Warsow is the fastest sport on the web

Set in a futuristic cartoonish world, Warsow is a completely free fast-paced first-person shooter (FPS) for Windows, Linux and macOS. Join us on Discord and Reddit

What you will find in the wiki

This wiki is made for beginner and veteran players. You will find information about weapons, gamemodes, movement, customization as well as development tools for model and map making.

Community

You can find the Warsow community on Discord and Reddit

Public servers

Pickup games

The most active community of players currently play bomb and defuse pickup games every evening starting around 19h Eastern European Time. You are welcome to join us on the dedicated discord server channel, we however recommend you are familiar with the game before you join us so we all have a good time!

Pickup games are ranked and organized using pugmaster made by one of our community member @slice. You can find information about the pickup games and the players on his website.

Weapons

Game variables

Gunblade

Description

The gunblade is a melee weapon that can also fire projectiles if you hold the upgraded version. When in close combat against an enemy player the gunblade will automatically spin and deal damage to the opponent. When fired the upgraded gunblade launches a small projectile dealing AOE damage in a small area.

Strategy

• The melee damage from the gunblade can be useful to finish off an enemy that is low and is in close range as you will have a harder time hitting them consistently with the other weapons.
• The AOE damage from the upgraded gunblade inflicts self-damage so you can use it to increase your speed or perform a rocket jump.

Machinegun

Description

The machine gun is weapon that fires damaging bullets at a regular interval.

Strategy

• The bullet travel instantaneously so the machine gun can be used to snipe low enemies.
• Each bullet will stun the enemies so you can use the machine gun to reduce the speed of an incoming enemy.

Riotgun

Description

The Riotgun is a shotgun like weapon that fires a burst of bullets. The spread of each shot is fixed, making it the ideal weapon for close combat as you will be able to land more bullets.

Strategy

• You can wait at the exit of teleporters with the riot gun, bursting the outgoing enemy.
• The riotgun can be used to finish low enemies as you will, at least land part of the bullet spread.

Grenade Launcher

Description

The grenade launcher is a projectile weapon that fires explosive grenades. It's a powerful weapon that can deal significant damage to both enemies and the environment. The grenades are affected by gravity, which means players need to adjust their aim to compensate for the arc of the grenade's flight. The grenades bounce off walls and other surfaces before detonating. This allows skilled players to use the grenades to hit enemies around corners or behind cover.

Strategy

• The grenades have a small blast radius, so players need to aim accurately to hit their target.
• The grenade launcher has a slow rate of fire, which means players need to carefully time their shots.
• The grenade launcher can also be used to rocket jump, which involves firing a grenade at the ground beneath the player's feet to propel themselves into the air.
• It can be risky to use in close-quarters combat, as the grenades can cause self-damage.

Rocket Launcher

Description

The rocket launcher is a powerful projectile weapon that fires explosive rockets. The rockets travel quickly through the air and have a large blast radius and can deal significant damage to enemies. The damage dealt will decreased with the distance of the enemy to the rocket's explosion, dealing a minimum of damage after a certain range.

Strategy

• The rocket launcher has a moderate rate of fire, which means players need to carefully time their shots.
• You can shoot at the feet of your opponents to launch them into the air, making them easier to hit with other weapons like the electrobolt.
• The rocket launcher can also be used to rocket jump, which involves firing a rocket at the ground beneath the player's feet to propel themselves into the air.
• It can be risky to use in close-quarters combat, as the rockets can cause self-damage.

Plasma Gun

Description

The plasma gun is a rapid-fire weapon that fires streams of plasma energy. Each plasma bullet acts as a projectile and has a small blast radius that will inflict the damage to the enemies.

Strategy

• Aim at the feet of you enemies as the blast deals as much damage as the bullet.
• Spam chokepoints to prevent enemies from reaching a specific area as they will have to go through the stream of plasma to reach you.

