WARDOGS Steam Server Queue After Early Access Launch
Why the login queue stalls, how to keep your place instead of dropping to the back of the line, what the second server queue is, and how to land on the same server as your friends.
Core problem: After the Early Access launch, players hit a Steam login and auth queue (often 100k-300k+ ahead), then a second wait to get into a 100-player server. Quitting, retrying after an error, or missing a hotfix usually dumps you to the back of the line. The goal is to keep your place, survive the wave-ins and hotfixes, and land on the same server as friends. The counter moves in bursts, not a smooth countdown.
1Stay in the Login Queue - Do Not Close the Game
- 1Launch WARDOGS and leave the client open on the queue screen.
Your number is your place in line. Quitting, alt-F4, crashing, or hitting "retry" after a failed-to-authenticate error typically puts you behind everyone still sitting in line. Players reported drops from about 2k to 270k+ after a kick.
- 2Expect the counter to look frozen.
That is normal. The devs let people in in waves, so it moves fast at first, then crawls near the front. Roughly 100k ahead was commonly 45+ minutes; 300k+ was hours.
- 3Do not restart hoping for a better number.
A few posts claimed random jumps, but community reports overwhelmingly say restart equals back of the line.
2After Login: Region, Then the Server Queue
- 1Pick one region in the server browser and turn filters on.
An empty browser is often a region or filter issue, not "servers down."
- 2Treat the server queue as a second line.
Official and popular community servers cap at 100. If full you get a server queue, usually shorter than the login queue. Stay in it if you want that specific server.
- 3Bail if the number is not moving.
If the queue is huge or you keep getting join timeouts and auth errors, leave that server and pick a less full one in the same region instead of sitting for another hour.
3Getting Onto the Same Server as Friends
- 1One person gets into a server and a team first.
There is still no proper in-game party lobby, so the group anchors on whoever gets in first.
- 2Everyone else uses Steam Join Game.
Steam Friends, right-click that player, Join Game. Steam places you on their server and their team or squad when a slot opens.
- 3Wait for the team slot, not a random color.
If the team is full you sit in a queue for that team. Split stacks happen when people join late through the in-game browser instead of Steam Join Game.
Key Decisions
| Situation | What to Do |
|---|---|
| Queue number looks frozen | Normal. It moves in waves. Keep the client open and focused on the queue screen. |
| "Failed to authenticate" error | Do not spam Retry. Wait, and only fully relaunch after a confirmed hotfix. |
| Hotfix announced mid-queue | Close, update on Steam, relaunch. Re-queueing after a wave kick is expected. |
| Friends on a full server | Use Steam Join Game to queue for their team, or have everyone move to an emptier server together. |
| Thinking about a refund | Steam counts queue time as playtime. Do not park in queue for hours if you might refund; players reported denials over that. |
4When to Play if Queues Are Still Ugly
- 1Play off-peak for your region.
Late night and weekday mornings are how players avoided the 200k screens after launch weekend.
- 2Watch the official WARDOGS account before a long sit.
They announce queue clears, "everyone kicked, requeue," and wave-ins. Sitting through a wipe without knowing wastes the wait.
- 3Keep the Steam client updated.
After a stability hotfix, an outdated client can fail at login even when queues are short.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Closing "just to refresh" or after a freeze. You lose your position in line.
- Hitting Retry on "failed to authenticate." Wait instead, and only relaunch after a confirmed hotfix.
- Assuming streamers skipping the line means you can restart your way in. Priority queue was discussed; restarting is not a skip.
- Joining friends through the in-game browser instead of Steam Join Game. You can land on the wrong team or a different server.
- Ignoring a Steam client update after a stability hotfix. Then wondering why you cannot get past login.