| Highguard | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer | Wildlight Entertainment |
| Publisher | Wildlight Entertainment |
| Directors |
|
| Designer | Jason McCord |
| Artist | Robert Taube |
| Platforms | |
| Release | January 26, 2026 |
| Genre | Hero shooter |
| Mode | Multiplayer |
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]
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]
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 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]
Highguard was revealed as the final announcement at The Game Awards on December 11, 2025. [8] Geoff Keighley presented the game as the show’s final world-premiere reveal, a spot usually reserved for big and popular titles. [8] Keighley 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, he 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]
Wildlight Entertainment remained silent on social media regarding the game's status until January. [11] In January 2026, the studio 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] Highguardwas released on January 26, 2026. [13]
The studio revealed a "2026 Game Plan" outlining future content releases by episode, each spanning one or two months, over the course of the first year. [14] [15]
| Aggregator | Score |
|---|---|
| Metacritic | (PC) 67/100 [16] |
| Publication | Score |
|---|---|
| Push Square | 6/10 [17] |
The PC version of Highguard received "mixed or average" reviews on PC from critics, according to review aggregator website Metacritic. [16] Fellow review aggregator OpenCritic assessed that the game received weak approval from critics. [18]
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. [19]
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. [20]
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. [21]
Concluding his review for Push Square , Aaron Bayne described Highguard as "a fun yet bloated shooter that lacks the spark you'll find in other games in the genre", as well as "a jack of all trades and master of none". Bayne praised the gameplay while criticizing the "uninspired" artstyle, "bloated" match mechanics, and "lacking" progression systems. [17]
Highguard reached 97,000 concurrent players on Steam within the first hour after the game’s launch despite receiving mostly negative user reviews. [22] [23] [24] However, its player count dropped to under 20,000 by the following day. [23] [25]