Highguard

It has been quite a journey observing the discourse surrounding Highguard over the past few days. It's quite clear that the mood has oscillated wildly, from confusion about its bizarre placement as the "one more thing" finale at last year's Game Awards, to a total lack of marketing in the month that followed, to the rather toxic reception the game has received since its launch earlier this week.

Now, with dozens of matches and a more in-depth study and analysis of meta progression, Battle Pass, skin economy and class design, it's time to take stock of Highguard as it stands today, knowing full well that developer Wildlight is apparently "all-in" on the game and will be for a long time, with updates, improvements and new content perhaps paving the way for a bright future.

However, as things stand today, the few problems the game faces are so massive that it is difficult to recommend the game at this time, despite the fact that the studio's expertise when it comes to the current snapshot of the game testifies to great talent and knowledge of what makes online shooters feel good to play.

As in my first impressions, we should start on a positive note. Highguard appears to be quite polished on PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 5 Pro, where I have played it. I simply cannot comment on optimisation issues in the PC version, as I am not familiar with them, and my personal technical experience has been quite seamless. While I will argue elsewhere that Wildlight launched this game before it was actually ready, this is not noticeable from a technical standpoint, with a silky smooth frame rate, stable netcode and fast queues - added to this is a generic but polished aesthetic and, in particular, thunderous sound.

It's a shame that Wildlight has done so little to anchor the game narratively, because the heroes we are introduced to have, quite critically, no "sense of place". There are no villains, and therefore, in a way, no heroes, and even though there are striking locations and a few glimpses of a setting here and there, these ambitions disappear like a wet fart in the wind. Now that this is technically not an Early Access launch, the game's narrative framework should offer more than it does, even if it is not the most important thing in a game like Highguard.

There are eight distinct heroes, each with recognisable move sets and distinct tactical options. There are five maps with interchangeable bases, making them easier to remix, and with a good handful of weapon types, there are also plenty of opportunities to express yourself creatively on the battlefield through the two weapons, your Siege Tool and at least two abilities per hero. There's also meta progression, a free Battle Pass, skins to buy - it's all here.

Many seem to think that the game's meta is currently too unbalanced to call the pool of eight characters "fine-tuned". Yes, I have seen players turn against specific heroes, but ultimately, Highguard is not ability-specific enough to create a completely broken meta - in fact, there is a nice balance and a fairly even TTK when you are in the heat of battle. Again, the problems are not actually apparent in the current snapshot, because it feels good to fire these weapons, it feels good to spawn your mount and ride out across the steppes, and the physics feel responsive. "Credit where credit is due," as they say, and it is therefore only fitting to state that Highguard is solidly constructed when looking exclusively at these fundamental building blocks. That is also why there is hope that these blocks can be rearranged to build something a little more fun than what the game has to offer today.

And that brings us to the several heavy elephants in the room. First and foremost, these maps are too large, too uneven in their topography, and ultimately too boringly constructed to accommodate this dual gameplay loop that focuses equally on looting and shooting. There is simply too much downtime here, where you monotonously and zombie-like find a stack of armour, a modest upgrade to the weapon you are using and small adjustments to your mount, which really kills the momentum from the start. There is not the excitement you see at the start of a typical Battle Royale map, although that may have been the intention.

The next problem is closely related, and that is the number of players. 3v3 is simply too little. These maps are too big, they are too cumbersome to maintain an entertaining pace with so few players. Perhaps some AI-based enemies on the map would help create a more entertaining loot loop? Eager players have also suggested that these maps need some kind of events outside the two bases that can bring the players together - but regardless, I can only conclude that the flow of these matches is punctured from the very first minute and only regains momentum... yes, momentarily.

However, these raids force enemies into smaller spaces, allow characters to use their abilities more intentionally, and deliver better multiplayer moments overall. But placing bombs on generators seems a little too generic a mechanic to fit in here, and as I wrote earlier, it's downright miserable that a player who is killed in this phase has to wait until the assault is over to respawn. Furthermore, the entire implementation of this base is really poor. You can reinforce five walls per player, but beyond that, there is no way to create a more tactical framework for either an attack or a defence. No traps, no AI allies - you see this tower breaking down the barrier, but from there, there is nothing particularly different about the flow, except that you are squeezed together in a smaller space.

That's what I mean when I say there are good building blocks here. Cool weapons, good weight, solid physics, great music and sound - there's more than just good intentions here, there's design. But what good is that when these immediate mechanics are squeezed into a structure, into a framework that simply doesn't facilitate entertaining gameplay? Then you get a mediocre experience that is difficult to recommend - it's not really any longer. Highguard is free, yes, but so are other games, and in 2026 it's your time, not so much your wallet, that's the focus. That's why I have to be harsh here and state that Highguard, as it stands today, is simply not worth your time, despite the fact that the studio has clearly worked hard to realise a specific vision. But more than just balance patches are needed here; a drastic overhaul of the kind of experience Highguard has to offer is required, and it will therefore take months, if not more, for Wildlight to get the ship back on course.