Laser Gun

Description

The laser gun is a futuristic energy weapon that fires a continuous beam of energy. It's a powerful and versatile weapon that can be used for both offensive and defensive purposes. The weapons fires a continuous beam of energy that deals continuous damage to enemies as long as it's hitting them. However the beam has a limited range and can only travel a short distance before dissipating. This means players need to be close to their targets to use the laser gun effectively.

Strategy

• The laser gun is a very effective weapon against stationary or slow-moving targets as won't be able to dodge the stream.
• The laser gun has a high rate of fire and can quickly drain enemy health if the beam stays locked onto the target so it's important to practice your tracking skills use it as effectively as possible.

Electrobolt

Description

The electrobolt is a powerful long-range weapon that fires a single, highly accurate shot. It's a deadly weapon that deals great amount of damages at the cost of a slow firing rate.

Strategy

• This weapon is very aim dependent so it's key to practice it.
• When you know the enemy's location it can be great way of dealing damage while outranging them.

Instabeam

Description

The instabeam is an empowered electrobolt only available in instagib that will oneshot enemies.

Health & Armor

Health and armor are the two resources that can represent a players ability to take before they are eliminated.

Health

Health represents how much damage a player can sustain before they are eliminated. In Warsow, players start with 100 health points, and can increase their health up to a maximum of 200 points.

Health can be replenished with health items, including:

• Health vials: These are smaller than health bubbles and restore 5 health points each.
• Health bubbles (25hp): These are small orbs that restore 25 health points when picked up.
• Health bubbles (50hp): These are small orbs that restore 50 health points when picked up.
• Mega Health: This power-up increases a player's maximum health to 200 points and fully restores their health.

Armor

Armor is a protective layer that absorbs part of the damage before it affects a player's health.

In Warsow, players can pick up four different types of armor items:

• Armor shards: This provides 5 points of armor protection up to 200 armor.
• Green armor: This provides 50 points of armor protection up to 100 armor.
• Yellow armor: This provides 75 points of armor protection up to 125 armor.
• Red armor: This provides 100 points of armor protection up to 150 armor.

Armor is represented by a blue bar that appears above a player's health bar. When a player takes damage, 2/3rds of the damage goes to the armor before damaging health. If a player runs out of armor, any additional damage they take will affect their health directly.

Items

Health items

Health vials

Health bubble (25hp)

Health bubble (50hp)

Mega health

Armor items

Armor Shards

Green Armor

Yellow Armor

Red Armor

Damage items

Weapon Item

Ammo Item

Quad damage

Movement

At its core, the movement system, in Warsow is based on techniques called "bunny hoping" and "strafe jumping". The speed unit in Warsow is referred as ups which stands from "units per second".

Special command

The special (bound to mouse2) command makes your character perform a dash, this command can be used in various ways:

• When Using the special command from standstill, will perform a dash and instantly give you a base speed of 450 ups.
• You can use the special command at any speed, when done correctly you will not lose speed.
• Holding the special command before landing allows you to change directions on landing instantly. Either in the direction you're facing or the direction of your direction keys.
• Using the special command when against vertical terrain lets you bounce off it (also know as wall-jumping), giving you a small vertical boost.
• The special command has a cooldown of 1s on the ground and and 1.5s when wall-jumping.

Strafe jumping

Strafe jumping is the most used technique to gain speed. To strafe jump, hold the jump and forward key. Then, alternate between: (while still holding jump and forward)

• holding the left key while moving your mouse to the left.
• holding the right key while moving your mouse to the right.

You can also strafe against a wall (wall strafing). Sometimes this is preferred because it requires less precise mouse movements. Simply perform the strafe in the direction the wall is and hold it.

Bunny hopping

Bunny hopping is a technique to gain speed in corners. It's similar to strafe jumping, except you don't hold the forward key. To bunny hop, smooth mouse movement is important.

Start by looking in the direction you are moving. Then, either:

• holding the left key while moving your mouse to the left.
• holding the right key while moving your mouse to the right.

