How to leave the tutorial
This is the method players settled on within hours of launch, and it has not changed since. The wait is the part people miss: the game holds the leave option for a short time and restarts the count if you move.
The launch-day Steam thread with the method →
- 01
Press Esc in the tutorial
As soon as you have control. Players do it right after landing.
- 02
Stand still and wait
Leave Match unlocks after roughly 15 to 30 seconds. Moving — even walking into another room — restarts the wait.
- 03
Choose Leave Match
You return to the main menu and can join a server straight away.
Why a new PC asks for the tutorial again
Several players report being sent back into the tutorial on a second machine even with progress on their account — one at level 60, another after ten hours played, a third moving from desktop to laptop. Their cash and levels carried over; the tutorial did not, which suggests completion is remembered on the PC rather than on the account. BULKHEAD has not commented, and the Esc-and-leave method above works there too.
When the tutorial gets stuck
Three places come up again and again on the Steam board:
The grenade bug report (13 Sep 2026) →
- Buying the grenade. When the tutorial sends you to the vendor for a grenade, the shop screen dims as if a popup were open and nothing can be clicked. Reported in the beta on 4 September and again in the Early Access build on 13 September. The workaround players posted is to press Esc and leave the tutorial.
- The hammer. After placing the FOB, the tutorial can keep saying the hammer “needs to go into your hand, not your inventory” even with a hammer equipped (12 September). No fix was posted; leaving the tutorial is the way past it.
- The building section. It waits for the narrator to finish each line before letting you continue, which players read as being stuck.
The tutorial’s two achievements
Finishing the tutorial unlocks This is WARDOGS, “Complete the Tutorial” — held by 77.2% of owners when Valve’s figures were read on 21 September, the most common of the game’s ten. The second is That was rude, which Steam hides: its internal name is ACH_TUTORIAL_PUNCH_KRISTOPHER, and players on launch day describe getting it by punching Kristopher, a character in the tutorial, after you revive him. Steam publishes no description, so that condition is the players’ account. Skipping the tutorial means neither unlocks until you go back and finish it.
That was rude, on its own page
Steam’s hidden achievement lives in the tutorial. The flag, the public list behaviour, the dated unlock rate and the boundary between Valve’s metadata and player reports of the unlock are on a dedicated page so this one can stay about how to skip or finish the tutorial.
Will there be an official skip button?
Players have asked since launch day — threads on 10, 11, 15 and 26 September all request one — but BULKHEAD has not announced it, and none of its patch notes since launch mentions the tutorial. If you are new, it is worth finishing once: it walks you through buying from the vendor, building with a hammer and reviving, which are the systems the first matches turn on.
The ricochet shot, and a loading screen that never ends
Two more places players get stuck. The first is a shooting step. A third-party walkthrough of the pre-launch training level lists it as “Shoot a target by ricocheting a bullet”, after shooting each target and shooting through wood, and before buying a backpack and grenades. Its instruction: “Fire at the metal container to ricochet a round into the remaining target. Angled shots off hard surfaces deflect rather than penetrate, so aim at the metal rather than the target itself.” One player on 4 September heard the narrator say to “shoot the highlighted area on the EDGE of the container” and could not find anything highlighted; nobody posted a fix. If the shot will not register, the Escape exit at the top of this page still gets you out. The second is the tutorial’s loading screen. A launch-day player was “stuck in a loading screen for 8.2 minutes”, and Team17_Assist replied the same day asking them to verify the game files and, if that failed, to send DxDiag output; no resolution was posted.
The Ricochet achievement and the other nine →
- The tutorial step is not the Ricochet achievement. That one asks you to kill an enemy player with a ricochet bullet, in a real match.
- Team17’s first step for the loading screen: in your Steam library, right-click WARDOGS → Properties → the local files tab → “Verify integrity of game files...”.
- If it still hangs, Team17 asks for your DxDiag report so it can look further: Windows key + R, type dxdiag, click OK, then Save All Information.
- Not established: the exact objective text in the Early Access build (the walkthrough describes the pre-launch level), where the “edge” is, and any fix for either problem.
