Do you remember Highguard, the first-person shooter that was featured at the end of The Game Awards 2025 last month? After players reacted negatively – many were frustrated that the team behind popular games like Titanfall and Apex Legends had created *yet another* hero shooter – both the game and its developer, Wildlight Entertainment, stopped communicating with the gaming community as its release date in late January neared.
The game is now available! This free-to-play “PvP raid shooter” has launched on Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC (via Steam), and PS5. A recent showcase revealed more about the game’s world, called Highguard, and highlighted what makes its gameplay unique compared to other games in the genre.
This 25-minute showcase covers everything about Highguard, from how the game is played to details about its world, story, and art style. You can watch it using the link below, or in the video embedded here.
Highguard is a team-based shooter for three players on each side. The game unfolds in two parts: first, players explore and gather resources in an open world, similar to the beginning of battle royale or extraction games. Then, the action shifts to a raid where teams attack and defend objectives, creating the kind of exciting combat found in games like Rust and ARK. Players control powerful Warden characters with special skills, but the developers emphasize that Highguard is fundamentally a game about skillful shooting.
To keep the game fresh and engaging, the developers will consistently add new content, including new characters called Wardens, weapons, weapon upgrades, and playable areas. This content will be released every two months in updates called “Episodes,” starting with the launch update (Episode 1). The next update, Episode 2, is scheduled to arrive very soon, in just two weeks in February.
During the early part of a match, players ride mounts to collect weapons, armor, and gear. While doing this, they might run into opposing teams. After a short time, a powerful sword called the Shieldbreaker appears, and its location is marked by a visible storm in the sky.
Players will compete to capture a powerful blade. Successfully stabbing the blade into the enemy team’s shield will create a massive battering ram, destroying the shield and starting a raid. During the raid, the attacking team must break through the defenders and reach the enemy base’s generators or anchor stone to win.
If either of the outer structures, or the main base itself, is destroyed, the attackers win. However, if the attackers don’t destroy the base in a single attempt, they’ll be forced to retreat and the preparation phase will restart, with any damage to the defenders’ base remaining. Importantly, a successful defense can actually damage the attackers’ base, so strong defensive play can lead to victory.
Highguard had a very strong launch, quickly reaching 97,130 players on Steam within the first hour. It’s harder to tell how well the game is doing on consoles, as we don’t have public numbers yet. Right now, many players are reporting long wait times just to get into the game – a common issue with new game releases in 2026!
Overall, this gameplay showcase of Highguard does a much better job of highlighting what makes it unique than the trailer we saw at The Game Awards. Because it’s free to play, a lot more people are likely to give it a try. We’ll see how things are looking in about a week, but let’s put the comparisons to ‘Concord 2.0’ on hold for now.
Read More
- Best Controller Settings for ARC Raiders
- Donkey Kong Country Returns HD version 1.1.0 update now available, adds Dixie Kong and Switch 2 enhancements
- Ashes of Creation Rogue Guide for Beginners
- Sega Insider Drops Tease of Next Sonic Game
- When to Expect One Piece Chapter 1172 Spoilers & Manga Leaks
- Fantasista Asuka launches February 12
- Hytale: Upgrade All Workbenches to Max Level, Materials Guide
- All 6 Takopi’s Original Sin Episodes, Ranked
- Arc Raiders Guide – All Workbenches And How To Upgrade Them
- 7 Best Animated Horror TV Shows
2026-01-26 22:39