Sliding

Some surfaces are slick (they are not always super obvious) such as uphill ramps. The fastest way of gaining speed on slick surfaces is exactly the same as bunny hopping. The speed at which you move the mouse is a lot faster however. With a well timed slide you can extend the range of your jump, on some maps allowing for cool movement tricks to access highgrounds.

Ramp boosting

When you land on a ramp that is going downhill, your vertical speed will be turned into horizontal speed.

Q&A

What does Warsow mean?

• First of all, Warsow was a reference to Joy Division. They were a British post-punk band of late 70's and early 80's previously named Warsaw (with an A, as in the capital of Poland).
• Warsow quickly turned into an acronym: Warriors of Alternate Reality - Slaughters Over the Web.
• SoLomoNK wasn't totally satisfied by the acronym and during the ongoing development searched for a new one. One which would bring a real and strong message...
• Finally, years after, a new acronym was born. One that matches perfectly with Warsow's spirit: Warsow is the Art of Respect and Sportsmanship Over the Web

Is Warsow still in development?

The game has migrated from being developed by a dedicated team to becoming a community driven project. Nowadays some work is done by @mwaga to update the game engine and implement new features. As of 2023 he is working on a potential new release for the game which would modernize the game. You can find more information in the dedicated channel on discord.

I have an issue creating or login in my account

Accounts have been disabled as of late 2015 do not try to create an account.

How do I change the game's language?

1. Open console by default it is "~"
2. Type lang <language code>
3. The language change will take effect after you restart the game or type vid_restart in the console to restart the UI.

Available languages with their respective codes:

Where do I find my config / demos / screenshots / etc?

Gamemodes

Duel

Duel mode is a 1v1 game mode in Warsow where two players face off against each other on a map. The objective is to frag (kill) the opponent as many times as possible within a set time limit, typically 10 minutes. The player with the most frags at the end of the time limit wins the match.

Here are some key features of Duel mode:

• Each player starts with the same health and the gunblade
• After a player is fragged, they respawn at a random spawn point with only the gunblade.
• Power-ups and weapons are scattered throughout the map, and players can pick them up to gain an advantage over their opponent.
• Competitive duel mode is typically played in a best-of-three or best-of-five format, where the winner is the first player to win two or three matches.

Strategy

• Control the map : One of the most important strategies in Duel mode is to control the map. This means taking control of power-ups and weapons and denying them to your opponent. By controlling the map, you can limit your opponent's options and force them into predictable movements, making it easier to predict and land shots.
• Play defensively : In Duel mode, it's often better to play defensively and wait for your opponent to come to you. This allows you to use the map to your advantage and set up ambushes or traps. Try to stay in areas with good visibility and cover, and be patient in your movements.
• Master the movement mechanics : Movement is a key part of Warsow, and mastering the movement mechanics can give you a significant advantage in Duel mode. Learn how to strafe jump, rocket jump, and use other movement techniques to quickly traverse the map and dodge enemy fire.
• Use weapons effectively : Each weapon in Warsow has its own strengths and weaknesses, and learning how to use them effectively is key to success in Duel mode. For example, the rocket launcher is great for area denial and splash damage, while the electrobolt is ideal for long-range sniping.
• Stay calm and focused : Finally, it's important to stay calm and focused during Duel mode matches. Warsow can be a fast-paced and intense game, and it's easy to get overwhelmed or frustrated. Try to stay focused on the task at hand and avoid getting distracted by mistakes or setbacks.

Deathmatch

In Deathmatch mode, players compete against each other to score as many frags (kills) as possible within a set time limit, usually ranging from 5 to 15 minutes.

Here are some key features of Deathmatch mode in Warsow:

• All players start with the same health and the gunblade, and they spawn at random locations on the map.
• The objective is to kill as many other players as possible within the time limit. Each time a player is fragged, they respawn at a random location on the map with the same weapons and health.
• Power-ups and weapons are scattered throughout the map, and players can pick them up to gain an advantage over their opponents.
• The player with the most frags at the end of the time limit wins the match.