Season 02 sends you back through the tutorial
After the Season 02 reset on 15 October, returning players who had already finished the tutorial in Season 1 are being put through it again before they can reach the server browser. At least eight threads on the WARDOGS Steam board between 16 and 17 October report it, and every reply gives the same way out as at launch: Esc, wait, Leave Match. BULKHEAD has not said whether the repeat is intended; its Season 02 patch notes do not mention the tutorial at all. Nothing you finish in it carries a reward beyond the achievement, so leaving costs you nothing.
Season 02 patch notes (tutorial not mentioned) →
| Way out | What players report | How sure |
|---|---|---|
| Esc → wait → Leave Match | Works in Season 02 as it did at launch. The Leave Match button counts down about 15–20 seconds while the menu is open; you can do it while still on the helicopter, before landing. | Many reports, 16–17 Oct |
| Esc does nothing | Two players found Esc unbound after the Season 02 patch, so the menu never opened. One quit with Alt+F4 and rebound the pause menu to the tilde key in Controls. | Two reports, 15 and 17 Oct |
| Quit and restart | One player says closing the game mid-tutorial and relaunching marked it done. Nobody else has confirmed it. | One report, 17 Oct |
Making you do the tutorial again? Find your case
Players land back in the tutorial for three different reasons, and the way out is the same in all but one. Find the row that matches what happened, then use the exit in the last column. None of these causes has been confirmed by BULKHEAD; each row is what players on the game’s Steam board report, with dates.
Rebinding the pause menu when Esc does nothing →
- How long to wait: players quote anything from 12 to 30 seconds before Leave Match stops being greyed out. Keep the menu open and do not move.
- Every new season? A 16 October thread asked exactly that. No BULKHEAD or Team17 reply was posted; the player answers were the same exit, one of them “Wait 12 sec click ESC and leave game”.
| What happened | What players report | Way out |
|---|---|---|
| You finished it in Season 1, and Season 02 asks again | The 15 October reset sent returning players back through it; eight or more threads on 16–17 October report it | Esc, keep the menu open until Leave Match unlocks, then leave |
| You switched to another PC or a laptop | Reports from 15 and 21 September: progress carried over, the tutorial did not | The same Esc → Leave Match exit |
| Esc does nothing, so the menu never opens | Two reports after the Season 02 patch, on 15 and 17 October | Alt+F4, then bind the pause menu again in Controls before relaunching |
| You quit to desktop mid-tutorial | Two players on 16 and 17 October say closing the game and relaunching let them deploy; nobody else has confirmed it | Try Esc → Leave Match first; this one is unconfirmed |
Common questions
How do you skip the tutorial in WARDOGS?
Press Esc, wait about 15 to 30 seconds without moving until Leave Match becomes available, then choose it. You go back to the main menu and can join a server.
Is there a skip tutorial button in WARDOGS?
No. Leaving through the Esc menu is the only way out, and BULKHEAD has not announced a skip option.
Why do I have to do the WARDOGS tutorial again?
Players report it happens on a different PC: the tutorial appears to be remembered per machine rather than per account, even when levels and cash carry over. You can leave it the same way.
Why can’t I buy the grenade in the WARDOGS tutorial?
A reported bug dims the vendor screen so nothing can be clicked. It was reported in the beta and in the Early Access build; players get past it by pressing Esc and leaving the tutorial.
How do you get the That was rude achievement in WARDOGS?
Steam hides its description. Its internal name is ACH_TUTORIAL_PUNCH_KRISTOPHER, and players say it unlocks when you punch Kristopher in the tutorial after reviving him.
Do you get anything for finishing the WARDOGS tutorial?
The This is WARDOGS achievement (“Complete the Tutorial”). No cash or item reward for it has been reported.
How do you do the ricochet shot in the WARDOGS tutorial?
A third-party walkthrough says to fire at the metal container so the round deflects into the remaining target, aiming at the metal rather than the target. No fix is published if it will not register; Escape out of the tutorial instead.
Why does WARDOGS make me do the tutorial again in Season 2?
