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 → automatic seed call via browser push and Discord as soon as the server drops below its threshold
• VIP slot → queue priority is earned: active seeders are automatically placed on the server's reserved list
• Trust → presence is verified through 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
• Rule-compliant → 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: RCON address and password from the hoster panel, start threshold as configured on the server (≥ 20), server ID as join hint.
3. Click "Check now" — on success the server is verified and the community receives 100 starter points.
4. Optionally enable queue priority: seeders of the last N days go on the reserved list; only our own entries are ever removed again.

What happens with the RCON password?

It is stored AES-256-encrypted, 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. This is compatible with Bulkhead's rules because 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?

A server below its start threshold triggers a seed call. Players receive it via browser push and 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.

How do you stop people from farming points?

Presence is verified on the game server itself: the RCON API returns the player list with Steam IDs. Points are only awarded if the round really starts, the player was there before the start and stays for the hold period. At most 15 minutes count per server, plus cooldowns per server and per day.

What does the seeder get out of it?

Points, ranks, daily streaks and above all queue priority: active seeders are automatically placed on the server's 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, the server's RCON address from the hoster panel and their own start threshold. After the first successful check the server is verified and receives a one-time 100 starter points for its first promotion.