Highguard Has the Perfect Chance to Lead the Next Era of Hero Shooters

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As a big fan of hero shooters – I’ve been hooked since games like Overwatch and Marvel Rivals came out – I’ve seen the genre have some amazing peaks and really disappointing lows. And honestly, nothing showed that rollercoaster quite like Overwatch 2. But then, at The Game Awards last year, Highguard was revealed, and wow, the reaction was intense. It immediately became the target of a ton of negativity, and while some of the criticism might be fair, a lot of it just feels way over the top to me.

Wildlight Entertainment has shown they’re dedicated to improving the game with frequent updates, including balance changes, performance boosts, a new Ranked mode, and a new hero. But what really excites me are the beautifully crafted cinematic episodes that hint at the rich backstory of Highguard. They’ve made me want a deeper, story-driven experience – something most hero shooters don’t offer. Highguard has everything it needs to deliver that, and could really stand out by adding a compelling single-player campaign or a narrative-focused co-op mode.

Highguard’s Raids Are Perfect for PvE

What sets Highguard apart from other hero shooters is its core gameplay. Unlike many games that focus on capturing points or completing simple objectives, Highguard centers around complex, coordinated Raids. These Raids require teamwork and skillful play, creating a rewarding experience with clear progression. This focus on cooperative gameplay, or PvE, is something many hero shooters don’t fully explore, giving Highguard a unique position in the genre.

Given the current game design, Wildlight Entertainment could easily expand the story by focusing on the defensive aspects of Raid mode. Players could tackle solo or co-op missions – either protecting their own base from waves of enemies, or infiltrating enemy bases filled with traps and challenges. They could also add complex boss battles that highlight the core gameplay features of Highguard and demonstrate how hero shooters can offer engaging, story-driven experiences beyond traditional competitive multiplayer.

The game’s story suggests dangerous threats are returning to the world of Highguard, and a substantial update featuring a story-driven cooperative mode could revitalize the game and address concerns about its future. Hero shooters have been struggling to keep players engaged, particularly those that focus solely on player-versus-player combat. Adding strong player-versus-environment content gives players a lasting reason to play and can attract those who enjoy the game’s characters and setting but aren’t interested in competitive ranked modes. By making Raids a core part of the game, Highguard could attract a wider audience and stand out from competitors that prioritize PvP.

Highguard Needs to Explore Its Lore

Hero shooters often miss a chance to create compelling stories within the game itself. While players enjoy learning about characters through things like animated shorts and comics, that story rarely continues when they actually play the game. Overwatch is a good example – its cinematic shorts are fantastic, but the story doesn’t really progress within the game. Now, with Highguard still in development, there’s a great opportunity to change that and finally connect the story from those cinematic experiences with what happens in the game – something most hero shooters haven’t been able to do successfully.

The latest videos demonstrate the strong potential of Highguard. The game world feels alive with a compelling central conflict, creating lots of possibilities for story-driven missions, detailed background information, and quests focused on interesting characters. A rich backstory keeps players engaged and invested. As seen in games like Apex Legends and League of Legends, players really connect with characters who have distinct personalities and clear goals. By expanding the world through events, missions, or ongoing storylines, Highguard could give each hero a more significant and meaningful place in the overall conflict.

Wildlight Entertainment has a great opportunity to build on the game’s current progress with future updates. They could add new content and rewards – like unique character skins – based on how many players complete the story missions. This would strengthen both the cooperative (PvE) and competitive (PvP) aspects of the game. Highguard is starting to turn things around, and players are beginning to see how good it can be. Expanding on the game’s rich backstory and integrating it well into gameplay is a smart way to keep players engaged. It reminds me of Concord, another hero shooter that could have benefited from focusing more on its world and characters through in-game stories and cooperative content. Hopefully, Highguard won’t make the same mistake, but it needs to take a bold step forward now.

Highguard Can Pick Up Where Other Hero Shooters Fall Off

The hero shooter genre is currently facing some challenges. Marvel Rivals is doing well with frequent updates, but the rapid release of new characters – often overpowered at first and then weakened – is starting to frustrate some players. Overwatch 2, now reverting to Overwatch, highlights the game’s difficult past and leaves fans questioning if Blizzard can turn things around. Highguard is relatively new and still developing, and it’s at a crucial moment where it needs to innovate to succeed.

Both Blizzard and Marvel have rich stories and characters that players love. However, their hero shooters, Overwatch and Marvel Rivals, haven’t fully captured that depth for players. Highguard has a great opportunity to do things differently and create a more complete experience. While competitive gameplay is important, it can’t be the only focus. Wildlight Entertainment can show that Highguard is more than just a shooter by adding a cooperative mode that expands on the game’s story, characters, and world – going beyond just pre-game banter and cutscenes.

I’m really enjoying Highguard, especially the competitive scene, but I’m hoping for more ways to get invested in the game’s story and characters – particularly my favorite, Mara. I want a stronger reason to keep playing, even after losing. If the developers at Wildlight Entertainment focus on expanding the lore and adding different gameplay options, Highguard has the potential to be a truly groundbreaking hero shooter. It’s unusual to see a game with this much promise and popularity so early on, but Highguard is at a critical point – it could either become a leader in the genre or lose momentum.

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2026-02-09 18:12