{
  "id": 16035728,
  "title": "'Regions Are Cheating and We Need to Address It' — Wardogs Dev Says Region Locking Is About 'Protecting the Largest Amount of Players'",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/22/regions-are-cheating-and-we-need-to-address-it-wardogs-dev-says",
  "topic": "tech",
  "section": "Tech",
  "published": "2026-10-22T10:38:21.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "IGN",
    "slug": "ign",
    "url": "https://www.ign.com/articles/wardogs-fans-upset-region-lock"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Bulkhead has implemented region locking in the multiplayer first-person shooter Wardogs to protect the largest number of players from regions known for higher rates of cheating. However, Asian players have expressed discontent, as the region lock limits their ability to join games with friends from other regions due to a maximum ping limit of 175. This decision, made to prioritize the majority of players, has been met with criticism, particularly from those in Asia who feel they are being discriminated against. Some players are even requesting refunds after being barred from playing with international friends. Wardogs CEO Joe Brammer acknowledged the impact on players but stated that the company is working on a permanent solution to address the cheating issue.",
  "summary": "Bulkhead is rolling out region locking in Wardogs to, in the studio's words, protect \"the largest amount of players from an influx of regions that are more prone to cheating.\" However, legitimate players in Asia have raised concerns, and cross-region players have criticized the developer for blocked from joining their friends.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}