Deathmatch mode can be played in a variety of formats, including free-for-all, team-based, or with other variations such as instagib (one-hit kills), rocket arena (only rocket launchers are allowed).

Overall, Deathmatch mode is a fast-paced and action-packed game mode that rewards quick reflexes, strategic thinking, and good aim.

Strategy

• Map knowledge : Knowing the map well is key to success in Deathmatch mode. Learn the layout of the map, the locations of weapons and power-ups, and the best routes to move around quickly and avoid getting trapped.
• Positioning : Positioning is important in Deathmatch mode. Try to stay in areas with good visibility and cover, and be aware of your surroundings to avoid getting ambushed.
• Master the movement mechanics : Mastering the movement mechanics in Warsow can give you a significant advantage in Deathmatch mode. Practice strafe jumping, rocket jumping, and other movement techniques to quickly traverse the map and dodge enemy fire. Keep moving to avoid becoming an easy target for your opponents. Strafe back and forth, jump around, and use the environment to your advantage to avoid getting hit.
• Weapon selection : Choose your weapons wisely, depending on the situation and your playstyle. For example, the rocket launcher is great for dealing splash damage and area denial, while the electrobolt is ideal for long-range sniping.
• Target prioritization : Choose your targets wisely. Focus on weaker opponents or players who are distracted or low on health. Avoid engaging in fights that are likely to result in your own death.
• Control power-ups and weapons : Power-ups and weapons are scattered throughout the map, and controlling them can give you a significant advantage over your opponents. Learn the spawn times and locations of power-ups and weapons, and try to deny them to your opponents as much as possible.

Clan Arena

Clan Arena is very similar to standard deathmatch, in that players battle it out against each other for survival. The major differences are that the players are split into two teams and all start with certain resources (including weapons, health, and armor) and that all resources are removed from the map (preventing players from improving their condition). These two conditions focus the gameplay towards fighting and away from more traditional deathmatch techniques that involve resource domination.

Each Clan Arena game contains one or more rounds. Each round begins by spawning players randomly throughout the map, or arena. Once a player is fragged, he or she is removed from play, and allowed to spectate. When one team has no more players in the arena, the other team wins the round and the next round begins. The team that wins the most rounds, wins the game.

In Clan Arena mode, players are divided into two teams. The objective is to eliminate all players on the opposing team before they eliminate all players on your team.

Here are some key features of Clan Arena mode in Warsow:

• All players start with all the weapons and full health, and they respawn at the beginning of each round.
• There are no power-ups or weapons to collect in Clan Arena.
• The round lasts until one team is wiped or the timer expires, and then a new round starts with each player respawning again.
• The first team to win a set number of rounds (usually 16) wins the match.

Clan Arena mode is a great way to test your skills against other players. It requires quick reflexes and positional awareness.

Strategy

• Stick together : Work with your team to stay close and support each other. Stick to cover and use the environment to your advantage to avoid getting separated or picked off.
• Stay alive : Respawns are limited, so stay alive as long as possible to give your team the best chance of winning the round.
• Master Movement mechanics : Mastering the movement mechanics in Warsow can give you a significant advantage in Clan Arena. Practice strafe jumping, rocket jumping, and other movement techniques to quickly traverse the map and dodge enemy fire. Keep moving to avoid becoming an easy target for your opponents. Strafe back and forth, jump around, and use the environment to your advantage to avoid getting hit.

Bomb and Defuse

In this mode, there are two teams, the attacking team and the defending team. The attacking team has to plant a bomb at one of two bombsites (A or B) on the map, and the defending team has to prevent them from doing so or defuse the bomb if it's already been planted. The game is won by the first team to reach the required number of round wins, usually 16.

