// Field manual // weapon reference

WARDOGS M500 Shotgun Guide

M500: Deployment price $1,200 (Earlier record · not restated); Level gate Support 10 (Earlier record · not restated); Permanent access payment $50,000 (Earlier record · not restated).

Current statusSeason 02 changes + dated records
Last verifiedOctober 16, 2026
Primary sourceOfficial Season 02 patch notes ↗
Next actionReview the Season 02 briefing →
Evidence scopeSEASON 02Confirmed fields and historical records are labeled separately.

Quick answer

M500: Deployment price $1,200 (Earlier record · not restated); Level gate Support 10 (Earlier record · not restated); Permanent access payment $50,000 (Earlier record · not restated).

M500 vendor render from a versioned WARDOGS item record
Versioned community catalog image · Versioned game asset · current-client appearance still needs verification · source ↗

Recorded purchase and unlock

M500 · data version reviewed 2026-09-16 · recorded fields are labeled
CategoryShotgun
Recorded deployment price$1,200 in-game cash · Earlier record · not restated
Level gateSupport 10 · Earlier record · not restated
Permanent access payment$50,000 · Earlier record · not restated
Ammunition12 gauge
Evidence scopeVersioned item record · current-client recheck needed
Data buildLate Beta / launch research
Earlier fields reviewed2026-09-16
Season 02 balance noteSlug damage now scales with the armor tier.
Recorded actionPump-action shotgun
Recorded weight3.5 kg
Recorded inventory size6 × 2
Current community checkA September 13 Support guide confirms the Support 10 gate and buckshot / slug choices

Read the source label beside each price, gate and fee. These are separate payments; magazines, ammunition, protection, fuel and task equipment are not automatically included. Confirm compatibility and operating details in the current client.

Ammunition choices

The same current community guide shows buckshot and slug ammunition for Support shotguns. Buckshot is the close-range option; slugs trade the spread pattern for a single projectile and demand more deliberate aim. Exact damage, armor interaction and useful range are not published here because no current official table was located.

Buy ammunition through the M500's current vendor path and confirm the loading system before deployment. A 12-gauge label alone does not prove that every shell record behaves the same.

Battlefield role

The M500 belongs in short sightlines, building entries and defensive corners where a pump cycle is manageable. It is less forgiving when several enemies appear in the open or the fight moves across a long road.

Support progression can also come from building, repairing and anti-vehicle work. Do not force a shotgun into a route where the team needs a hammer, launcher or sustained machine-gun coverage.

Compare another option

The MP43 is the earlier double-barrel record with a lower deployment price and fewer follow-up shots. The M249 SAW and PKM cover the machine-gun side of the Support track.

Use loadouts to include shells, storage and medical support, and check building when the Support task is construction rather than entry fighting.

Data version and sources

The official Season 02 notes supersede earlier values only where a field is explicitly named. The table labels those replacements separately. The image, physical specifications and other unreconfirmed fields remain dated records reviewed on September 16, 2026.

Earlier source record: The Support 10 gate and ammunition choices are corroborated by a guide published after Early Access launch. The image, price, fee, weight and size remain versioned community records reviewed on September 16, 2026. Current vendor and weapon prompts supersede them when they conflict.

DATA & SOURCES

Read every value with its version.

Official changes use first-party announcements. Item fields without a current official table remain labeled as dated gameplay records until they can be checked in the public client.