Since the Season 02 reset on 15 October, players who finished the tutorial in Season 1 report being sent back into it before they can reach the server browser. BULKHEAD has not said why, and the Season 02 patch notes do not mention the tutorial.
Can you skip the tutorial in WARDOGS Season 2?
Yes, the same way as before: press Esc, keep the menu open for about 15–20 seconds until Leave Match unlocks, then choose it. Players report it working throughout Season 02’s first days.
What if Esc does nothing in the WARDOGS tutorial?
Two players found Esc unbound after the Season 02 patch. Close the game with Alt+F4, then bind the pause menu again in Controls — one player used the tilde key — or repair the entry in GameUserSettings.ini as the keybinds guide describes.
Will WARDOGS make you do the tutorial every new season?
BULKHEAD has not said. Season 02 did send returning players back through it after the 15 October reset, and a 16 October Steam thread asking whether it will happen every season got only player replies. The exit works either way: Esc, wait until Leave Match unlocks, then leave.
How long do you have to wait to leave the WARDOGS tutorial?
Players report between about 12 and 30 seconds with the Esc menu open before Leave Match can be clicked. Moving can restart the wait, so open the menu and stand still.
Sources & verification
The skip method, the per-PC repeat and the stuck steps come from threads on the WARDOGS Steam discussion board dated 4–26 September 2026, read on 7 October. Achievement names and unlock rates are Valve’s own data. BULKHEAD has published nothing about the tutorial itself. The Season 02 repeat comes from threads dated 15–17 October 2026 (Pacific), read on 18 October.
| Source | Type | Read |
|---|---|---|
| Steam · “SKIP THE TUTORIAL”, WARDOGS discussions, 10 September 2026Replies from 17:57 UTC: press Esc, wait 15–30 seconds, then Leave Match; another notes that walking into another room restarted the wait. | Unverified | 2026-10-07 |
| Steam · “is there anyway to skip the tutorial”, WARDOGS discussions, 11 September 2026Reply: press Esc and wait until the leave-match timer runs out; moving resets it. | Unverified | 2026-10-07 |
| Steam · “You have to replay Tutorial even if you have level 60 and you played on other PC”, 15 September 2026A player sent back into the tutorial on a second PC; a reply gives the Esc-and-wait exit. | Unverified | 2026-10-07 |
| Steam · “Having to redo the tutorial each time I switch devices is bonkers”, 21 September 2026Tutorial repeated on an older PC after ten hours played on a newer one. | Unverified | 2026-10-07 |
| Steam · “BUG: Unable to buy grenade in tutorial, blocking”, 13 September 2026Vendor screen dims with nothing clickable; Early Access build 25254499. A reply gives the Esc-and-leave workaround. The same bug was reported in the beta on 4 September. | Unverified | 2026-10-07 |
| Steam · “Tutorial bugged?”, 12 September 2026The hammer prompt repeating after the FOB is placed, with the hammer in hand. | Unverified | 2026-10-07 |
| Steam · “I am one of the 0.5% people who completed the tutorial achievement”, 10 September 2026Launch-day replies: the hidden achievement comes from punching Kristopher after reviving him. | Unverified | 2026-10-07 |
| Valve · Global achievement percentages, app 1867240Returned all ten achievements with their internal identifiers and unlock rates at 13:02 UTC: ACH_TUTORIAL_COMPLETED 77.2, ACH_COMBAT_RICOCHET_KILL 20.1, ACH_ECONOMY_SINGLE_LIFE_PROFIT 16.1, ACH_TUTORIAL_PUNCH_KRISTOPHER 12.8, ACH_COMBAT_LONG_SHOT 7.6, ACH_ECONOMY_TOP_CASH_EARNER 7.5, ACH_SURVIVAL_CONTROL_ZONE_SURVIVOR 4.8, ACH_COMBAT_DEFIBRILLATOR_KILL 4.1, ACH_MATCH_CLEAN_SWEEP 2.7 and ACH_ECONOMY_LOADOUT_SPEND 0.0. The 2026-09-15 reading of the same endpoint returned 74.8, 14.8, 11.7, 12.1, 3.8, 5.7, 3.3, 1.7, 1.1 and 0.0 for the same identifiers: nine of the ten rose in six days, and two pairs swapped rank. The endpoint is live and these rates move daily; the page preserves the dated reading rather than implying a current one. | Publisher stated | 2026-09-21 |
