Tactical shooter · PC

WARDOGS controls & keybinds

WARDOGS keeps infantry on WASD with lean on Q and E, sprint on Left Shift (double-tap for a tactical sprint), slow walk on Alt, crouch on C and prone on Ctrl. The rest of the keyboard is a vehicle, a helicopter and a wallet: zeroing on Page Up and Page Down, fire mode on B, sights on Z, tips and bribes on F1, and squad and proximity voice on J and K.

The keys people look up first

WARDOGS controls at a glance

Default bindings for the actions searched for most. The full lists, the settings that change how they feel and the printable layout are below.

Action	PC	PlayStation	Xbox
Sprint / run	`Left Shift`	`L3 (click)`	`LS (click)`
Crouch	`C`	`Circle`	`B`
Prone	`Left Ctrl`
Jump	`Space`	`Cross`	`A`
Melee	`V`
Reload	`R`	`Square`	`X`
Aim / ADS	`Mouse 2`	`L2`	`LT`
Grenade	`Left Shift (double-tap)`

The rest of this game, drawn

Two pages, and they are not interchangeable: this is the reference you look a binding up in, the other measures the hand pressing it. Both figures below are counted from what each page holds.

60 bindings keyboard50controller10settings19 in 2 WARDOGS controls You are here 2 inputs keyboardyescontrollernotouchscreenyes WARDOGS input lab Prices every life of your loadout, every unlock on the seven tracks and what the Season 2 wipe leaves you — plus the race to 100 and vehicles by the seat.

LMBFire / primary useRMBAim / secondary use, Building: rotateMMBPing (hold for the wheel)M4unboundM5unboundScroll ↑Next / previous slotScroll ↓Next / previous slot

Highlighted keys carry a default action; hover or tap a key for every action bound to it.

Action	Default key
Movement
Move	`W / A / S / D`
SprintPlayers report that moving Sprint off Left Shift stops you sliding down or jumping off ladders.	`Left Shift`
Tactical sprint	`Left Shift (double-tap)`
Slow walk	`Left Alt`
Jump	`Space`
Crouch	`C`
Prone	`Left Ctrl`
Lean left / right	`Q / E`
Combat
Fire / primary use	`Mouse 1`
Aim / secondary use	`Mouse 2`
Hold breath (while aiming)	`Left Shift`
ReloadPlayers report that moving Reload off R breaks manual reloading in vehicles and on mortars. Leave it where it is.	`R`
Melee bash	`V`
Cycle fire mode	`B`
Cycle sights	`Z`
Zeroing up / downSet the range before you take a long shot; the round drops by distance, not by feel.	`Page Up / Page Down`
Mount / fold bipod	`G`
Inspect weapon	`I`
Weapons & items
Quick slots	`1 – 9, 0`
Next / previous slot	`Scroll Down / Scroll Up`
Equipment wheel	`4`
Holster	`X`
Deploy parachute	`Space`
Cut parachute	`C`
Interaction
Interact	`F`
Inventory	`Tab`
Tactical map	`M`
Chat	`Enter`
Communication
Ping (hold for the wheel)	`Mouse 3`
Push to talk — squad	`J`
Push to talk — proximityProximity voice reaches anyone near you, not only your squad.	`K`
Tip / bribePay a driver for a ride or a medic for a revive.	`F1`
Reject a tip	`F2`
Building
Building: dismantle	`V`
Building: rotate	`Mouse 2`
Building: toggle snapping	`B`
Vehicles
Vehicle: throttle / brake	`W / S`
Vehicle: steer	`A / D`
Vehicle: handbrake	`Space`
Previous / next seat	`9 / 0`
Lock / unlock vehicle	`L`
Horn	`H`
Buy ammo and supplies	`B`
Deploy supply crate	`G`
Countermeasures	`V`
Free look	`Left Alt`
Helicopter
Helicopter: collective up / down	`Left Shift / Left Ctrl`
Helicopter: cyclic pitch	`W / S`
Helicopter: cyclic roll	`A / D`
Helicopter: yaw	`Q / E`

Show

Action	PlayStation	Xbox	Switch
Movement
Move / look	`L3 / R3`	`LS / RS`	`L3 / R3`
Sprint (double-press: tactical sprint)	`L3 (click)`	`LS (click)`	`L3 (click)`
Jump	`Cross`	`A`	`B`
Crouch	`Circle`	`B`	`A`
Lean left / right	`L1 / R1`	`LB / RB`	`L / R`
Combat
Fire	`R2`	`RT`	`ZR`
Aim	`L2`	`LT`	`ZL`
Reload	`Square`	`X`	`Y`
Communication
Ping	`R3 (click)`	`RS (click)`	`R3 (click)`
Interaction
Pause menu	`Options`	`Menu`	`+`

Switch labels are derived from the PlayStation and Xbox layouts where the game uses the standard mapping; games without a Switch release show the equivalent position only.

