Wardogs' King of the Hill explained: how Hot Zones and drills change squad tactics

Wardogs is currently in early access with King of the Hill as its only available game mode. The military simulator from Bulkhead Interactive uses a three-team format fighting for control of a central zone on the map, equidistant from each team's headquarters.

Control works by player count. The team with the most players inside the Control Zone maintains it, earning one point roughly every 20 seconds. The first team to reach 100 points wins. A counter on the bottom-left displays active players in the zone, with a timer bar filling as control accumulates.

The mode's distinguishing feature is the Hot Zone, a smaller circle that moves randomly within the Control Zone. Players inside it count as two players toward control calculations. This creates tactical depth beyond simple numbers. A team with 10 players in the Hot Zone can control the zone against a team with 12 players outside it, since 10 doubled equals 20.

Teams cannot simply mass all 33 players into the Hot Zone. Doing so leaves the team's base vulnerable and removes their ability to reposition the Hot Zone. This is where drills and towers become critical. Activating a drill or inputting all tower codes pulls the Hot Zone to that location, letting teams yank it away from enemies or position it at a fortified base.

The mechanic transforms King of the Hill from a pure shooting contest into a strategic game of base building and zone control. Teams must balance offensive pressure with defensive positioning and infrastructure construction to dictate where the hot zone moves.