“The race is not always to the swift nor the battle to the strong,” wrote the late author Damon Runyon, “but that’s the way to bet.” As someone neither swift nor strong, this does not bode well for my chances in Wardogs season 2, which sees the early access sandbox shooter adding – among many other things – a gambling system.

Once season 2 goes live, immediately following the game-wide progress wipe on October 15th, those who want to get dangerous with their in-game cash can visit the new Wager Vendor, through whom they can place bets on their own performance and choose additional conditions (restrictions, from the sounds of things) that increase the payout. Score enough manfrags or hammer up enough infrastructure, without breaking those rules, and ka-ching. Fail, and… I don’t know what the opposite sound of ‘ka-ching’ is. Glum silence, probably.

Other season 2 additions are more bread and butter. There’s a handful of new weapons and vehicles, including a high-capacity SMG, molotov cocktails (no good for destruction, but effective against human flesh) and a tracked AA gun, while keen builders will get to bash together machine gun nests and overheard shelters. Thundery rainfall will also be available as a weather preset, which won’t just replicate the aesthetics of an average Cardiff afternoon – lowered visibility can thwart snipers and pilots alike, with the extra noise masking footstep sounds in close quarters.

One of my personal early access wants, the ability to join a server with mates, is not part of this seasonal update, as developers Bulkhead say a friends queue option is “going to take a lot more time.” Though there is a handy-sounding ‘Squad Intent’ function in the update, whereby squad leaders can publicly set their squad as being dedicated to a particular role – building, FOB attacking etc. – or as something more niche, like ‘noob friendly’. Hopefully that helps both solo players and scattered groups of friends find a squad where everyone’s on the same page, or at the very least, won’t shout at me on comms for spending the whole match sitting comfortably in an air-conditioned SUV.

When it comes to help, mind, nobody’s getting a bigger hand than the scorned outcasts of Wardogs: Lonestar, aka the blue team (derogatory). Bulkhead have conceded for a while that Lonestar’s win percentages are lower than those of other teams, albeit through unfavourable spawn positions and “uniform visibility” rather than any deficiencies among keen blue pickers themselves. Faction HQs are therefore being moved on the popular Bakurani map, Lonestar attire colours are being desaturated to better match the camouflage of the red and green teams, and, as part of a “social experiment” to reset Lonestar’s dim reputation, its players will get cash and XP bonuses throughout season 2’s duration.

That’s a pretty ambitious experiment – imagine if Team Fortress 2 gave out more hats to RED team players – but then also isn’t that surprising, considering how deeply financial incentives are ingrained in Wardog’s design thinking. Everything costs money, but everything makes money. Unless, uh, your bet doesn’t pay off.