Settings that change how the bindings feel

Recommended starting settings

WARDOGS lets you rebind almost everything, and that is where the trouble starts: several keys do a second job the rebind screen does not show. Players report three of them, none in the patch notes, and Bulkhead has not published a key list. Rebind anything else freely; leave these three where they are until a patch says otherwise. The graphics rows below are for seeing players at range first and frames second: View Distance stays high, and the frames come back from global illumination, shadows and reflections.

Settings › Controls

Keep Reload on R R (default)

Reported: moved off R, manual reloading stops working in vehicles and on mortars. Binding something else to R does the same. PC

Keep Sprint on Left Shift Left Shift (default)

Reported: moved off Left Shift, you can no longer slide down or jump off ladders. PC

The jump key has two more jobs Space (default)

Reported: Space also fires an armed helicopter's guns and can override Deploy Parachute after a rebind. Check both before you fly. PC

Crouch-to-prone on one key Unbound

There is an action for it and nothing is on it. Give it a key if you drop prone from a crouch often. PC

Voice chat on / off Unbound (U on the scoreboard)

Bind it before a match if you want to mute everyone at once without opening the scoreboard. PC

Settings › Graphics

View Distance High HighMediumLow

The setting that decides whether you see a player at range. Keep it high even on a weak GPU and take the frames back from the rows below. PC

Mesh Detail Medium (High if frames allow) HighMediumLowPotato

Low and Potato simplify distant geometry. Medium or higher keeps cover and far-off players their real shape. PC

Global Illumination Off OnOff

The single largest frame cost in the menu. Turning it off gives back more frames than any other one change. PC

Shadows Low HighMediumLow

Heavy on the GPU — the second place to take frames from. PC

Reflections Low HighMediumLow

Expensive, and nothing in a reflection helps you find a player. PC

Particle Spawn Rate Low HighMediumLowPotato

Fewer smoke and debris particles to draw, which matters most in the middle of an explosion — when frames matter most. PC

Post Processing Low HighMediumLowPotato

Depth of Field Off OnOff

Blurs the parts of the screen you are trying to watch. PC

Motion Blur Off OnOff

Upscaling (DLSS / FSR) Quality NativeQualityBalancedPerformance

Quality keeps distant detail readable. Frame Generation can be switched off without a restart since the 9 September patch. PC

NVIDIA Reflex Enabled EnabledDisabled

Shortens the delay between your click and the shot on NVIDIA cards, at no cost to what you see. PC

Measure your input latency

VSync Off OnOff

Cap frames with Frame Limit at your monitor’s refresh rate instead. PC

Field of View 95

Wider shows more at the edges and makes distant players smaller. 95 is where the guides settle. PC

Picture-in-Picture Scope Disabled EnabledDisabled

A picture-in-picture scope draws the scene a second time. Both of the guide’s presets turn it off. PC

Reach check · your keyboard, this game

Can your board actually play WARDOGS?

Every default bind, re-scored against the keyboard you own. Distance is measured from the left hand resting on WASD, because that is where it stays while you play.

On a 60% board WARDOGS loses 2 keys. F1 and F2 are not on that board at all — so tip / bribe and reject a tip have nowhere to live until you rebind them. Do that before the first match rather than during it. How that compares with every other game.

