War Dogs, developed by Bulkhead Interactive, has climbed to the top of Steam's best-seller list and ranks fifth on Valve's Most Played chart. Amidst the concentrated resurgence of hardcore FPS titles in 2026, Nikita Buyanov, Game Director at Escape from Tarkov and COO of Battlestate Games, believes that players are showing a stronger demand for complex experiences that require thoughtful engagement.
The gaming market has previously seen waves of popularity for deck-building and survival gameplay. Slay the Spire spurred the development of similar deck-building titles, while Palworld, Nightingale, and Enshrouded were representative of the surge in survival games. Entering 2026, War Dogs' strong chart performance serves as the latest example of rising interest in hardcore FPS titles.
This trend is not limited to War Dogs. High-difficulty shooters like Ready or Not and Bodycam have garnered attention, and Escape from Tarkov has launched its 1.0 version. Buyanov stated that Escape from Tarkov helped establish a substantial community of hardcore gamers and pushed this type of experience into a growing trend.
Buyanov believes that the player base is evolving as it ages, with gamers now in their 50s and even 60s. As their experience grows, some players look for titles that require more thought and allow for greater investment of effort. Complex features and systems enable them to apply and enhance their knowledge and skills during gameplay.
Taking Escape from Tarkov as an example, weapons, loadouts, map knowledge, and tactical judgment all influence player actions. Buyanov states that while such titles do not replace real life, they allow players to apply existing knowledge much like they would when dealing with real-world problems, making the game an experience akin to a "second life."
He also noted that while players were previously exposed to a large number of simple, arcade-style titles, they now seek games that draw more heavily on their own experience. The constant stream of sequels and repetitive loops has left some players feeling fatigued, leading them to turn toward content that is more complex and closely tied to real-world knowledge.
Both War Dogs and Escape from Tarkov allow players to handle combat situations according to their own strategies, with the planning process itself being a core part of the experience. Buyanov argues that the continuous growth in player numbers, combined with older, more experienced gamers actively choosing more complex and thought-provoking titles, has collectively fueled the current resurgence of hardcore shooters.