After it debuted at the most recent Game Awards, Highguard was poised to be the next big thing in the first-person shooter genre. Players were somewhat hyped to dive into a new live-service game, even though no extra information was provided. Then, Highguard was released, and a few weeks later, it’s all but dead. So, what happened to Highguard? How could the ball be dropped this hard? Let’s take a look at how the supposed savior of the FPS genre turned into an overnight disaster.
A New Challenger Emerges
The Game Awards are a big deal; there’s no question about that. Consistently one of the most-watched awards shows of any industry, it’s a night where we look back fondly on the past year in gaming, while simultaneously looking forward to the future with tons of new game announcements. Every year, the final game announcement is one that everyone looks forward to, as it’s usually reserved for huge, blockbuster releases. So, you could imagine the anticipation when host Geoff Keighley started to hype up this year’s reveal.
Created by Wildlight Entertainment, a new studio composed of 60 ex-Titanfall developers, Highguard sounded great, but the gameplay was antithetical to the idea of “revolutionizing” the FPS genre. What was shown was a free-to-play, live-service shooter, reminiscent of Overwatch and others of its ilk, but with a fantasy twist. Sure, it looked cool, but it didn’t look very “new”. That said, it was the final reveal of the Game Awards, so it had to be worth our attention, right?
Highguard Goes Live
Following the Game Awards announcement, there was no additional marketing, trailers, or explanations granted about Highguard. Wildlight Entertainment was oddly silent about their big new game. So, when it launched on January 26, all players had were their expectations from the Game Awards reveal. Though Highguard promised to revolutionize the genre, instead, it felt like a mash-up of everything familiar. Like Overwatch or Marvel Rivals, it featured a cast of playable characters with unique skills, meant to fit various roles for objective-based play. In each match, you and your team ride across one of several large maps, looting guns and equipment battle royale style, while fighting over a magical sword that allows you to enter the enemy team’s base. Once inside a base, gameplay shifts to bomb planting/defusal, similar to Rainbow Six Siege, Counter-Strike, or “Search and Destroy” from Call of Duty. Destroy the big generator or do enough damage across multiple rounds, and victory is yours.
Calling Highguard complicated is an understatement. Instead of one cohesive experience, it feels like five different games crammed into various phases, severely lacking an interesting narrative or identity. The gunplay and movement were fun, but the content was light, and the game became repetitive after just a few hours. On its first day, Highguard held nearly 100,000 players. Now, roughly a month later, it struggles to keep more than 1,500 players online.
Despite the release of new maps and modes, along with a promising development roadmap, Highguard is all but dead. In the brutal landscape of modern live-service games, a new title needs to impress from the very start, otherwise it will get lost in the sea of competition. That’s where Highguard failed the most. The reveal trailer was confusing, Wildlight Entertainment refused to explain anything before release, and the game felt unfinished on launch. It’s a shame, since there’s a good game buried somewhere in the muck, but after losing 90% of their player base over a few weeks, that better version of Highguard will likely never see the light of day. At the very least, Highguard is a good case study on the importance of marketing, being honest with your audience, and at the very least, setting clear expectations for your game. We’re only a few months into the year, and Highguard is already a shoo-in for one of the most disappointing games of 2026. Worse yet, that all could’ve been avoided with a clearer gameplay trailer and a bit of honesty from Wildlight Entertainment.