W / A / S / D Move
Left Shift Sprint
Left Shift (double-tap) Tactical sprint
Left Alt Slow walk
Space Jump
C Crouch
Left Ctrl Prone
Q / E Lean left / right
Mouse 1 Fire / primary use
Mouse 2 Aim / secondary use
Left Shift Hold breath (while aiming)
R Reload
V Melee bash
B Cycle fire mode
Z Cycle sights
Page Up / Page Down Zeroing up / down
G Mount / fold bipod
I Inspect weapon
1 – 9, 0 Quick slots
Scroll Down / Scroll Up Next / previous slot
4 Equipment wheel
X Holster
Space Deploy parachute
C Cut parachute
F Interact
Tab Inventory
M Tactical map
Enter Chat
Mouse 3 Ping (hold for the wheel)
J Push to talk — squad
K Push to talk — proximity
F1 Tip / bribe
F2 Reject a tip
V Building: dismantle
Mouse 2 Building: rotate
B Building: toggle snapping
W / S Vehicle: throttle / brake
A / D Vehicle: steer
Space Vehicle: handbrake
9 / 0 Previous / next seat
L Lock / unlock vehicle
H Horn
B Buy ammo and supplies
G Deploy supply crate
V Countermeasures
Left Alt Free look
Left Shift / Left Ctrl Helicopter: collective up / down
W / S Helicopter: cyclic pitch
A / D Helicopter: cyclic roll
Q / E Helicopter: yaw

On the keys: your hand is already there
Comfortable: a finger moves, the hand does not
Stretch: the hand lifts, movement wobbles
Off movement: you let go of A and D to press it
Not on this board: the key does not physically exist

Reach uses the same key geometry as BindIQ, which can rebuild the whole layout for you once you know what is out of reach. Mouse buttons always count as reachable — your right hand is already there.

How that compares

2 keys missing 60%2 gone65%2 gonetenkeylessall there 60% keyboard check 16 of the 55 games we score lose a key on a 60%, and this is one of them.

One line per question

How to do the things people search for in WARDOGS

Generated from the default bindings above, so an action and its key can never disagree.

How to sprint in WARDOGS on PC and controller?

To sprint in WARDOGS, press Left Shift on PC, L3 (click) on PlayStation and LS (click) on Xbox. Players report that moving Sprint off Left Shift stops you sliding down or jumping off ladders.

How to crouch in WARDOGS on PC and controller?

To crouch in WARDOGS, press C on PC, Circle on PlayStation and B on Xbox.

How to go prone in WARDOGS on PC?

To go prone in WARDOGS, press Left Ctrl on PC.

How to jump in WARDOGS on PC and controller?

To jump in WARDOGS, press Space on PC, Cross on PlayStation and A on Xbox.

How to melee in WARDOGS on PC?

To melee in WARDOGS, press V on PC.

How to reload in WARDOGS on PC and controller?

To reload in WARDOGS, press R on PC, Square on PlayStation and X on Xbox. Players report that moving Reload off R breaks manual reloading in vehicles and on mortars. Leave it where it is.

How to aim in WARDOGS on PC and controller?

To aim in WARDOGS, press Mouse 2 on PC, L2 on PlayStation and LT on Xbox.

How to throw a grenade in WARDOGS on PC?

To throw a grenade in WARDOGS, press Left Shift (double-tap) on PC.

How to switch weapons in WARDOGS on PC?

To switch weapons in WARDOGS, press X on PC.

How to interact or pick things up in WARDOGS on PC?

To interact or pick things up in WARDOGS, press F on PC.

Quick answers

How do I lean in WARDOGS?

Q leans left and E leans right on PC; on a controller it is LB and RB (L1 and R1).

How do I zero my sight?

Page Up raises the zeroing and Page Down lowers it. Z cycles between the sights on the weapon, and G mounts the bipod.

How do I change fire mode?

Press B. The same key toggles snapping while you hold the building tool, and buys ammo and supplies from a vehicle.

How do I tip or bribe another player?

F1 offers a tip or a bribe — for a ride, a revive or a favour — and F2 rejects a tip someone offers you.

How do I fly a helicopter?

Left Shift raises the collective and Left Ctrl lowers it, W and S pitch, A and D roll, and Q and E turn. 9 and 0 move between seats.

Does WARDOGS support a controller?

Yes on PC. The game is PC-only in Early Access; Bulkhead has said PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S versions will follow.

Which keys should I not rebind?

Players report that moving Reload off R breaks manual reloading in vehicles and on mortars, and that moving Sprint off Left Shift breaks ladder slides. Neither is in the patch notes.

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Where to go from here

Next steps for WARDOGS

WARDOGS money hubWhat a life costs, the Season 2 wipe, the race to 100.WARDOGS unlock treeAll seven tracks, every unlock and fee.WARDOGS vehiclesDeploy price, seats, health and unlock for the whole fleet.Mouse DPI analyzerMeasure the DPI your mouse really delivers before you change anything in game.Gamepad testerSee every button, trigger and stick of your controller live, before blaming the game.Controller deadzone tunerFind the smallest deadzone that hides drift without swallowing slow aim in WARDOGS.