Highguard: Everything About This Feels Off

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Now that The Game Awards are over, let’s look at all the exciting new game announcements! The biggest reveal from the show was Highguard, a free-to-play hero shooter created by the team behind Titanfall and Apex Legends.

Few reveals at The Game Awards are as highly anticipated as the show’s closing presentation. However, that prime slot comes with a lot of pressure. It’s typically used for well-known series, major comebacks, or truly groundbreaking new games – titles that deserve to be the grand finale. This year, though, the closing showcase felt different than usual.

Here’s the main issue: despite impressive graphics and action, Highguard just isn’t capturing anyone’s excitement. It entered the scene with a lot of anticipation, but the reaction has been surprisingly underwhelming. The community, which was previously eager, now seems completely turned off. Players were hoping for games like Bloodborne 2, Half-Life 3, or The Elder Scrolls 6, but instead, they received this.

Here’s the surprising thing: is it really fair to write off Highguard already? If you look at online forums, Reddit, and comments sections, it’s hard to find anyone saying something positive. People haven’t even decided on their favorite character yet, but negativity is everywhere. There has to be more to this than just disappointment with Highguard being placed later in the running order at The Game Awards. While we might have expected more from the game’s reveal, the timing doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a bad game.

There might be a different issue at play: people could be tired of this type of game. Simply put, Highguard is just another multiplayer game where players fight each other with guns and magic. We’ve seen games like this before, and many haven’t been successful.

Hero shooters were incredibly popular ten years ago, but now many of the things that defined them feel outdated. This news about Highguard isn’t necessarily a sign it will fail, but rather a question about the future of the genre as a whole. Are hero shooters losing their appeal, or could they still have a lot of life left in them?

People are simply tired of the same old shooting games, or frustrated with how much they cost to play. It’s clear that players aren’t excited about investing time and money in new characters that might quickly become obsolete, judging by the lackluster response. Even if the developers have created excellent shooters in the past, it doesn’t matter now – players are burnt out. While experienced developers are valuable, that doesn’t guarantee success.

Even though fewer people are playing, soaring through the Outlands in Apex Legends remains incredibly fun, and the fast-paced combination of mechs and first-person shooting in Titanfall is still widely celebrated. Everything suggests fans should be thrilled, but the online gaming landscape has changed.

The hero shooter genre is facing challenges. Blizzard is reducing its focus on Overwatch due to concerns about future content and the cancellation of its planned PvE matchmaking. Marathon, developed by the team behind popular shooters, isn’t gaining traction despite strong gunplay. Concord’s price wasn’t the main issue – players criticized its unoriginal characters and weak marketing. Launching a new hero shooter is incredibly difficult because the market is already crowded. If you’re planning to try Highguard, what game will you be replacing in your rotation?

We haven’t received any new information about the game since it was shown last month – no detailed looks, short previews, or even gameplay footage. That’s concerning, especially with the game launching in just a few weeks and time quickly running out. Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem like any of that is going to happen.

It’s understandable to be hesitant about Highguard right now, and it’s not necessarily a sign of being negative. You might feel like you’re rejecting the game because it doesn’t seem good, but it’s more likely you’re simply protecting yourself from disappointment. After years of games that haven’t delivered on their promises, haven’t innovated much, and have focused too much on getting players to spend extra money, any new hero shooter has a lot to prove before it can earn your time, interest, and financial support.

Launching a live-service game is unpredictable – it’s impossible to know if it will succeed. Some games that didn’t initially get great reviews have become incredibly popular, like Apex Legends. The big question now is whether Highguard can find players and keep them engaged. Looking back at the announcement trailer might show you that it has potential.

This game’s DNA promises exciting action, letting you quickly move around arenas and unleash a variety of attacks – from explosive shots and thrown daggers to guided rockets. It’s a truly thrilling experience! While the art style isn’t groundbreaking, it’s vibrant, colorful, and easy to follow, even with a lot happening on screen.

While Highguard is a well-made game, it doesn’t seem to offer much that’s new to the hero shooter genre. The developers promise something revolutionary, but the gameplay – from shooting and character roles to the overall pace and objectives – feels very similar to games like Overwatch. In fact, Highguard closely mirrors Overwatch in both its character types and speed. Even the name itself feels reminiscent of Overwatch. The game’s trailer follows a predictable formula, showcasing heroes and abilities in a way that’s common in the genre, rather than presenting a truly original vision.

The trailer fails to grab your attention or explain what the game is about. It doesn’t build a compelling world, show what makes the characters unique, or hint at an interesting story. Ignoring its initial announcement at the Game Awards, Highguard needs to address the basic questions: What’s the point of this game? Why is it being released now? And why should players be interested? By avoiding these questions, Highguard struggles to make a strong impression.

It’s common for gamers to react negatively, and you often see critical comments online. But this situation feels different – the level of agreement is unusual. You rarely see such a unanimous response on platforms like YouTube and Reddit.

Instead of focusing on dissatisfaction, let’s think of this as a community wanting to be convinced. You want to know if expecting something truly new is reasonable. You might be willing to invest time and energy into a game that constantly evolves, proving that people aren’t actually tired of this type of game – that idea comes from those outside the player base and critics. You don’t want to see more games fail, leaving skilled developers jobless after years of dedication. You want to see a success story, but you also want to avoid being disappointed. All of this is achievable, so why not with Highguard?

Wildlight Entertainment still has the potential to impress us with Highguard. Even though many people aren’t expecting much, there’s a real chance for success if they build on the fast-paced, skillful gunplay of Apex Legends and emphasize the exciting vertical movement seen in the trailer, reminiscent of Titanfall. To really succeed, the game needs unique character roles and a fair approach to in-game purchases to attract and keep players. However, these are all big uncertainties – the characters currently look quite similar to others on the market, and we don’t yet know how the game will be supported financially over time. Still, it’s not out of the question that they could pull it off.

Currently, the things Highguard needs to succeed aren’t in place. However, the skilled people who have been quietly working on this for the past four years suggest that success is still achievable.

Perhaps you’re not quite prepared for Highguard – not because it’s a groundbreaking game, but because it’s launching at a difficult time when even great ideas struggle to gain traction. The game faces a challenge, but Highguard has the potential to succeed. With a release date of January 26th fast approaching, time is of the essence. If Wildlight Entertainment can quickly establish a strong and compelling identity for Highguard – and explain why players should be excited – they can turn current skepticism into enthusiasm.

Just so you know, the opinions in this article are the author’s own and don’t reflect the official stance of GamingBolt.

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2026-01-13 15:45