Highguard devs admit “we could have made a different trailer” after its devastating reveal — but say it was always the plan to “go dark” before release

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The announcement of Highguard at The Game Awards 2025 received a lot of criticism. The new PvP “raid shooter” for Xbox, PC, and PS5, developed by Wildlight Entertainment, was poorly received by fans, who felt the market was already saturated with similar hero shooter games. It ended the show on a particularly negative note, especially considering the developers previously worked on Titanfall.

The initial announcement was a major setback for Highguard and Wildlight. The game struggled after launch, but a recent re-reveal has helped clarify what it offers. It’s a unique hero shooter that combines the scavenging of battle royale games with the base-building and raiding elements of survival games, setting it apart from the competition.

I was really interested to hear what the CEO of Wildlight, Dusty Welch, had to say about the reaction to their recent reveal. He admitted they were hoping for a much more positive response and that they probably could have created a better trailer – one that really showcased what makes Highguard’s gameplay unique.

Honestly, I was disappointed with how Highguard was received, and we really wanted better feedback. We definitely weren’t ignoring it – we saw everything people were saying. As gamers ourselves, we’re always online and reading the comments, so we were aware of the reaction.

Looking back, we could have created a more effective trailer—one focused on showcasing what makes our game special, rather than just being entertaining. We feel the trailer for The Game Awards didn’t fully capture the core gameplay experience, and we take responsibility for that. However, the team is staying positive and learning from this.

After a disappointing announcement, Highguard suddenly stopped all public communication, leading many to believe the game was in serious trouble. There was almost no marketing for the first-person shooter until shortly before it released, causing speculation that its launch would be postponed.

Director Jason McCord explained that Wildlight intentionally planned to stay quiet after announcing the game until its release. They hoped to achieve the same surprise launch success that many of their developers had with Apex Legends in early 2019.

McCord explained that the trailer shown at The Game Awards was intended as a formal announcement. The team planned to release the trailer, then stop sharing updates until they were ready to show gameplay. He emphasized that this strategy would have remained the same regardless of the trailer’s initial reception, and that ultimately, experiencing the game firsthand is what matters most.

Highguard has had a difficult launch, receiving mostly negative reviews on Steam. Currently, only 20% of over 6,500 user reviews are positive, earning the game an “Overwhelmingly Negative” rating. Players are criticizing its performance issues, lackluster shooting mechanics, and maps that feel too big for the 3v3 team battles.

The game didn’t attract many players at launch, peaking just below 100,000 on Steam before numbers quickly dropped. While the developers claim they’re focused on building a small, dedicated fanbase, it appears Highguard currently lacks significant player support. It’s possible this could improve, but the initial results are concerning.

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2026-01-27 02:09