How to set player level limits and run a Low-Level WARDOGS server

You want a Low-Level server on WARDOGS where newer players aren't farmed by veterans, but the game's player level limits are two raw settings, and it checks nothing about the Steam account behind a player. RCON Hub fixes it: its WARDOGS Manager pack sets a lowest and highest player level in plain words, and adds Steam account checks for VAC bans, game bans, brand-new accounts and private profiles.

Why level limits matter on WARDOGS

New players need somewhere to learn. Drop them into a server full of high-level squads and they quit before they ever get good. A highest level turns your server into a Low-Level server, and newer players can find those in a list in the game's Deploy menu.

A lowest level does the opposite: it keeps fresh accounts out of a server meant for experienced players.

So the manual fix looks like this:

• Find ServerMinPlayerLevel and ServerMaxPlayerLevel in the server's settings.
• Remember that 0 means no limit, and check the minimum isn't above the maximum.
• Wait and see whether the change has taken effect yet.
• Look up suspicious players' Steam profiles one by one, by hand.

What the game and other tools leave out

• Raw numbers, no guide rails. The level limits are two plain values in the server's settings. WARDOGS Manager shows them as Lowest level and Highest level, says in one line who can join, and won't save a minimum above the maximum.
• No word on when it applies. WARDOGS Manager tells you whether a change takes effect from the next match or after the next restart. If your hosting panel controls the setting, it says so instead of letting you save over it.
• Level is all the game checks. It knows nothing about the Steam account. WARDOGS Manager can check Steam accounts when players join: a VAC ban, game bans, a brand-new account or a private profile.
• Every ban weighs the same. A ban from years ago isn't last month's ban. You choose to ignore bans older than a set number of days, or count bans of any age.

How RCON Hub fixes it

Everything lives on one page, Who can join. The Player level box writes the game's own level settings, so the game itself turns players away when they try to join. Nobody gets kicked mid-game.

The Steam account checks run as each player joins. For each check you pick what happens: let them in, tell your staff, or kick them. They need a free Steam Web API key, and your admins are never checked.

A fair-play rule that runs when someone joins can also check a player's K/D across ClanStop, to keep experienced players off a Low-Level server. It needs player stats shared with ClanStop.

Step-by-step setup

1. Install RCON Hub. Download it from rconhub.gg and run the installer. It's free for Windows 10 and 11.
2. Add the WARDOGS game pack. Open RCON Hub. On Your games, click Add game, pick WARDOGS and click Install.
3. Add your server. Open the WARDOGS card and click Add server. Enter the Server IP address and RCON password, click Connect, name it, then click Add server.
4. Open Who can join. On your server, open the Settings tab, then Who can join.
5. Set the levels. Under Player level, fill in Lowest level and Highest level. 0 means no limit. A highest level makes it a Low-Level server.
6. Save the levels. Click Save. The page tells you when the change takes effect.
7. Turn on Steam checks. Tick Check Steam accounts when players join. For Has a VAC ban, Has game bans, Brand-new Steam account and Private Steam profile, pick Allow, Tell my staff or Kick.
8. Add your key. Open More options and paste your Steam Web API key. Set how many days old a brand-new account is, and the message kicked players see. Click Save.
9. Test it. Paste a SteamID into the test box under More options and click Check to see what would happen.

Is it safe?

Yes.

• It runs locally. RCON Hub and WARDOGS Manager run on your own Windows PC and talk to your server over the game's RCON.
• No injection. RCON Hub never touches the game client or your players' games. There's nothing for anti-cheat to flag, so it won't get anyone banned.
• The game does the gatekeeping. Level limits are the game's own settings, so players outside them are simply turned away at the door.
• Your secrets stay put. Your RCON password is kept encrypted on your PC, and your admins never see it.
• Nothing runs until you say so. Steam account checks are off until you turn them on.

It's beta software. Back up your server's settings before you change things.

Give new players a place to grow

A Low-Level server turns first matches into second matches. Download RCON Hub, add the WARDOGS pack, and set your level limits in a minute.

Download RCON Hub 0.3.13 More guides