Boet’s World / Guides / How to join a WARDOGS community server

How to14 September 2026 · Updated 8 October 20265 min read

How to join a WARDOGS community server

The part of WARDOGS nobody explains: official matchmaking drops you wherever it likes, but the good games are on community servers, and getting onto a specific one takes about a minute once you know where to look. This is that minute, written from South Africa.

Before you start

• Own and install the game. WARDOGS is a paid Steam game; there is no free client that can join servers. R374.99 in South Africa, 50 GB download.
• Know the server’s name. You are going to search for it, so have it exactly. Ours are [ZA] BOET’S WORLD, [ZA] BOET’S WORLD 2 and [ZA] BOET’S WORLD 3.
• Optional: a direct connect address. Some operators publish one. Ours is on the member portal for people with a free account, rather than on a public page.

Step 1: open the server browser

From the main menu, go to the server browser rather than the quick-play or matchmaking option. Matchmaking picks a server for you; the browser is the list of every server, official and community, that you can choose from yourself.

Step 2: region EU-Central, filter Community Servers

This is the step that catches everyone, for two reasons. First, the browser has no name search — you cannot type “BOET” and have it find us. You narrow the list with the filters and then find the row. Second, the instinct is to set the region to Africa, and there is no Africa on it. South African community servers run on European hardware — usually Frankfurt — because there is nowhere in Africa to rent one.

Step 3: read the row before you join

The browser shows a few things worth a glance:

• Players — 62/100 is a match; 4/100 is a lobby waiting for a match. Community servers set a minimum before a round starts, so a low count means you may sit in pre-match for a bit.
• Ping — expect around 200ms from South Africa to any server on the list. If you see something at 40ms, it is not closer to you; it is a mistake or a moment. Why that is.
• A lock icon — the server has a password. You will be asked for it on join.
• Map and mode — what is running right now. The maps and modes explained.

Step 4: join, or direct connect

Select the row and join. If you have a direct connect address instead, use the browser’s direct connect option and paste it in — it lands you on the right server without the search, every time, and it is the quickest route when you are rejoining after a crash.

If the server has a password, enter it when asked. Operators publish passwords in their Discord or on a members’ page; a password is how a community keeps its server for its community, so do not post one publicly if you are given one.

When the server is full

A hundred slots fill on a good night. The first thing to try is the second server: [ZA] BOET’S WORLD 2 and [ZA] BOET’S WORLD 3 run the same rotation and rules. Server 2 carries the same reserved list as the main one; Server 3 is open to everyone with no reserved list, and everything you do on it counts on the same leaderboard. If both are full you have three options: wait and retry (people leave between matches, so the top of a new round is the best moment), join a squadmate’s game if the game offers it, or be on the reserved list.

Most community servers keep a handful of slots back for supporters. On ours, supporters with a Steam account confirmed through the portal are on that list, and the game lets them past a full server. If you are a supporter and it is not working, the most common reason is a Steam account that was typed in rather than confirmed — the portal says which yours is.

Common problems

• “I cannot find the server.” Check the region is EU-Central (not EU-West, not Africa) and the filter is Community Servers, then scroll — the list is long. If it is still missing, the server may be restarting; check the community’s Discord for a notice.
• “It says EU-Central, I want South Africa.” Every South African community server says EU-Central. See step 2.
• “My ping is 200.” So is everyone else’s in a South African lobby, which is the point. If yours is bouncing between 90 and 300 rather than sitting still, that is jitter, and that you can do something about.
• “I got kicked.” Community servers have house rules and admins who enforce them in the match. Read the rules before you join; ours are on the front page.
• “The match will not start.” Servers need a minimum number of players before a round begins. Sit in the lobby, or better, bring people from the Discord.

Joining the Boet’s World server specifically

1. In the server browser set the region to EU-Central, the filter to Community Servers, and find [ZA] BOET’S WORLD [ZA] BOET’S WORLD 2 or [ZA] BOET’S WORLD 3 in the list. That works with no account at all.
2. Or create a free account, open the connect page, and use the direct connect address. The account also puts your matches on the leaderboard.
3. Read the house rules on the front page — short, and enforced.
4. Join the Discord before you queue so there is a squad to drop in with.

Keep reading

• WARDOGS South Africa serversThere is no African region in WARDOGS, so every South African plays on European hardware. What that costs, measured on our own server, and how to find a game worth playing.
• WARDOGS maps and modes: Bakurani, Ozeti and ZestafonaThe three maps, the King of the Hill zones on each, the Infantry Only and Hardcore variants, the eight times of day, and the three factions, read straight off the server.
• How to find a WARDOGS squad in South AfricaSolo queue is where good games go to die. Where to find South Africans playing at your hours, and how our Discord is set up to make that quick.