| Steam Community · WARDOGS achievements pageValve-hosted page for the same app, read at 13:02 UTC, in the same minute as the percentages endpoint. Supplies the display names and description text the percentages endpoint does not carry, and shows Big Spender at 0.1% where the API returned 0.0 — the same disagreement it showed on 15 September, now reproduced six days later. It shows no description for “That was rude”; that blank is the source's, not an omission here. | Publisher stated | 2026-09-21 |
| All Things How · WARDOGS tutorial walkthrough, every objective in order, updated 6 September 2026Describes the pre-launch training level. Its checklist row “Shoot a target by ricocheting a bullet” and the instruction quoted on this page were read from the rendered page (the site refuses scripted fetches). | Unverified | 2026-10-15 |
| Steam · “Worst Tutorial ive ever played”, 4 September 2026Pre-launch build. The poster says the narrator asks for the highlighted area on the edge of the container and nothing is highlighted. The replies offer no fix. | Unverified | 2026-10-15 |
| Steam · “Tutorial Loading”, Report a Problem, 11 September 2026A player stuck 8.2 minutes on the tutorial loading screen. Team17_Assist [developer], 12:34 UTC: verify game files, then send DxDiag. Graded official for the advice, not as a fix; no resolution was posted. | Publisher stated | 2026-10-15 |
| Steam · “Forced to play tutorial again”, WARDOGS discussions, 16 October 2026Posted 16:47 UTC, the day after Season 02 went live. Replies within minutes: Esc, wait out the timer, Leave Match. | Unverified | 2026-10-18 |
| Steam · “Do I seriously have to do the tutorial again?”, WARDOGS discussions, 16 October 2026Posted 05:31 UTC on 17 October. A reply at 05:36 UTC describes opening the menu while still on the helicopter and the 15-second countdown on the leave button. | Unverified | 2026-10-18 |
| Steam · “How to skip tutorial”, WARDOGS discussions, 17 October 2026Posted 17:58 UTC. Replies: Esc unbound after the Season 02 patch, left with Alt+F4 (18:04 UTC); one player says quitting and restarting marked the tutorial done (18:00 UTC), unconfirmed. | Unverified | 2026-10-18 |
| Steam · “After recent update game is making me reaccomplish tutorial”, WARDOGS discussions, 17 October 2026Posted 04:01 UTC on 18 October. Reply: press Esc and wait 15 seconds. | Unverified | 2026-10-18 |
| Steam · “Escape key Will not bind.”, WARDOGS discussions, 15 October 2026Posted 19:48 UTC on Season 02 day one. Esc did nothing in the tutorial or in matches and would not bind to the menu; the player quit with Alt+F4 and bound the menu to tilde. | Unverified | 2026-10-18 |
| BULKHEAD · WARDOGS Season 02 Patch Notes, 14 October 2026Published through Steam at 14:59:37 UTC on 14 October (Steam News API gid 1846651706674560; the complete 45,824-character post was read). It schedules maintenance on 15 October from 08:00 to 09:30 UTC — roughly 90 minutes of downtime before Season 02 goes live — and publishes the season's weapons, vehicles, buildables, balance changes, role-track XP and unlock changes, reward changes and a complete vendor price list. It does not use the words wipe or reset, and publishes no gold-bar exchange rate. | Publisher stated | 2026-10-14 |
| Steam · “Will I have to play the tutorial every new season?”, WARDOGS discussions, 16 October 2026Opened 14:53 UTC on 16 October. Player replies only: “Start it, then press esc, wait and go back to the menu” (14:55 UTC), “Wait 12 sec click ESC and leave game” (14:56 UTC), and one player who exits to desktop straight away, reloads and deploys (15:01 UTC). No developer reply. | Unverified | 2026-10-20 |