Here's how the game mode works in Warsow:

• At the start of each round, one player from the attacking team is given the bomb. The objective of the attacking team is to plant the bomb at one of the two bombsites (A or B).
• The attacking team has one minute to plant the bomb. If they fail to plant it within that time limit, the round ends in favor of the defending team.
• Once the bomb has been planted, it takes 30 seconds for it to explode. During this time, the defending team must defuse the bomb to win the round. If they fail to defuse it, the round ends in favor of the attacking team.
• If all members of a team are eliminated before the bomb is planted, the round ends in favor of the opposing team.
• If the bomb is planted but all members of the attacking team are eliminated before it explodes, the defending team wins the round.
• The game is played in a best of 30 rounds, with the teams swapping roles after 15 rounds. The team that wins 16 rounds first wins the game.

In this game mode, teamwork and communication are crucial. The attacking team needs to work together to protect the player carrying the bomb and to create distractions that allow them to plant the bomb successfully. The defending team needs to coordinate their efforts to prevent the bomb from being planted, or to defuse it if it is.

It's also important for players to know the map well and understand the best strategies for each bombsite. Knowing where to position oneself and how to anticipate the movements of the opposing team can make a big difference in the outcome of the game.

Attacking strategies

• Clearing Strategy : This strategy involves clearing out the bombsite before planting the bomb. The attacking team can take control of key positions around the bombsite and eliminate any defending players in the area. Once the bombsite is clear, they can plant the bomb safely and defend it until it explodes.
• Rush Strategy : This strategy involves rushing to one bombsite with all members of the attacking team at the start of the round, trying to overwhelm the defending team with sheer force. This can be a risky strategy as it leaves the attacking team vulnerable to counterattacks, but it can be effective if executed correctly.
• Split Push : This strategy involves dividing the attacking team into two groups, with each group heading to a different bombsite. This creates confusion for the defending team, who now has to split their attention and resources between the two sites. The attacking team can then use this to their advantage, by quickly planting the bomb at the site with weaker defense.
• Fake-Out : This strategy involves pretending to attack one bombsite, only to switch to the other at the last moment. This is done to confuse the defending team and draw their attention away from the real objective. For example, the attacking team can send a few players to bombsite A, making it look like they're going to plant the bomb there, while the rest of the team goes to bombsite B. Once the defending team is distracted, the attacking team can quickly plant the bomb at bombsite B.

Defending tips

• Positioning : One of the most important defensive tip is to take up good positions around the bombsites. Defensive players should position themselves in areas that give them good lines of sight and cover, making it difficult for the attacking team to plant the bomb. This can involve using corners, walls, and other cover to your advantage.
• Crossfire : Crossfire is another important defensive tip that involves setting up overlapping fields of fire. This means positioning defensive players in a way that allows them to cover each other's angles of attack. For example, two players positioned on opposite sides of a bombsite can cover each other and make it difficult for the attacking team to plant the bomb.
• Flanking : Flanking is a strategy that involves attacking the opposing team from the sides or rear. This can be used defensively by positioning some players away from the bombsites in positions that allow them to flank attacking players as they move towards the bombsites. This can take the attacking team by surprise and give the defenders an advantage.
• Delay Tactics : Delay tactics are a way of slowing down the attacking team and buying time for the defenders. This can involve using grenades, plasma gun, and other tactics to disorient attacking players and slow them down. The longer it takes for the attacking team to plant the bomb, the more time the defenders have to set up their defenses.

Capture the flag

Basics:

Try to capture your enemies flag In order to capture the flag, you have stand for a couple of seconds on the enemies flag. In order to score you have to return the flag to your base and stand for a couple of seconds on your teams flag location. When the enemy flag-carrier is fragged, you can walk over your dropped flag to return it to your base. CTF is usually played with teams consisting of 5 players. Items and powerups are available

Tactics:

