Highguard burst onto the scene like a magical storm on January 26, 2026, capping off The Game Awards 2025 with a surprise shadow-drop launch that sent shockwaves through the PvP shooter community.
Developed by Wildlight Entertainment, this arcane raid shooter saw an explosive debut, skyrocketing to a peak of over 97,000 concurrent players on Steam alone, a massive win for a game blending hero shooter flair with base-raiding intensity, mounted traversal across mythical landscapes, and non-stop crew battles for the elusive Shieldbreaker. But the honeymoon was short-lived. Within 24 hours, player numbers plummeted by 80-90%, dipping below 10,000 active users as mixed reviews (hovering around 44% positive) highlighted gripes like oversized maps for its core 3v3 format, performance hiccups, and a lack of pre-launch hype in a saturated live-service market. Whispers of “Concord 2.0” echoed online, but Wildlight isn’t backing down. They’ve rolled out rapid-fire updates to tackle feedback head-on, starting with quality-of-life tweaks and culminating in an experimental twist that’s reigniting the spark.
Just days after launch, Patch 1.0.4 brought essential console FOV sliders (up to 110), toggle options for crouch and ADS, a suite of video settings like DLSS presets and global illumination toggles, and a whopping 90% crash reduction, vital fixes for stability on PS5, Xbox, and PC, especially laptops throttled to 60 FPS. Then came the big swing: the January 30 “5v5 and Performance Patch,” introducing a limited-time 5v5 Raid Mode playlist that’s got players buzzing.
This experimental mode finally lets full five-player parties dive in, addressing complaints about downtime traversing vast maps and solo-queue frustrations. Raids now pack 10 lives (up from six) with extended respawn timers to give teams breathing room for planting generators or defusing bombs, ramping up the hectic base assaults without ditching the strategic core. Devs were upfront: performance takes a hit with extra players, but bundled optimizations to animations, projectiles, and draw times should smooth things out across platforms. “We heard the feedback!” they declared, proving they’re all ears.
Sweetening the deal is the new Soul Well base, a foreboding relic from a bygone era, now in rotation for all modes, complete with dark, whispering vibes that fit Highguard’s mystical lore perfectly.
These aren’t stopgaps; they’re the opening salvo in a beefy 2026 roadmap packed with free, monthly “Episodes” to keep the content flowing. Episode 2 kicks off in February with a fresh Warden (hero), base, map, raid tool, the long-awaited ranked mode, and a new mount – perfect for climbing leaderboards and experimenting with 5v5 strats if it sticks around. Expect bi-monthly drops through the year: more Wardens every couple months, weapons, loot items like amulets and mods, limited-time modes in June, and even surprises by fall. All gratis, no paywalls gating core progression.
Wildlight’s swift action has nudged reviews toward “Mixed” territory, and early 5v5 clips show chaotic, fun raids that could hook squads craving bigger brawls. If this momentum holds, Highguard could mount up from its rough start and claim its spot in the arena. Grab your crew, queue up the experimental playlist, and see if the devs have cracked the code. The continent awaits its guardians.