Highguard Arrives: Can Wildlight's Debut Shooter Overcome Pre-Launch Skepticism?
Wildlight Entertainment's highly anticipated debut title, Highguard, has finally arrived today, launching across PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, and Xbox Series S. After a notably quiet period, we anticipate this free-to-play hero shooter to make a significant splash, particularly given the studio's pedigree. Coinciding with its release, the studio is scheduled to host the "Highguard Official Launch Showcase" today, a broadcast that promises a thorough look at the new free-to-play hero shooter. We are curious to see if this showcase delivers on its promise of depth or leans more into launch day fanfare.
The showcase is set to begin at 10 AM PT / 1 PM ET / 6 PM UK time and will be broadcast live on the official Highguard YouTube channel.
The Launch Showcase: More Than Just Marketing Hype?
The "Highguard Official Launch Showcase" is positioned to provide an extensive overview of the game directly from the studio. While the studio claims this will be an in-depth dive, we'll be looking to see if it moves beyond the typical marketing platitudes. Viewers can expect:
- An in-depth look at Highguard, which we hope translates into tangible details about its core mechanics and unique selling points.
- A full gameplay deep dive, which is crucial for a hero shooter looking to carve out a niche in a crowded market.
- Details on the game's year one plans; this is a critical component for any live-service title, and transparency here could help assuage community concerns about longevity.
- Additional announcements and insights into the game's future, a category that often masks less substantial news, so we'll be watching closely.
The livestream is accessible at youtube.com/watch?v=0qR9Xbzt5t0. Wildlight Entertainment announced the showcase on its social media platforms on January 23, 2026.
Beneath the Hood: Deconstructing Highguard's Ambitious Design
Developed by Wildlight Entertainment, a studio founded in 2021 by former developers of Titanfall and Apex Legends, Highguard enters the free-to-play, live-service hero shooter arena. It uniquely combines elements of a PvP raid shooter and a first-person shooter. A "PvP raid shooter" typically involves players battling in teams to secure objectives, often followed by an assault on a fortified enemy base. This blend of traditional gunplay with structured, objective-based raids sets it apart from more conventional hero shooters.
Players step into the roles of "Wardens," described as arcane gunslingers, battling for control over a mythical continent. Gameplay involves initial combat stages where rival Warden crews fight for a "Shieldbreaker," a pivotal objective used to weaken enemy defenses. This objective capture then transitions into raid elements, where the focus shifts to infiltrating and destroying enemy bases to secure territory. The game features a striking blend of futuristic weapons, medieval-looking mounts and vehicles, an array of powers, and destructible environments, creating an aesthetic we find intriguing, if slightly disparate.
We believe the full cross-play functionality is a wise decision, ensuring players across PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S can team up and compete without artificial barriers. The PlayStation 5 version features 33 trophies. While not a massive list compared to some expansive titles like Dead by Daylight (288 trophies) or Vampire Survivors (244 trophies), it's comparable to other new releases, suggesting a focused set of achievements rather than an exhaustive one. Examples like "Plunderer" for acquiring loot from 15 chests in a single match and "Animal Control" for eliminating 20 enemy mounts give us a glimpse into the diverse challenges players will face.
Given the pedigree of its developers, we expected Highguard to bring some of the fast-paced, fluid movement that characterized Titanfall and Apex Legends. However, community discussions suggest the movement in Highguard is notably slower and more grounded, making it easier to track enemies compared to the "wild, extremely fast movement" of its spiritual predecessors. This deliberate design choice may alienate some fans of the developers' previous work who were hoping for a "Medieval Titanfall Clone".
A Quiet Campaign: Why Wildlight's Marketing Strategy Left Us Puzzled
Highguard was first revealed as the final showcase at The Game Awards 2025 (December 11, 2025). Reports indicated that event host Geoff Keighley offered Wildlight Entertainment this prominent slot without a fee, citing his appreciation for the project. This is a significant gesture, as showing a three-minute trailer at the awards show can reportedly cost studios over $1 million, with even a 60-second spot fetching up to $450,000.
Despite this high-profile reveal, Wildlight Entertainment maintained a notably quiet public presence in the period between its announcement and today's launch. The official Highguard X (formerly Twitter) account remained silent for over a month following The Game Awards, and the studio shared very little public information about the game during this time. This "strange marketing" strategy, as some have characterized it, reportedly stemmed from an internal decision to "go dark" after the reveal, drawing inspiration from Apex Legends' surprise launch. We find this a risky move for a new IP, relying heavily on the initial buzz rather than sustained engagement. While it certainly cultivated curiosity, it also left a vacuum for speculation.
Prior to launch, signs of increased Steam activity for Highguard were observed, and a PlayStation 5 trophy list became publicly available. A preview event for games media and influencers also took place earlier in the week, hinting at the impending release.
However, community discussions noted some negativity and "hate" towards Highguard pre-launch, with some expressing that the game appeared "uninteresting" or was not a title "nobody was asking for". This perception was partially attributed to its placement as the final reveal at The Game Awards 2025, which, in the absence of further information, led to copy/paste meme phrases like "Concord 2" and "Titanfall 3 died for this" flooding comment sections. A former developer lamented that the game "was turned into a joke from minute one" due to perceived misconceptions about its Game Awards placement. While some early reviewers have found the game to be a "very good multiplayer shooter, and a breath of fresh air," stating it improves after a few matches, the initial negative sentiment is undeniable. Today's launch and showcase offer the studio a critical opportunity to provide a detailed look at the game and address these community curiosities and criticisms head-on.
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