Usually a CTF team is divided into 2 parts: the “offence” or “attackers”, and the “defence”. A normal game setup is 2 players defending the base and 3 attackers. Players usually are specialised in defence, or offence. For defence, path-anticipation, aim and blocking skills are important. Slowing down an enemy flag-carrier usually is enough to gain enough time. Riot Gun, Plasma Gun, Laser Gun or Rocket Launcher are usually a good choice to slow down a flag-carrier. Going after the flag carrier is usually not done nor a good idea. Defending the flag-point to prevent enemies from giving their flag-carrier more time is usually more important, unless you know the player having the flag is capable of “fast-capping”, and your team’s offence is having trouble getting into the enemy base (in order to take the enemy flag and return your own flag by fragging their flag-carrier). For offence, speed, good movement, timing and skills with any weapon are very important. A good attack run should be synchronised. The flag carrier's job is to get out of the enemy base as fast as possible. The support’s task is to control the enemy flag-point as long as possible after the flag-carrier is gone, and returning your own flag when you're in a cross-cap situation.

Instagib

Instagib mode is a popular game mode in Warsow that emphasizes fast-paced, one-shot kills with a the instabeam.

Here are some key features of Instagib mode in Warsow:

• All players start with an infinite ammo instabeam, which can kill an opponent in one shot.
• There are no power-ups or weapons to collect in Instagib.
• The game is usually played in team-based formats, with each team working together to eliminate the opposing team.
• The first team to eliminate all players on the opposing team wins the round.

Instagib is a fast-paced and intense game mode that requires quick reflexes and accurate aim. Because players can be eliminated with just one shot, it's important to stay on the move and use cover to avoid getting hit.

Strategy

• Move quickly : In Instagib, staying still for too long is a recipe for getting eliminated. Keep moving and use strafing to make it harder for opponents to hit you. The instabeam deals self damage, use it at your advantage by rocket jumping with it.
• Use cover : Cover is your friend in Instagib. Use it to avoid getting hit and to surprise opponents with your instabeam shots.
• Aim carefully : Accuracy is key in Instagib. Take your time and aim carefully to make sure your shots count.

Race

The main goal for race is to get from the start line to the end line of the map in the fastest time possible. Each map has its own leaderboard so the goal is to practice your movement and the map to be one of the fastest players to complete the map.

Here are some key features of Race mode:

• The timer starts when you hit the start line. You are allowed to do 1 dash, 1 jump and 1 walljump before hitting the start line. If you do any more, you will get a 'Prejump' warning and automatically respawn.
• Before you hit the startline, you can also save a new spawning position to make your life a little bit easier. You can either bind this to a key (see menu) or use the quickmenu. (see commands section)
• To gain speed, you combine strafe jumping with other techniques. Your goal is to find a route that allows you to gain the most speed and gets you to the finish line the fastest. (see movement section)
• When you hit a checkpoint you'll be presented with a time and the rank your time is currently at (this compares with checkpoints from other players). If you have completed the race before, there will also be a time difference from your personal best run.
• At the end of your race run, you will get the "race finished" award. Additionally, there will be a race report in chat & console.

Practice mode

• Practicing can be very useful in longer maps or maps with tricky jumps. To enter practicemode, you can either bind it to a key (see menu) or use the quickmenu. In practicemode, your races will NOT count. So make sure you leave practicemode to actually do a race run.
• While in practicemode, you can fly around the map using noclip mode. You can either bind this to a key (see menu) or use the quickmenu. (see commands section)
• When you find a spot that you want to practice, you can save your position to always respawn there. You can either bind this to a key (see menu) or use the quickmenu. (see commands section)
• Additionally, in practicemode you can set a speed to spawn with. (see commands section) Note: when you save your position on the ground, your speed will get lost immediately.

Config files

On startup, the game will load the default config file located at basewsw/config.cfg .

In the config file you can set game variables such as modifying player models, video settings, sound settings and more.

Example config file

seta name yellowsupercar    // sets your in-game name
seta clan lambo             // sets your in-game clan name

Executing config files

You can create standalone configuration files in your basewsw directory that can then be executed at your will in the console using the exec command.

Binding keys

Customization

HUD

Player & Teams

Video

Sound