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Highguard - Wikipedia
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Highguard
DeveloperWildlight Entertainment
PublisherWildlight Entertainment
DirectorChad Grenier
DesignerJason McCord
ArtistRobert Taube
Platforms
ReleaseJanuary 26, 2026
GenreHero shooter
ModeMultiplayer

Highguard is a free-to-play hero shooter developed and published by Wildlight Entertainment. Highguard was released for PlayStation 5, Windows, and Xbox Series X/S on January 26, 2026.[1]

Gameplay

Highguard is a player versus player (PvP) raid shooter where players take on the roles of "Wardens", characters described as arcane gunslingers who fight for control over a mythical continent.[2] Matches involve competing with rival crews to secure pivotal objectives such as the "Shieldbreaker", which enables teams to launch assaults on enemy bases.[3] The game combines traditional first-person shooter mechanics with elements such as mounted combat, destructible environments, and fantasy-inspired abilities. It supports cross-platform play and cross-progression across all its launch platforms.[4]

Development

The game was developed by Wildlight Entertainment, a studio founded by Dusty Welch, Jason McCord and 60 other industry veterans, many of whom previously worked on notable shooter franchises including Apex Legends, Titanfall, and Call of Duty. In February 2023, the studio announced that it was working on a new AAA video game title that it had been in development on “for some time.”[5]

Highguard was officially announced during The Game Awards 2025 on December 9, 2025, where it was revealed with a gameplay trailer that closed out the ceremony.[1] Highguard is Wildlight Entertainment's debut title.[6] The game's development began in 2022 and lasted four years before the game was released. It was intended to be a "shadowdrop", releasing shortly after its reveal with minimal marketing in order to "let the game speak for itself".[7]

Marketing and release

Highguard was revealed as the final announcement at the Game Awards on December 9, 2025. Geoff Keighley presented Highguard at The Game Awards 2025 as the show’s final world-premiere reveal, a spot usually reserved for big and popular titles.[8] Geoff highlighted the game as a project from a team of veteran developers known for their work on Apex Legends and Titanfall. Following the reveal, which received mixed reactions online, Keighley publicly expressed confidence in the game, suggesting it would prove critics wrong. His decision to feature Highguard in the finale slot was based on his support for the game rather than any paid promotion according to Forbes.[9][10][AI-retrieved source]

The studio remained silent on social media regarding the game's status until January.[11] In January 2026, Wildlight Entertainment announced a showcase to debut gameplay on January 26, 2026, ahead of the game’s launch. The presentation featured a full gameplay deep dive and outlined year-one plans, with content creators invited to the studio to play the game.[12] Highguard was released on January 26, 2026.[13]

Reception

In hands-on previews, Jordan Ramée from GameSpot described Highguard as a hybrid shooter that combines familiar elements from multiple competitive games into a new structure, citing its attacker-versus-defender format, objective-driven gameplay, and progression systems. While noting that many mechanics are recognizable, the outlet characterized the overall experience as fresh, highlighting its strategic depth and distinctive match flow, alongside some balance concerns in a crowded live-service market.[14]

In a first-impressions review, The Escapist's Olivia Richman described Highguard as a fast-paced, raid-oriented competitive shooter that blends base defense, open-area skirmishes, and tactical assaults. The review noted that its 3v3 matches emphasize teamwork and decision-making, though it also pointed out occasional balance issues tied to loot and progression.[15]

Kotaku’'s James Galizio's hands-on impressions characterized Highguard as a PvP hero shooter with a three-phase match structure centered on character abilities, objective control, and strategic play. Kotaku highlighted the game’s intuitive gameplay loop, responsive gunplay, polished presentation, and distinctive art direction, concluding that while individual mechanics are familiar, their combination felt energetic and cohesive.[16]

Highguard reached 97,000 concurrent players on Steam within the first hour after the game’s launch despite receiving mostly negative user reviews.[17]

  1. ^ a b Patches, Matt (2025-12-12). "The Game Awards' grand finale reveal was a game you've never heard of coming out in a month". Polygon. Retrieved 2026-01-26.
  2. ^ West, Josh West (2025-12-12). "Highguard: Everything you need to know about the new F2P shooter". GamesRadar+. Retrieved 2026-01-26.
  3. ^ Sinha, Ravi. "Highguard, A Fantasy Titanfall-Like Shooter, Launches on January 26th, 2026". GamingBolt. Retrieved 2026-01-26.
  4. ^ Romano, Sal (2025-12-12). "Wildlight Entertainment announces free-to-play PvP first-person shooter Highguard for PS5, Xbox Series, and PC". Gematsu. Retrieved 2026-01-26.
  5. ^ "New studio Wildlight Entertainment formed by triple-A game veterans". Game Developer. Retrieved 2026-01-26.
  6. ^ Patches, Matt (2025-12-12). "The Game Awards' grand finale reveal was a game you've never heard of coming out in a month". Polygon. Retrieved 2026-01-14.
  7. ^ "Highguard Devs Talk Turning Rust Into A Hero Shooter And That Terrible Game Awards Reveal". Kotaku. Retrieved 2026-01-26.
  8. ^ published, Andy Chalk (2025-12-12). "The internet is not convinced it should care about another PvP hero shooter, drops a collective eye-roll that plunges the big Game Awards final reveal into a YouTube dislikes hole". PC Gamer. Retrieved 2026-01-26.
  9. ^ Robertson, Joshua (2025-12-13). "Highguard's Announcement Trailer Is Getting Spammed With Dislikes Following Its Reveal At The Game Awards". TheGamer. Retrieved 2026-01-26.
  10. ^ Tassi, Paul. "'Highguard' Did Not Pay For Its Infamous Game Awards Finale Slot". Forbes. Retrieved 2026-01-26.
  11. ^ Zwiezen, Zack (2026-01-23). "Highguard Breaks Radio Silence And The Internet Reacts". Kotaku. Retrieved 2026-01-26.
  12. ^ Blake, Vikki (2026-01-26). "Highguard Global Release Times Confirmed Ahead of Launch Showcase". IGN. Retrieved 2026-01-26.
  13. ^ "Here's when Highguard launches in your region". PC Gamer. 2026-01-26. Retrieved 2026-01-26.
  14. ^ "Highguard Is A Fresh Enough Combo That It Could Be The Start Of A Whole New Thing". GameSpot. Retrieved 2026-01-26.
  15. ^ Richman, Olivia (2026-01-26). "Highguard first impressions: fast, freeing, and full of fighting". The Escapist. Retrieved 2026-01-26.
  16. ^ Galizio, James (2026-01-26). "Highguard From Titanfall 2 And Apex Devs Deserves Your Attention". Kotaku. Retrieved 2026-01-26.
  17. ^ Ratcliff, James (2026-01-26). "Highguard is already drawing major attention on Steam". Game Rant. Retrieved 2026-01-26.

Official website

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