The 100-player military shooter War Dogs is encouraging players to actively heal teammates through high rewards for rescues and limited respawn options. Official data from the first weekend shows that players completed 123 million kills and 61 million revivals, resulting in an overall revival rate of nearly 50%.
War Dogs features a 100-player, three-faction battle structure. In actual matches, multiple players may rush to aid downed teammates simultaneously, using smoke grenades for cover or dragging casualties to safety first. Compared to military shooters like Battlefield 6, Squad, Hell Let Loose, Isonzo, and Arma, this title further lowers the barrier to participating in rescues.
The game awards money for actions such as kills, capturing objectives, transporting supplies, reconnaissance, construction, and healing. The reward for completing a revival is nearly equal to that of a kill, and if the rescued player later eliminates enemies, the rescuer automatically receives assist income. Restoring teammates' health to full with bandages also yields more money and tips. These funds can be used to unlock upgrades or purchase equipment like backpacks and vehicles.
Rescue is not exclusive to medics. Any player can drag a downed teammate and perform a revival, and merchants provide a one-time quick-revive tool for free during each life. However, manual rescue takes about 20 seconds, making it significantly less efficient than using professional equipment.
Players can unlock defibrillators upon reaching Medic level 11. Characters equipped with full medical gear can revive an entire squad in the time it takes to perform one manual rescue. Defibrillators are expensive and occupy the sole expert tool slot, requiring trade-offs with equipment like rocket launchers and binoculars. Therefore, while anyone can provide temporary aid, professional medics still hold a clear advantage.
Downed players can also tip nearby medics up to $500, but the base reward for rescue is already enough to motivate many players. Three-way battles also spread out combat zones, meaning medics usually don't have to concentrate rescues under intense fire from a single frontline.
War Dogs has no squad respawn points or rally points, and forward operating bases cannot serve as respawn beacons. Players can only return to the battlefield by using their team's single armored personnel carrier (APC), which has a long cooldown after use, or by hitching a ride from headquarters, a roughly 3-kilometer journey that is even slower. Compared to these two options, waiting for teammates to provide rescue is often less costly, encouraging downed players to allow more time for being revived.