster panel; start threshold as configured on the server (≥ 20), server ID as join hint.
3. Click «Add and verify» — on success the server is verified and the community receives 100 starter credits.
4. Optionally enable queue priority (with Warcon if the key has «Reserved slots», or with RCON): seeders of the last N days go on the reserved list; only our own entries are ever removed again.

And the RCON password?

With Warcon we never see it — that is why we recommend Warcon. If you connect RCON directly, it is stored encrypted with a separate 256-bit key (XChaCha20-Poly1305), never shown again and used for exactly two calls: player list (Steam IDs) and reserved list. Since most WARDOGS RCON APIs run over plain HTTP, we recommend restricting the RCON port in your hoster firewall to our server IP.

Details in the privacy policy.

Is there a seeding service for WARDOGS?

Yes. seedmyserver is a free seeding platform for WARDOGS community servers. It coordinates real players who fill empty servers until the round starts — no bots, no fake clients, no money. Only real players join and play, with their own Steam accounts.

Why does my WARDOGS server not start?

WARDOGS only starts a round once the minimum player count set by the server owner is reached (MinimumRequiredPlayers, at least 20). Below that everyone waits in the lobby, and random players in the server browser avoid empty servers. Seeding bridges exactly that gap from 0 to 20.

How does seeding work in WARDOGS in practice?

While a server is below its start threshold, the community admin starts a seed call (automatic only for servers a site admin has enabled). Players receive it via browser push and in #seed-calls on Discord, find the server in the Community tab of the server browser or by server ID, and stay until the round starts. Once the round is running, the server fills on its own through the network effect. So that seeders are not spread too thin, at most 2 Verified calls run at the same time; further calls wait in a queue (max. 5, up to 60 minutes) and are announced only when they start.

How do you stop people from farming points?

Presence is verified on the game server itself: Warcon or the RCON API returns the player list with Steam IDs. Points are awarded per minute while the seed call is open (at least 5, at most 15 minutes per call) — even if the round never starts. Plus cooldowns per server and per day.

What does the seeder get out of it?

Points, ranks, daily streaks and above all queue priority: on participating servers, active seeders are automatically placed on the reserved list and skip the queue on busy evenings — the WARDOGS version of a VIP slot, earned instead of bought.

What does a server owner need to join?

A Steam login, a community on seedmyserver, a read-only API key from Warcon (recommended; otherwise the server's RCON address from the hoster panel) and their own start threshold. After the first successful check the server is verified and the community receives a one-time 100 starter credits for its first promotion.

What is the recommended way to connect my server?

Through Warcon (warcon.app), a free, open-source RCON panel for WARDOGS — hosted at console.warcon.app or self-hosted. Choose «Warcon panel (API key)» when you add the server and paste an API key with only the «View» capability: your RCON password stays in Warcon, we only get read access to the live player list, and seeders earn full Verified points. You can revoke the key any time. For automatic queue priority, also give the key «Reserved slots» — a narrow right that only lets us manage our own entries on the reserved list. Second choice is the direct RCON API, third the Flare tier without any credentials.

Can I join without giving out my RCON password?

Yes, two ways. Recommended: connect through Warcon with a read-only API key (see above) — full points, the RCON password stays in Warcon. Or use the «Flare» tier: you only enter your WARDOGS server ID. We read the player count from the public server list on wardogservers.com (server-level data only, no personal data). Flare calls earn seeders no points, are limited to 2 a day at least 60 minutes apart and are listed after «Verified» calls. Flares are only listed on the site — no Discord post, no push. Players can click «I'm helping» to show they are coming. Connect Warcon or RCON any time to switch to «Verified» — then seeders earn points, ranks and queue priority.