The story of Highguard has been a bit of an unfortunate one. I believe the intentions were good all around, but somehow it’s turned into a small disaster. If you haven’t been following, Highguard was the final announcement from The Game Awards 2025, a game that the host, Geoff Keighley, praised heavily before its debut. Unfortunately, it was a PvP hero shooter that reminded many of Overwatch and Concord. It’s a genre that feels a bit stale now, and the debut trailer didn’t do much to showcase what is possibly unique or fun about it.
Highguard comes from Wildlight Entertainment, made up of former Respawn Entertainment developers who worked on games like Apex Legends, Call of Duty, and Titanfall. So obviously, they’re sticking to what they know, but it seems really unfortunate that Keighley put it in the final slot. Honestly, if Highguard was presented elsewhere during The Game Awards 2025, it wouldn’t have gotten as much hate as it has on the internet. Then again, it might not have been in the news as often either. Some say even bad press is good press.
What’s been weird, though, is that after the game’s debut, it’s been quiet. There haven’t been any showcases or new trailers that give players an idea of what makes Highguard unique or fun. There hasn’t been any announcement of a closed or open beta, and the game’s Steam page has one of the most bare-bones descriptions you can find. In other words, there’s little to no marketing on it, despite the fact that it launches in just a few days.
Well, it turns out the team is saving the showcase until the game’s launch. Which is a choice, I guess. I obviously want to see how the game is before judging it, but I can’t say all the moves have been the right ones. I can’t believe that staying radio silent after The Game Awards 2025 was the best thing for the game. It’s even stranger to host a showcase on launch day, since players can just play the game and judge it for themselves rather than watch a video about what it’s all about.
Highguard is a free-to-play game launching January 26, 2026 on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.
